The most famous and lovely fish is salmon I think everyone like it, if you search in the internet how to cook and prepare salmon you will find too much recipes but today I'm going to share with you my favorite recipe of salmon.
you can cook your salmon Fillets on the grill or bake it or smoke it and so much other ways. But in this recipe we are going to treat our salmon as a huge steak and give it the amount of time to make it more delicious and flavorful.
try to pick salmon that is full of fat and the most moist one this is important to have the best results. I always make sure to bring the basic and classic salmon from stores while the farm raised salmon is less in fats, and Atlantic are amazing for this recipe.
Dry brined salmon method :
dry brining salmon before smoking is one of the best keys to get the most moist and seasoned smoked salmon Fillets.
basically this is the method to make your protein steak more flavorful and full of salt and sugar. Which is good in this recipe that is very simple to make.
The dry brine elements and method:
Quart cup of brown sugar
Quart cup of white sugar
Half cup of kosher salt
First step: mix sugars and salt together, and sprinkle it on salmon Fillets for both sides on a baking sheet.
Second step: after covering the salmon with the brine mixture, leave it with skin down and use a plastic wrap to cover it very well, then store it in refrigerator for about one hour. It's much better if you used a wire rack instead of basic rack, that would help salmon to lose excess liquid.
Third step: after removing the salmon from refrigerator, you will notice all the liquid which is considered as fats and moisture, this happened by the action of brine.
Fourth step: clean salmon with water to remove unwanted salt and to avoid make it too much salty, then drain it with paper towels and let it in the air to be dried for 10 minutes.
Salmon Smoking step: first thing in this step is preheating the smoker before begin smoking the salmon, if you don't have one I advise you to buy the TRAEGER PELLET GRILL you will also need it in other recipes as smoked ribs and smoked turkey wings and on and on, most beautiful advantages about this smoker that is super clean up than other methods of smoking. Please preheat it to 225 F.
Step number 1: when the smoker get to the requested heat degree, please place the salmon by skin down directly into the smoker grill. salmon Fillets are thin so you have to control the temperature of the heat to make sure don't overcook or burn your salmon. best solution is to use leave in Meat thermometer tool, that is going to update you about any internal changes temperature when you cook the salmon.
Step number 2: it is very important to control the level of cooking that you like, for me I like rare finish to the salmon that's why I use a 125 F, don't try to cook it over 140 F because that is going to make your salmon so dry and hard.
Step number 3: after getting the salmon done remove it from the smoker and rest it on any cutting board, devide it into portions and serve it to your family. As an option you could add some hot sauce or a little bit of black pepper, and for sweetness lovers, feel free to add maple syrup or honey it pairs perfectly with smoked salmon.
Famous asked questions:
Which kind of salmon Fillets is the best for this recipe:
Choose any type you like, wether saltwater or freshwater. For this recipe we used wild coho and king salmon, but it is fine to bring antlantic farmed salmon if it is the only choice you have.
Sides Serving with smoked salmon:
Salads, I can propose spinach salad with red onions and apple slices topped with balsamic dressing.
Rice, That you can mix it with garlic lemon sauce.
Green beans, grilled potatoes and broccoli, mushrooms.
What to do with leftover smoked salmon:
It is perfect for breakfast meal as cream cheese bagels with smoked salmon with fresh dill.
There is a bunch of recipes that needs smoked salmon, as crispy salmon bite, and salmon salad or as a snack, you will not regret this recipe.
Salmon balls recipe is one of the best ideas too, that you could prepare it very quickly, and for dip ideas you can also serve it as a dip with some Greece yogurt and lemon with garlic.
Reasons to buy Traeger smoker
I buy this smoker because of the quality and the amazing features of it, even there are many other smokers, especially when you are a cooking lover.
Best advantages is the possibility of controlling the temperature, and it is good in increasing the level of smoking.
It is giving big quantity of food in short time, and lets proteins keep their flavor and juice.
Great about pellet grills, easy to set it up and clean it out.
There are many varieties of wood that you could use in smoking, try cherry wood or oak, hickory, or make your own choice, all this types are going to give you the best results.
