Smoked salmon is a delicious delicacy that is often expensive to buy pre-made. However, with some basic equipment and ingredients, it is easy to cure and smoke your own salmon at home. The process allows you to fully customize the flavor, texture, and smokiness to suit your tastes.
Overview of Curing and Smoking Salmon
Curing and smoking salmon is a two-step process
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Curing: This involves coating the raw salmon fillets with a dry brine mixture of salt, sugar, and spices. The salt draws moisture out of the fish which firms up the flesh. The sugar balances out the saltiness. Spices like dill, fennel, or black pepper can add flavor. The salmon cures in the fridge for 6-24 hours.
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Smoking: After curing, the salmon is lightly rinsed and air dried to form a sticky pellicle on the surface. It is then smoked at a low temperature (below 30C) for up to 8 hours which cooks it gently while infusing a lovely smoky flavor.
The exact time and temperature during curing and smoking will impact the final moisture content and texture. Firmer, drier salmon results from longer curing and smoking times. The type of wood used for smoking also affects the flavor.
Benefits of Home Cured Smoked Salmon
Here are some of the best things about smoking your own salmon rather than buying it
- Customize the flavor – Add any spices, herbs, alcohol to the cure and any wood type for smoking
- Control texture – Adjust curing time for soft to firm salmon
- Save money – Home smoked salmon costs a fraction of store bought
- Long shelf life – Keeps 2-3 weeks refrigerated when vacuum sealed
- Impress guests – Make an elegant starter with homemade smoked salmon
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to cure and smoke salmon like a pro:
Ingredients Needed
- Salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 lb portions
- Curing salt – kosher or pickling salt
- Sugar – white or brown
- Spices – dill, fennel, black pepper (optional)
- Maple syrup or honey for basting (optional)
- Wood chips or dust – alder, apple, hickory
Equipment Needed
- Rimmed baking sheet or large glass/plastic container
- Wire cooling rack that fits inside the baking sheet/container
- Resealable plastic bags or vacuum sealer
- Stovetop smoker, electric smoker, or charcoal smoker
- Temperature probe or thermometer
1. Make the Cure
Mix together:
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup sugar
- Any desired spices
You can multiply this basic 2:1 ratio of salt to sugar depending on quantity of salmon.
2. Cure the Salmon
- Place salmon skin-side down in container and cover flesh evenly with 1⁄3 of cure mix.
- Rub remaining 2⁄3 of cure all over flesh side.
- Cover and refrigerate 6-24 hours.
- Longer curing time up to 48 hours firms up the salmon texture.
3. Rinse and Dry
- Rinse salmon briefly under cold water to remove cure.
- Pat very dry with paper towels.
- Place salmon flesh-side up on wire rack over baking sheet.
- Refrigerate, uncovered, 8-12 hours until dry and sticky.
4. Smoke the Salmon
- Soak wood chips/dust in water for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare smoker for cold smoking by heating to under 30C.
- Place salmon on racks in smoker, flesh side up.
- Add soaked wood chips/dust to smoker box.
- Smoke for 2-8 hours until salmon reaches internal temp of 40-45C.
- Brush with maple syrup hourly to add sweetness and moisture.
5. Rest and Store
- Let smoked salmon rest 1 hour before refrigerating.
- Vacuum seal or store in bag in fridge up to 3 weeks.
- Let flavors meld for 2 days before eating.
Tips for Delicious Home Smoked Salmon
Follow these tips for the highest quality home smoked salmon:
- Use the freshest wild-caught salmon, not farmed.
- Cut salmon into equal sized portions so it cures evenly.
- Cure in the refrigerator at 36-40°F.
- Rinse cure off thoroughly or it will be too salty.
- Let pellicle fully form by air drying overnight.
- Keep smoker temp low, under 30C to prevent albumin oozing.
- Use a 50/50 mix of fruit and hardwood for a milder smoke.
- Rest salmon before and after smoking.
- Store properly vacuum sealed or in sealed container.
What to Serve with Smoked Salmon
Home smoked salmon is endlessly versatile. Here are some tasty ways to serve it:
- Smoked salmon blinis or crostini
- Bagels with cream cheese and salmon
- Salmon Benedict eggs benedict
- Salmon pasta in creamy sauce
- Salmon rillettes spread
- Salmon deviled eggs
- Salmon salad with veggies
- Smoked salmon dip with crackers
- Salmon pizza or flatbread
With its elegant flavor and silky texture, homemade smoked salmon is impressive by itself or in recipes. Following this easy curing and smoking process will let you create gourmet quality salmon for a fraction of the price of store-bought. Get smoking!
What’s the Difference Between Hot-Smoked and Cold-Smoked Salmon?
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How to Cure and Smoke Salmon | Mad Scientist BBQ
FAQ
How long does it take to smoke a salmon?
Can I cure salmon at home?
- Buy Salmon. The first thing you’ll need is, of course, salmon. …
- Make a Salt + Sugar Mixture. Generally speaking, you should opt for a 1:1 ratio of kosher salt to sugar. …
- Add Spices and Herbs. Now, this is where things get fun. …
- Flip and Finish.
How do you cure salmon for cold smoking?
Lay your fillet on top of the cure, skin side down. Now cover the flesh side of the fillet with the remainder of the cure. Place the container into the fridge and allow to cure for 6 hours for a moist cured salmon. Should you want a firmer texture you can extend the curing time, experiment with cures up to 24 hours.
Why is smoked salmon cured?
Deeply enhanced flavor—The dry brining cure and smoking process give the salmon incredibly rich and savory flavors. The finished product puts grocery store smoked salmon to shame. Improved texture – Curing firms up the salmon flesh, resulting in a silky smooth final texture.
How long does it take smoked salmon to cure?
For meats the curing process will take days, weeks or years, however for fish fillets curing times are hours. During the curing process you can play with flavour for your meat or fish by adding ingredients like fennel, black pepper, dill or even vodka and gin. Something you can’t do with shop bought smoked salmon. You can do this in two main ways:
How is smoked salmon different from cured salmon?
Smoked salmon is a slow cooking method that results in a similar preservation technique but with a distinctive flavor. Both are delicious in different ways. I like to put a slight spin on smoked salmon by combining the two methods. After cold curing, the salmon can be smoked using a charcoal, propane, or electric smoker.
What can I do with smoked salmon?
Something you can’t do with shop bought smoked salmon. You can do this in two main ways: Add flavours to your cure. A plain cure is just salt and sugar but you can add all sorts to this to give a different flavour (and colour). How about a beetroot and gin cure, or a fennel cure? Choose the wood you smoke the salmon over.
Do you smoke salmon?
Lots of people smoke their salmon in lots of ways, and many of them are good. But I’ve been smoking fish for many years, and I’ve developed a system that works well. Keep in mind this is a hot-smoking recipe. Cold smoking, which is the kind of slice-able smoked fish you get in fancy boxes from Scotland is an entirely different thing.
How do you season smoked salmon?
Season and Cure Your options for seasoning include a wet brine for smoked salmon, a dry rub, or some combination of both. A brine infuses a salty flavor while also drawing out any impurities from the fish. Many dry rubs contain a smidge of sugar, which caramelizes on the surface of the fish during the smoking process, giving it a bronzed glow.