My first cold smoke (Salmon)

[LilSmoker]

Hi TomG , your set up looks very neat, and thanks for the guide, i'll print that out and give it a go, i'll be getting some more salmon hopefully on friday.  ;)

@ Kummok, haha! yeah i suppose to some it does indeed look like bait, but i think if you liked the sushi, you would like cold smoked salmon, i've just eaten some actually, i got in from work and diner won't be ready for a while, so i opened the fridge and there was a vacuum pack of salmon looking straight at me, that'll do me i thought. So i sliced it nice and thin, i made a sandwich and ate it with some sliced dill pickle, it was so good i was gonna have some more, but the wife told me off coz it would spoil my diner hehe!.
I'm also gonna give your famous hot smoked salmon recipe a go, sounds delicious!

Bye for now guys  ;)

[LilSmoker]

Hi guys, last saturday i did some more cold smoked salmon, it was a big improvement on my first attempt, although the first batch was very nice, this was even better! ;)

On sunday i did hot smoked salmon, i studied the recipes of Kummok and TomG, and wow! this stuff tastes good, i served the salmon with new potatoes, and a green salad with balsamic dressing, everybody completely cleared their plate!
I love it so much i had some more yesterday ;D everybody is asking "when are you doing some more?" lol!

Anyway thanks again guys, i can't wait for my next BS session!

Bye for now............LilSmoker ;)

[bigmarty]

Hi everyone. Great forum! Long time lurker, first time poster. I made Spyguy's lox and it is wonderful! Question- How long will it keep in the refrigerator? Thanks in advance for your reply.

[Wildcat]

Can not help with the fish questions yet, but welcome to the forum.

[ceeuawlsune]

For those interested in the cold-smoked salmon, buy are apprehensive about the "rawness" of it - I have one solution.  You can make a DELICIOUS pasta dish with cold-smoked salmon.  I typically like to cook some penne, and while that's cooking, make the sauce.  The sauce is basically:

1-2 pounds penne, cooked "extra-al-dente"

1 medium onion, finely diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small sprig tarragon
1 bay leaf
1-2 t. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 oz. sambuca (or vodka/white wine/fish stock/water)
1/2-1 C. canned crushed tomatoes (I like mine with very little tomato, sometimes only 2-3 T. tomato)
2-4 C. heavy cream
1 C. frozen baby peas
1-2 T. non-pariel capers, roughly chopped (optional)
1-2 T. pimento, roughly chopped (optional)
1 C.+ Cold Smoked salmon, broken into pieces
2 T. finely chopped fresh tarragon, parsley, chives, or any combination thereof
1-2 T. white truffle oil (optional)
1-2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Saute onions in a little butter over medium heat until translucent, 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic, thyme, tarragon, bay leaf & red pepper flakes, if using.  Stir to blend everything well - the mixture will get highly aromatic. 

Immediately pour in the Sambuca - STAND BACK and ignite vapors to burn off alcohol in the Sambuca, swirling the pan as the alcohol burns.  You will obviously not get a flame if you use water or stock, and rarely will you get fire with wine (the alcohol content is too low). 

Once the flames die down, swirl pan and watch carefully - you want to add the tomatoes JUST before the last of the liquid has evaporated.  Stir well to combine, and cook most of the water out of the tomatoes. 

Add the cream.  Stir well to combine, turn flame to low and simmer gently, 30-45 minutes.  Adjust to desired consistency with more cream, water, fish stock, half-and-half, milk, etc. 

Bring sauce to boil and immediately add extra-al-dente pasta, frozen peas, capers and pimento and stir well to combine.  After one or two minutes, check doneness of pasta (it should be perfect at this point), then add the salmon and ALMOST all of the chopped herbs, stirring just to combine. 

You want to be careful NOT to break up the salmon into too many little pieces during this step.  If you're worried, just sprinkle the salmon over the top of the pasta after it is plated. 

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, if necessary (keep in mind that the salmon is salty). 

Spoon into hot bowls, sprinkle with remaining chopped herbs, aged parmesan shavings and finally drizzle with white truffle oil and/or extra virgin olive oil. 

I will not be held responsible for knife wounds sustained defending this pasta dish.

[tsquared]

Bigmarty--I wouldn't keep cold smoked salmon more than a week in a good refridgerator. BTW-you can refreeze cold smoked salmon and it will be fine. I wouldn't refreeze it more than once, tho. Glad you're enjoying spyguy's recipe. I tried it a few times--it gives a nice silky texture. I eventually went back to my method of dry curing as it gives me a slightly drier, firmer product which I prefer.
T2

[iceman]

Welcome Bigmarty;
tsquared is on the mark with the cold smoked salmon. If your not going to use it all get it back frozen a.s.a.p. Package it so next time you pull some out you consume the entire package. :)

[Kummok]

ThanX for the recipe, ceeu! (That one deserves to be on Olds' recipe site!) Sounds like a great way to break into cold smoked salmon.

I gotta be careful with those kind of suggestions though.....I remember some kind folks from MA breaking me into lobster back in 1970, (They looked like deformed scorpions to this old ranch boy waaaaay back then :o!) They treated me to stuffed lobster first.....WOW! I was hooked....they created a lobster-lovin monster! STILL can't get enough of the great East Coast lobster! Monkfish is a great substitute when ya can't get the real thing, but I'd rather eat Maine Lobster than Alaskan King Crab!

[smokeshack]

Quote
Also because i had quite a bit of fish i decided to hot smoke a few pieces, well i must say i was blown away by how good it was, i've alway loved cold smoked salmon, and wondered why so many people chose to eat it hot smoked, well now i know hehe!
/Quote

Smoker temperature seems to be right on target. Hot smoking of a salmon is a crime. Adding parfumes to salmon brine is sacrilage (demerara sugar, eh). Secret to great (and I mean GREAT) salmon is to smoke it for proper time - and that would be 5-7 days (120-168 hours) of CONSTANT smoke. Becouse salmon's meat is so delicate, smoke actualy changes it's structure. Brined and smoked properly, salmon will sell for about $70 a kilo.

[LilSmoker]

Quote
Also because i had quite a bit of fish i decided to hot smoke a few pieces, well i must say i was blown away by how good it was, i've alway loved cold smoked salmon, and wondered why so many people chose to eat it hot smoked, well now i know hehe!
/Quote

Smoker temperature seems to be right on target. Hot smoking of a salmon is a crime. Adding parfumes to salmon brine is sacrilage (demerara sugar, eh). Secret to great (and I mean GREAT) salmon is to smoke it for proper time - and that would be 5-7 days (120-168 hours) of CONSTANT smoke. Becouse salmon's meat is so delicate, smoke actualy changes it's structure. Brined and smoked properly, salmon will sell for about $70 a kilo.

I understand, and agree with what you're saying, it's not uncommon in scottish smoke houses for salmon to be smoked for two weeks. But that's a whole different enviroment compared to a Bradley?
I imagine smoking for 5-7 days in the Bradley would make the salmon inedible? let alone the cost
I used sugar in my brine as i didn't want the taste too salty and i thought the sugar would balance the taste?, but as i'm very much at the experimental stage with cold smoking, i am gratefull for all advice and info.

I'm going to do my next batch with just a dry salt cure, and maybe smoke for longer and see how that goes?

I have to say though, that before i came to this forum, i had never tried hot smoked salmon, to me smoked salmon was cold smoked and that was that hehe!, but now i love both, for hot smoking i use the recipes of Kummok and TomG which are awesome!, but i'm still going in my quest for perfect cold smoked salmon (Bradley style)

Regards...........LilSmoker

[Me_Like_Meat]

For those interested in the cold-smoked salmon, buy are apprehensive about the "rawness" of it - I have one solution.  You can make a DELICIOUS pasta dish with cold-smoked salmon.
I will not be held responsible for knife wounds sustained defending this pasta dish.

I made pasta with a vodka cream sauce (with dill and parsley) twice for my family over the holidays, using a generous amount of  hot smoked salmon in chunks. It was absolutely delicious and I concur with the need for defense measures. Of course if my wife wasn't eating it I could add hot pepper. Hmm.. sounds like a good way to have more for myself next time..

One of my favorite lunches is a lightly toasted plain bagel with cream cheese, cold or hot-smoked salmon [whatever I have at the time], paper-thin red onion marinated in vinegar of your choice, capers, and lemon juice. Drool.  Oh yes, a sprinkling of fresh ground pepper of course, plus a sprinkle of whatever dry hot pepper is around - chipotle, thai bird chile, whatever - "to taste". Mmmmm, just finished lunch and I'm hungry again typing about it..   

[geoffrey]

I have smoked salmon a number of times in a BS using the cardboard box method at temperatures down too -5̊ C with the heater turned off and had considerable and constant success. I have never checked the temperature of the fish and wonder where the idea that it has to reach a temperature of 70 ̊C.   I use 4parts salt 1part sugar and dry cure in the frig. for 14 hours. Rince and then dry the fish with a fan and smoke for 4-6 hrs.  :D

[LilSmoker]

I have smoked salmon a number of times in a BS using the cardboard box method at temperatures down too -5̊ C with the heater turned off and had considerable and constant success. I have never checked the temperature of the fish and wonder where the idea that it has to reach a temperature of 70 ̊C.   I use 4parts salt 1part sugar and dry cure in the frig. for 14 hours. Rince and then dry the fish with a fan and smoke for 4-6 hrs.  :D

Hi geoffrey and welcome, yeah the cardboard box chamber set up works a treat, most of my cold smoked salmon is done at a temp of 65-69 F, depending on weather/conditions with results which i'm more than happy with.

I think the temp with cold smoking is a grey area, i've seen cold smoking guides that say smoke at a constant 80F, no higher, and no lower?, where as other guides state that anything under 80 F is right?, some even say 90F.
For me, i always make sure i stay under 80F throughout the entire cold smoke, and as long as the brinning/curing has been done properly, i can't see a problem?  ;)