Adding Maple flavour to Kummok's salmon

ExpatCanadian · June 11, 2009, 06:50:19 AM

Since I know Kummok's recipe has been made zillions of times by those so inclined on this forum, I'm wondering if anyone has successfully added "maple" to the base flavours of this recipe? I am VERY happy with how it tastes, best I've ever had.... but if I could improve upon perfection at all it would be to perhaps replace some of the sweetness from the brown sugar with some Maple sweetness.

I'm not that keen on having to baste all the time or anything, I like things low maintenance... so would prefer to have it come from the brine if anything.

Any ideas?

tsquared · June 11, 2009, 06:59:20 AM

I can't think of a reason not to try it--that's the fun of this hobby--tweaking the recipes to suit your taste. 'Course, being a Canucklehead myself, I am a little prejudiced in the area of adding maple syrup to anything! Let us know how it turns out.
T2

Habanero Smoker · June 11, 2009, 01:59:06 PM

That sounds good. For a more rich maple flavor use dark maple syrup. It's called grade B over hear, but I don't know how maple syrup is graded over there.

Smokin Soon · June 11, 2009, 10:15:47 PM

The pure Maple Syrup is just out of my price range now. I have had some good luck with the Maple Flavoring from the spice barn.
http://spicebarn.com/maple_flavoring.htm

It has actually produced some better results than the pure for Hab's Canadian Bacon and Belly Bacon. There back yard recipe is:
Maple Syrup
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon Spice Barn Maple Flavoring

They also have a Maple powder that I use quite a bit. Everyones taste is different, but the experiments are so much fun!!!

ExpatCanadian · June 12, 2009, 02:21:30 AM

The only maple syrup I have seen over here is Canadian, so it's graded the same as North America.... assuming of course Canada and the US grade the same... not sure. But anyway, I'm going to make up a small batch, use maybe 1/3 of my salmon and experiment with substituting some or all of the brown sugar with maple syrup. Anyone know what the sugar content is of maple syrup? I'd like to keep a similar specific gravity in the brine.... so need to know how the syrup compares to normal dark brown sugar. Don't imagine it's going to be as simple as substituting volume for volume.... but maybe weight for weight?

Something tells me I'm overthinking this a bit :D :-\ ???

ExpatCanadian · June 12, 2009, 05:33:44 AM

Well, I've done a bit of research and in case anyone is interested, I found out that pure maple syrup by law must contain at least 67g of sugar per 100g of syrup.... so to substitute for a granulated pure crystal sugar (of any colour) and maintain a similar specific gravity in the brine, you'll have to use roughly 150 grams of Maple Syrup for every 100 grams of granular sugar.

Now... off to the store to get the syrup and home to get my brines made up! Got around 10lbs of salmon arriving from Scotland this afternoon, ready for brining overnight and smoking tomorrow!

Kummok · June 12, 2009, 07:01:42 PM

Man, I love experimenters!! This sounds delicious...anxiously awaiting final report! As far as the "overthinking", I like your style....do a little up front research, then start dumping stuff in and, if it turns out GREAT, hope you remember how to get the same results next time!! ;) Hmmmm, a half pint of maple syrup in the brine and a pint of stout in the gullet!

ExpatCanadian · June 13, 2009, 04:29:42 AM

:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Well, it's a very disappointing day. My salmon was supposed to arrive yesterday, but due to an accident on the motorway my courier missed a connection and it ended up being delivered this morning. The styrofoam packaging was broken open.... there was no hint of ice and the salmon was at ambient temperature. I had considered for a moment immediately cooking it and freezing it for later use, but that was a stupid idea which I quickly pretended I never thought up... I have no idea how long it's been warm for and anyway as soon as I opened the packaging I could smell the putrefaction starting.

Obviously one of those things that happens.... but such a waste of some fine looking meat. Had my brines all mixed up and everything.... but I guess the good thing is that they can stay in the fridge until next weekend, which is the next chance I'll have to do it. Hopefully I won't have any issues getting it replaced!

Packaging...

Too warm! And who knows for how long?

What a waste...

Roadking · June 13, 2009, 09:10:55 AM

Sorry about the salmon, hope it was insured.

Years and years ago I had smoked Amer. Shad commercially (about 1000 lbs a days). I was buying them right from the boats all bucks and occasionally a roe would get mixed in. In the process of cleaning I would save the roe for sale and fillet the female. After hanging the males in the smoke house I laid racks on top with the fillets on them. About half way through the smoking I sprinkled Maple Dry Sugar on top of the fillet and finished the smoking. The fillets were great and sold for 4 times the amount of a whole smoked shad. Give it a try I think you'll enjoy and you'll only have to test on one fillet.

Tenpoint5 · June 13, 2009, 10:01:56 AM

Quote from: ExpatCanadian on June 13, 2009, 04:29:42 AM
:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Well, it's a very disappointing day. My salmon was supposed to arrive yesterday, but due to an accident on the motorway my courier missed a connection and it ended up being delivered this morning. The styrofoam packaging was broken open.... there was no hint of ice and the salmon was at ambient temperature. I had considered for a moment immediately cooking it and freezing it for later use, but that was a stupid idea which I quickly pretended I never thought up... I have no idea how long it's been warm for and anyway as soon as I opened the packaging I could smell the putrefaction starting.

Obviously one of those things that happens.... but such a waste of some fine looking meat. Had my brines all mixed up and everything.... but I guess the good thing is that they can stay in the fridge until next weekend, which is the next chance I'll have to do it. Hopefully I won't have any issues getting it replaced!

Packaging...

Too warm! And who knows for how long?

What a waste...

Now that really Sucks!!! I hope somebody replaces your Salmon!

RossP · June 13, 2009, 04:55:25 PM

We have a fellow up here in British Columbia on Vancouver Island who has a Dynamite recipe for Salmon.
Here is the link for the fishing site that he posted the recipe on. It uses Maple Syrup but it is a little pricey
to make, but well worth it. I am just waiting for Salmon season to make some. Make sure to click on the
links for the pictures as that is what makes it all worth while.

http://fishbcforum.com/index.php?showtopic=26851&hl=indian+candy

Thanks to IronNoggin from the FishBC site for the recipe.

Ross

ExpatCanadian · June 15, 2009, 11:26:45 AM

Hey Ross... thanks for that recipe. I actually really LOVE that kind of salmon... I've been wondering about a recipe for it. My wife is from BC and I spent many years in Victoria, so I'm pretty familiar with it. Obviously not something you make a meal of, but for a snack it's amazing!

OU812 · June 15, 2009, 02:33:18 PM

That really really sucks, what a sad day to have something like that happen.

That has got to be some of the best looking salmon I have seen even if it is bad.

Where would someone that's land locked here in the states get something like that? The stuff in the stores here don't even come close to that.

ExpatCanadian · June 16, 2009, 12:34:15 PM

Not sure OU812.... I'm ordering directly from the farm (Sorry Kummok :-[, but have no choice!)..... and they basically harvest and ship to order so I'm paying a premium for it, but at least I know exactly where it's from and how it's been produced. I would normally buy from my local fish market (which I've previously written about) but to be honest, although I know their fish is as fresh as it can be without catching it myself, I DON'T know where exactly it's come from. What prompted me to search out a reputable farm to buy directly from is one of my closest friends is pregnant right now, and I'm wanting to ship her some of the finished product.... but I want to make D@MN sure I'm not going to be feeding her a product that's full of nasty toxins, heavy metals, antibiotics etc....

Anyway, for interest sake, here is where I'm buying from.... http://www.realscottishsalmon.co.uk/

....maybe you can find a similarly reputable operation in the USA?

PS. They've replaced my order, no questions asked. Very happy about that!

ExpatCanadian · June 23, 2009, 12:20:42 PM

Hello all... just a quick post to show the results of this salmon smoke.... in a bit of a rush, so can't go into too much detail... but basically, both my brines (maple syrup and original) worked out well... although not really sure I can tell the difference... certainly no perceptible maple taste! Also... used my external temperature probe and discovered my BDS is reading WAY low on the temperature front. Unfortunately, this meant I ended up OVER cooking my salmon, as I followed Kummoks temperatures fairly religiously and for some reason this just didn't work out this time round. Anyway, it tastes great in spite of it being a little drier than my last batch... and what the heck, I'll get it perfect next time!

Ready to slice

Into the Brines....

Post-brining, pellicling... gave them 24 hours in my wine fridge @ 5^oC (I KNEW there had to be another good use for it!)

Racked up and ready to smoke....

In the smoker...

Ready to eat!