Cold Smoked Salmon - 2nd Time Around (Pics)

[Slamdunk]

Newf, please don't get me wrong, you have done more with Lox than I've ever tried, but I'm married to a Dane and Danish lox is an aphrodisiac , at least to me!!!

So, my constructive criticism....take it for what it's worth, I'm trying to be brutally honest here, but you're opening up your place so I'm trying to help.

Your salmon is very fatty (- is it wild or farm grown? Wild salmon doesn't have as much fat.), far more than sockeye - the favorite lox salmon. Omega 3 oils (concentrated in the fat)  are very healthy, but with the fat like that, it doesn't look that appealing compared to sockeye.

However, if you are set on Atlantic salmon let's see if we can't alter the appearance and taste a bit.

You mention not enough smoke and not enough saltiness after adding the cream cheese. If I'm reading that comment right, I interpret it to mean that it is kinda of bland.

How about getting rid of the bland looking lemons? Out here, it is normally served with sliced, raw, sweet red onions and capers. The onions give it the "Bam" and the capers add a salty taste. To improve the appearance, fresh sprigs of parsley is normally arranged on the plate.

If you want to use the cream cheese, how about blending some of the lox in the cream cheese?

As I mentioned, I'm married to a Dane, and Danes love fine Rye bread (not course Rye bread) with their lox. Spread the blended cream cheese on the Rye bread, place the lox on top, add the onions and capers. And for a visual stimulate, add the parsley to the plate. i often will eat the parsley between tastings of the lox. Parsley is a pallet cleanser, so you get a fresh new taste on the next bite of the lox.

I've really enjoyed your pics and will definitely be trying some this summer after I come back from my fishing trip.

Good luck in your endeavors!! Hope your Inn is a great success!!

PS, I happen to know a commercial seafood broker out here, so if you're interested in getting some West Coast fish, PM me and I'll give you contact numbers etc.

[Quarlow]

 I also would like to add my 2 cents for what it's worth. You say you freshen it up by soaking it in water, I am wondering what this does for it. When I do my smoked salmon I do rinse my fish but just to quickly rinse of the excess brine mix. I do not soak it for any period of time. Maybe on your next test do one piece without soaking it, just rinse it and and the let it pellicle before smoking.
Also you said you were going to let it pellicle for 24 hrs in the fridge. Now I am no expert on this matter but I think I read that you can over pellicle it to the point of it actually sealing it's self so as not to absorb any smoke. My understanding is you want to pellicle just till the surface is tack to the touch. So take this as you will and experiment as you wish cause I am just trying to help you produce a great product for your customers and I hope you get this nailed down. Sounds like you are getting close.
Good luck.

[Scotty-G]

Thank you soo much for sharing!
Man am I inspired to go and try to make some "lox" now

I grew up with bagles, cream cheese and lox - lemon, red onions & capers were options
That was a easter breakfast staple (along with ... eggs).

Okay I've got a few days - maybe there's still time to make some for Easter breakfast  ;D

[NewfieSmoker]

Thanks for the positive feedback! I definetely appreaciate it.  Slamdunk, I agree with your thoughts on the fish being overly fatty.  I'm nut sure if this will be a problem as the fishing season opens, however, I suspect that we will still be getting farmed salmon.  I believe this fish was farmed, not wild.  Being in Newfoundland, a fishing province, you would suspect that it would be easy to get fish.  It is, but most of the salmon is farmed.  I would really like to try a wild salmon for comparison.

This fish was also very large, the fillet being 2-2.5 inches thick in certain areas. A smaller fish may not be so fatty. I will definetly cut the belly's off next time and hot smoke.  It really was to oily raw.

I followed the lox recipe on the susanminor site, therefore the recommended freshing period.   I agree Quarlow, it may not need the freshening at all.  Maybe next time, i will dry cure, wet cure, rinse and dry, let the pellicle form for a shorter period of time.

As far as serving at our Inn, It will be very close to what you described Slamdunk.  Served with bagels, capers, dill or parsley, and a cream cheese blend.  I did blend some lox with cream cheese, grated red onion, squeeze of lemon, dash of cayanne, and a bit of paprika for color.  Much better.  I have the idea to hotsmoke some of the smaller peices, and blend them well into the cream cheese mixture, then stir in some finely diced pieces of lox to give it a slightly chunkier look.  Then, with the lox in the spread and in the topping, it should be a success.

THis really shows the usefulness of this forum.  Its great to get feedback and thank you all for the help.  I will keeop posting, as my quest for the perfect lox continues!!!

Newfie

[azamuner73]

I've tried Pacific salmon and Atlantic salmon and I personally like the Atlantic more.  I like that it's a it oily and fatty...but it's all personal preference.

I agree with the others that you might have washed away some of the flavor but keeping it in water too long.  I did it myself the last time I made lox.  I didn't smoke it but it was salty and I tried to soak some of the salt out.  It worked but the texture of the fish was a bit softer afterwards.  So mext time I make lox, I will do 2:1 sugar to salt ratio since I like mine sweeter.  This will hopefully solve the soaking problem I encountered.

Even if it's not perfect, I bet it still tastes good.   :)

[Slamdunk]

Newf, I like your idea of putting some chunkier pieces in the cream cheese, in fact, my mouth is watering ....

and you're right, larger fish will have more fat - sorta like humans (or so my Doctor has tried pointing out to me during the annual check-ups).

Good luck with the lox!