Tried Kummok's Smoked Salmon and ........

[hky280]

Hi Guys,

My first try at fish, so I went with Kummok's smoked salmon recipe, using Atlantic salmon.  I followed all the instructions as per his recipe and I have a few questions & comments.

I made up the brine, prepped the fish and soaked it for 12 hours.  I then glazed it for 48 hours in the fridge, it had a good pellicle on it. 

I cut the fish into even pieces and set it up on 2 racks.




I smoked using the Alder bisquettes and set up for 5 hours of smoke.  I kept the temps as per recipe to start, 1 hour at 110, then 2 hours at about 130, then 1.5 hours at 145.  I checked the fish at that time, it was done to my liking so out it came.  I didn't even take it near the 175 temp. No PID but I hung a remote digital thermometer in thru the top vent to check the temp against the door thermometer, both were close in reading.

This is the finished product.


I'm no whimp when it comes to salty food but wow, it was quite salty! Is it safe to say the best way to get around this is to simply cut back on the salt, I'll go with only 50% of the amount next time and keep everything else the same.  BTW, I cut the recipe amounts all in half due to the amount of fish I started out with.

Does the longer glazing time I used (48 hours) contribute to the saltiness in anyway too?

Now that I know how long it takes to cook, I'll cut back on the smoke time too.  It was a bit strong.

The fish was great though despite the salt issue.  The next day, the oils came out a bit more and it was really good but the smokiness was more intense too.

If I can make the next batch, less salty and smoky, then I'll share it with family.  Giving out my first try will bring complaints about the saltiness I'm sure.

What to do? Thx,





 

[SouthernSmoked]

Awesome job hky280!!

[CK]

I have never tried this recipe for fish before as I have my own that I use.

After I take the fish from the brine I always wash it off and then pat dry before I let it sit and get tacky.
Might want to try that that for your next batch to control the salt levels.

[Kummok]

I've heard that result come up before so don't feel like the Lone Ranger  ;)   "Saltiness" is a matter of taste so an adjustment is certainly in order. I'd leave the salt as suggested (to get a true brine) and focus more on adjusting the "flavorings".  I don't know if you used teriyaki or soy in the brine. If you used soy, try switching to teriyaki...if you used teriyaki, switch to Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce. You can also add a bit more brown suger. Hope this helps....looking forward to hearing your results!

[pensrock]

I see you left the skin on. I have always removed the skin and it came out great. I know the skin has nothing to do with the saltyness.  :)

[Smokeville]

I agree with CK -- wash it off thoroughly. I usually dump out the brine, fill the container with fresh water, and then take each piece out and give it a good hand washing. That's true for everything that comes out of a brine.

To be fair, I use only 1/2 the soy sauce and brown sugar the recipe calls for. I don't add the gallon of ice cubes so I think that compensates.

Also, not related to saltiness, I usually cut the fish to the size I want before letting it air dry. That way the pellicle forms on all sides.

Rich

[ExpatCanadian]

Slightly late on this thread, but as I make Kummok's salmon several times a month I've got some experience here and thought I'd weigh in...

I'm VERY sensitive to salt, I almost never add it to foods, and only normally season very sparingly when cooking.  The last couple of sausage and bacon recipes I've made have come out far too salty for my taste when following the recommended amounts, and I've since done some further research and realised that the amounts I've used are not especially high, I just don't like salt I guess!

Anyway, all this is going somewhere...  as I said, I make Kummoks salmon a lot....  probably done 200kg in the past year or so... mostly gets sold to my work colleagues who can't get enough of it.  BUT, I don't find it salty...  only a hint...  and most people who try it tell me it's quite sweet, almost candied.  I do follow the recipe pretty much exactly, using the Teriyaki option.  I do also use coarse sea salt, similar in particle size to a kosher type salt.  And..  I don't rinse when it come out of the brine...  just give it a good shake and onto the racks for pellicle formation.

BTW, I cut the recipe amounts all in half due to the amount of fish I started out with.

I wonder...  and this is no reflection on yourself....  but is it possible you halved the recipe but accidentally used the full amount of salt?  I've certainly done similar things when adjusting recipes...  but that does seem like it could be a plausible reason why your version, all other things being equal, is too salty....

[waterkc]

I have only run the KILLER Kummok Recipe twice now and once was perfect and once was way to salty. The big difference for me was one time I used the Teriyaki sauce and the other I used the Soy Sauce. I will stick to the Teriyaki, I also rinsed mine prior to letting set. I do this more out of habit then need. You do what ya know. hehe

Hope you come up with a mode you like. Good luck.

[hky280]

Hi Guys,

This forum is just great!  ;D  Ask and you get responses real quick and lots of help.  Thanks to Kummok and all the others for your suggestions, much appreciated.  I'll try it again with some of the adjustments above and see how it goes.  Will report back when it happens.

[TheBoz]

If it helps, my first batch of salmon was salty too.  I didn't rinse it after the brine soak (why wash off the flavor? bad idea).  I used the exact same brine the second time with a good rinse, the results were perfect!

[Carter]

I do Kummok's recipe twice a year, and follow the recipe to the letter, except that I add Maple Syrup at the end (without measuring - I just dump it in a nice looking amount).  I love it, and anyone I've ever put it in front of (who like's smoked salmon) seem to fall all over themselves to get at it.  I don't wash the brine off.

I wonder about what ExpatCanadian said - maybe you doubled up the salt by mistake.  I've done that before on other recipes and it was way too salty.  The other thing I was thinking was the fact that I never enjoy the salmon right out of the bradley.  There's something about the hot fattiness of the pieces that send my stomach for a bit of a loop.  I like mine mellowed for a couple of days and then the meat tastes great - and again, I agree with Expat on this one "almost candied".

So maybe try again, or maybe don't be shy about letting your family try it.  Let them be the judge.  I use about an hour to an hour and 20 minutes smoke on fish by the way.

Carter

On doubling up on things, my father in law made a batch of chilli a couple of years ago.  Went through all the motions, sat down to eat the chilli with his wife only to find it unedible.  Seems he accidently put curry powder into the chilli instead of chilli powder. :o

[crestman]

Hey all, I can't say I have any experience YET on this recipe, I do however have some knowledge on the soy sauce. Next time your looking at all those bottles, check the sodium content. You will find HUGE differences in the different brands. I use kikkoman with less sodium and find it great. You won't believe how much sodium content there is in some of that stuff.  :o