Wicked Good Smoked Salmon

I have used an electric smoker in the backyard for years to make many varieties of smoked foods. I've smoked everything from cheese to nuts, turkeys to pickerel. This past December I wanted to try smoking a large salmon filet using the Scotch cold smoke method. I'd never done this before, but the result was more than worth it. If you've ever tried the expensive, translucent, succulent smoked salmon that can be cut paper thin, you know what I'm talking about. The difference between this and Nova Lox is in the smoking. Lox is cured only, Scotch Salmon is cured and then smoked.

Cold smoking does not cook the fish and for that reason I don't recommend you try this method on any freshwater fish. There are things in freshwater fish that can do nasty things to your system if they are not cooked out!

• Brine the filet. The brine I use is a simple mix of 1/2 cup sugar (any kind), 1/2 cup kosher salt (never iodized!), and two to four cups of water, depending on the size of the container. Zip-lock type bags are great for this. Soak the filet at least 24 to 72 hours in the refrigerator.
• Dry the filet. Remove fish from the brine and rinse in cold water, pat dry with a paper towel. Lay it on a rack or hang from a skewer in a cool, shady place with some movement of air for up to 24 hours. You want the skin nearly dry and a sticky glaze (pelicle) to form on the flesh.
• Smoke the sucker. Now the fun begins. The trick is to keep the fish cool while you smoke it, under 90 degrees. Don't try this on a hot day! I hang the fish in the top of an outdoor chimney with the electric smoker in the firebox below. It's about 5' from the heating element, so the smoke cools enough on it's way up. I also keep a thermometer in there to monitor the temperature. I can regulate temperature to some degree (pun intended) with a piece of plywood over the top of the chimney.
  Smoking takes a long time. I go through a bag of hickory and it takes two days. At night I bring the fish in and stash it in the refrigerator. You can spread the smoking over several days if bad or hot weather is a problem.

After smoking I put the fish in the refrigerator until it's to be served. I've also frozen it after smoking with no adverse results.

The first time I tried this I took the finished product to a dinner party. There were no leftovers to bring home!