Best Dees Sweet Salty Smoked Salmon Recipes

SMOKED SALMON CANDY

Steps:

• Mix the salt and brown sugar together. Find a lidded container large enough to hold the salmon; a big plastic tub works well. Lay down a layer of the salt/sugar mixture about 1/4 inch deep. Put a layer of salmon down on this, skin side up. Cover the salmon with more salt/sugar mixture. If you need a second layer of salmon, make sure the layer of salt and sugar between them is thick enough so that the pieces of salmon are not touching. Basically you are burying the salmon in salt and sugar. Cover and let cure in the fridge at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours. The longer the cure the saltier it will be; I cure for 2 hours.
• Remove the salmon from the cure, which will get wet, and briefly rinse the fish under cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel and set the salmon on a drying rack skin side down. Let this dry in a breezy place for 2 hours, or in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. I put the racks under a ceiling fan near an open window with another fan blowing at the fish from the side. You are doing this to form a pellicle on the salmon, which helps it smoke properly. Don't skip this step!
• Traditionally salmon candy is cold smoked for several days. If you can do this, go for it. Regardless, you want to bring the temperature up gradually over the course of an hour or so and let it sit at around 165°F to 200°F for at least 3 hours, and up to 6 hours if you like your salmon candy harder and smokier.
• Every 90 minutes to 2 hours, paint the salmon with the maple syrup. This also helps to remove any albumen -- the icky white stuff -- that can form between the fish flakes if your smoker gets a little too hot too fast.
• When the salmon looks good and lacquered, typically about 3 to 4 hours, remove it to the drying racks again and paint it one last time with the maple syrup. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing. Salmon candy will last a week in the fridge, longer if vacuum sealed. It freezes well, too.

DEE'S SWEET & SALTY SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• 1. Mix all except the last 3 ingredients together in a deep bowl until sugars are dissolved. Chop the last 3 finely in the food processor or mini chopper and add to marinade. Taste marinade at this point to see if u want to add any extra of the ingredients. Place all in a large deep lasagna pan or equivilalent.
• 2. Fillet one whole 4 - 5 lb salmon and cut into approx. 2" x 6" sticks. Add to marinade and weight down to submerge all of the salmon pieces. Marinate overnight(about 12 hours or more).
• 3. Prepare smoker and soak mesquite wood chips in water. In water tray cut up 2 apples, and add 2 cups apple juice, 2 cups water and about 1 cup of the marinade. Spray racks with non stick cooking spray. Shake excess marinade off and place salmon pieces on racks so they don't touch.
• 4. Smoke for 4 hrs @ 175 degrees and 3-4 hours @ 215 degrees or to desired doneness and dryness I like mine dry but still pliable...so check yours after about 5 hours to determine how much longer you want to smoke it. Add soaked wood chips every 1 - 1 & 1/2 hrs. Sprinkle chips with mesquite liquid smoke each time you add new ones(a tip from our Smoking Diva, Sherri). My son said, "This was some of the best smoked salmon I have ever had." I have to say, "I agree" Enjoy!