BROWN SUGAR CURED SALMON

BROWN SUGAR CURED SALMON image

Number Of Ingredients 9

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4 skin-on, center-cut wild king or other salmon fillets (2 1/2 pounds total)
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground mace
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
Olive oil
1 ½ cups hickory chips, soaked for 30 minutes and drained

Steps:

Pat fish dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, pepper, spices and zest. Rub mixture all over fish. Place in a dish, cover and let cure in the fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably 8 hours. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Generously oil salmon. Light the grill. Once coals are hot, scatter drained hickory chips over coals. (If you're using a gas grill, place them in a disposable metal pan on the grill next to the salmon.) Place salmon flesh-side down on grill and cover, closing top vent so not much smoke is released. Smoke salmon, covered, for about 5 to 6 minutes, then flip. (If the fish is sticking to the grill grate, then it's not ready to flip. Cook for another 3 to 10 minutes, depending upon how hot your fire is. The fish is done when the interior is medium pink and exterior crisp and smoky. Serve with lemon wedges.