Salmon - all kinds of ways, depending on mood, type of salmon, the day, location.. etc... there's a zillion ways, depending on what you like.
Tonight was fresh pink salmon, not by any means my favorite, but very plentiful around here, and if you're buying it up here, the most inexpensive.
Tonight was also just a quick simple way, basically the same as we'd do camping on an open fire. Filet, spice with a little dill, our own seasoned salt, some lemon pepper, grilled with pretty high heat, quickly and not too much so meat is still very moist, skin side down to the flame or coals, when the skin is really crisp, it's done.
Same deal if we were camping but we'd do it over open fire, put the filets on a forked stick, or use one of those two sided hinged grill things.
With pinks we'll sometimes steam them in Chinese steamer baskets with black bean sauce, sometimes barbeque with, get this, Caesar salad dressing on them, or often with "dijonaise" sauce..just mix dijon mustard and mayo of some sort.
Whole salmon, I usually season salt the inside, throw in some dill, lemon pepper, lemon slices, then wrap in tin foil, throw on the grill....this is actually more like steamed salmon as it cooks in it's juices. Serve on on big platter, lying on a bed of romaine, lemon slices or wedges around, and carefully deboned before served. The lettuce is great with all the juices......mmmmmmmmmm. Any kind of salmon, trout, etc.
Here's another odd ball one a chef buddy came up with when we were without many groceries, in a pinch on a little island. Cooked on an open fire as above, but he made a sauce of sliced green olives and a vinagrette dressing...sounded, and looked not so great, but very tasty.
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My ultimate favorite is my own smoked salmon, preferably made with about 1" sq by whatever length, chunks of fresh Chinook salmon (also called Spring, King, and assorted other names). I use a dry cure, makes it's own brine as it draws the moisture out of the meat. Generally my cure is made of about 40% rock salt, and 60% or more demerarra sugar, and again depending on mood, some garlic powder, and often fresh cracked black pepper, and if I want some extra sweetness I add some maple syrup in once the brine has started happening.
Dredge salmon chunks in the salt mixture to coat on all sides, layer in some sort of container, then let brine for...?? depends entirely on thickness of the salmon...anywhere from maybe as little as an hour for thinner pieces and trout, to maybe 2.5 hours for those 1" - 1.5" thick chunks. The trick is you want the meat to feel about the same consistency as say, back bacon (Canadian bacon to the 'mericans).
Rinse them off, then, MOST important is to air dry on racks for a least 1.5 - 2 hours, depending on temperature, wind, moisture in the air (a big factor up here in the winter. The air drying forms what they call a "pellicule" on the meat. This is what accepts and holds the smoke and flavor. The pellicule makes the meat feel sticky. This is also a good time to nibble on little bits as now it's close what some call "gravlox".
Then I smoke in just a regular old Big Chief smoker...they say use 1 -2 pans of chips.....me use more like 4-6 pans...I like it really smoky, generally alder, but I'll play with whatever is around. Again depends on the outside temp, could take anywhere from maybe 6-7 hours in the hot sun, to 12 hours in the rain. It's all a real personal thing, so you have to keep checking and tasting, different thicknesses will have varying amounts of moisture, or dryness, from hard "Indian Candy" to still a tiny bit of moisture...you won't believe the color....beautiful.
If you smoke fish, I strongly suggest you keep detailed notes, every time...and when you hit on something that is soooooo good it just about drives you nuts...stick with it.
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Here's an interesting old recipe for fresh salmon, from some of the old masters.
homecooking.about.com
One thing the web is great for, is finding new recipes for whatever you want to try.
Here's a couple I like, but there are thousands of sites.
3men.com
martin.ces.state.nc.us |
