Spicy Sweet Smoked Salmon Recipe

Smoked salmon can be basic, with only smoky, salty notes, or it can be incredibly complex.

Spicy Sweet Smoked Salmon brings a touch of the exotic far east, blending sweet, smoke and spice together for a tantalizing treat.

Delicious alone, this recipe also lends itself well to sophisticated appetizers such as salmon pate or bruchetta. (See my blog at www.tiffanyhaugen.com/blog for the aforementioned recipes.)

Toss into rice or cous-cous with a handful of chopped almonds, dried apricots, golden raisins, dried cherries and green onions and you have a beautiful, tasty side dish.

Although many of us like to stick to our tried and true fish smoking recipes, sometimes it’s worth the extra effort to try something new. If you don’t want to smoke up a whole batch, simply cut the ingredients in half and only use a few pounds of fish.

Spicy Sweet Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup rock salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon white pepper

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

Instructions:

1. Mix the above ingredients.

2. Lay fish skin-side-down in a 9" x 11" glass casserole dish.

3. Gently rub the brine into the fish.

4. Let sit for 2 hours, moving fish around occasionally.

5. Cover and place in refrigerator 12 hours.

6. Rinse fish, place on racks and let pellicle form, 1-3 hours.

7. Smoke to desired texture. Cooking time varies from 3-10 hours, depending on the smoker, volume of fish being smoked and outdoor conditions. Check frequently so as not to overcook.

If needed, fish can be finished in an oven at 165º.

9. To retain moisture of fish, cover warm fish with plastic wrap or place in a sealed container. Refrigerate immediately. Vacuum seal for long term storage - 2 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.