Traditional Hot Smoked Salmon Fillet in a Smoking Kettle

Name: Traditional Hot Smoked Salmon Fillet in a Smoking Kettle
Prep time: 180 min
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Dutch
Ingredients: 1 piece of 1 to 1.2 kg Salmon fillet or side, skin on; 2 l Cold water; 120 g Sea salt; 60 g Brown sugar; 1 small bunch Dill stalks; 2 to 3 generous handfuls Beech smoke dust or chips; optional A small handful of cedar or apple wood chips; to taste Black pepper

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A side of salmon rewards careful hot smoking: a mild cure, a dry surface, fresh smoke and a controlled finish so the fish stays silky instead of chalky.

Serves: 4 people

Preparation time: 180 min

Ingredients

Salmon fillet or side, skin on – 1 piece of 1 to 1.2 kg
Cold water – 2 l
Sea salt – 120 g
Brown sugar – 60 g
Dill stalks – 1 small bunch
Beech smoke dust or chips – 2 to 3 generous handfuls
A small handful of cedar or apple wood chips – optional
Black pepper – to taste

Method

STEP 1
Mix the water with the salt and brown sugar until both have dissolved. Add the dill stalks, lay the salmon in the brine and refrigerate it for 4 to 6 hours if it is a medium fillet, or up to 8 hours for a thicker side. The cure should season the fish, not turn it ham-like.
STEP 2
Remove the salmon from the brine, rinse it quickly and pat it very dry. Put it on a rack, skin side down, and let it dry uncovered in the refrigerator or another cold airy place for 1 to 2 hours. The surface should become slightly tacky; that pellicle is what helps the smoke attach evenly.
STEP 3
Prepare the smoking kettle for a calm hot-smoking run. Start with the chamber at about 45 to 50°C and keep the vents fairly open. Set the salmon in the kettle on its rack and give it 20 to 30 minutes in this gentle drying phase so the outside firms up before you add smoke.
STEP 4
Add the beech smoke dust and, if you want a softer sweeter note, a little cedar or apple as well. Bring the chamber to about 65 to 75°C and hold it there for 30 to 40 minutes. Keep the smoke clean and light blue rather than dense and stale.
STEP 5
Finish by nudging the kettle to roughly 75 to 80°C until the core of the salmon reaches about 58 to 62°C for a moist result, or a little higher if you prefer it more set. For a side of this size that final phase usually takes another 15 to 30 minutes.
STEP 6
Lift the salmon out and let it rest for 10 minutes before flaking or slicing. Warm-smoked salmon is at its best when the flesh still looks glossy and just separates into broad flakes. Cool any leftovers quickly and keep them refrigerated.