As the old saying goes, “give a man a fish, and feed him for a day.  Teach a man to smoke fish, and he’ll be the most popular person at the barbeque.”  Smoked salmon is a classic appetizer and a perfect dish to bring to a friend’s summer cookout.

King Salmon is the largest varietal of the family and, fortunately for us, native to the waters off the California coast.  This allows for readily available fresh and wild caught fish.  Wild caught salmon will hit the wallet a bit harder, but the cost is easily justified after the first bite. 

The fillet was prepared by first removing any remaining bones and then immersing it in a brine of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and brown sugar.  The fish spent 2 hours in the brine.

    
Removing bones with pliers                                 Soaking in the brine

After the brine, the salmon was rinsed, patted dry, and allow to sit for an hour.  A tackiness called pellicle forms as moisture and proteins are drawn to the surface.  The pellicle keeps the fish from over drying and helps hold the smoke flavor.  While the fish dried the grill was fired up using alder wood for smoke.  Just before going onto the fire, a rub similar to the brine ingredients was sprinkled on.

    
Pellicle formed and rub added                         Firing up the grill

The fish was cooked for three hours at a temperature of 230-240 degrees until it appeared dry on the outside and could be flaked off the skin with a fork.  The fish was served on crackers and had great smoke flavor.  It retained some moisture in the inside and was seasoned perfectly. 


The finished product

Hundreds of high-fives and several autographs later, the salmon was gone but the popularity of Hapa’s had grown to new heights!