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Sunday Morning Salmon




Source of Recipe


Steve Raichlen


List of Ingredients




1½ pounds skinless salmon fillet (preferably a center-cut piece)
1 cup vodka or rum
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
2 Tbsps. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
Cooking oil spray, optional
Bagels and cream cheese, or toast points, capers and sour cream, for serving

You'll also need:
1 Tbsp. hardwood sawdust (or 6 to 8 hardwood pellets)



Recipe



1. Run your fingers over salmon, feeling for bones. Use needle-nose pliers or tweezers to pull out any bones you find. Rinse salmon under cold running water; blot dry with paper towels. Place fish in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold it, and pour on vodka. Turn fillet, then refrigerate for 20 minutes, turning twice.

2. Place sugar, salt, pepper and coriander in a bowl. Mix well, breaking up any lumps in sugar with your fingers.

3. Drain fillet and blot dry with paper towels. Dry the baking dish. Arrange one-third of sugar mixture in bottom of baking dish in the shape of the fillet. Place fish on top and cover with remaining sugar mixture. Cover dish with plastic wrap; let fish cure in refrigerator for 4 hours. When it is properly cured, a pool of liquid the salt has drawn out of the salmon will be in the bottom of the dish.

4. Rinse fish under cold water to wash off all the sugar mixture, then blot dry with paper towels.

5. Set up a stove-top smoker or a wok (see instructions below). Place sawdust in center of bottom of smoker. Line drip pan with aluminum foil and place it in the smoker. Lightly coat wire rack with cooking oil spray. Place rack in smoker. Place fillet on rack with what was skin side facing down.

6. Cover smoker and place it over high heat for 3 minutes; reduce heat to medium. Smoke until cooked through, about 18 minutes. To test for doneness, fish should break into clean flakes when pressed with a finger.

7. Transfer salmon to a wire rack over a plate and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. (Salmon tastes best chilled.) The salmon can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days.

Tips on stove-top smoking:

For ease in cleaning, line smoker with foil before adding sawdust. (It is not necessary to soak sawdust in water, as for use outdoors.) After smoking, make sure sawdust is completely cool. Douse it with a little water and leave at room temperature for at least an hour to avoid any spark in the trash.

After several uses, the top of the smoker may warp slightly, allowing a little smoke to escape. Place a heavy object, such as a kettle filled with water, on top to restore the seal as soon as you close the lid.