How to Cure and Smoke Salmon at Home

Cured and smoked salmon is a delicious delicacy that is often seen as difficult to make at home. However, with some basic equipment and ingredients, you can easily cure and smoke salmon in your own kitchen. Once you learn the process you’ll be able to make gourmet smoked salmon for a fraction of the store-bought price.

In this comprehensive guide we’ll walk through everything you need to know to cure and smoke salmon like a pro, including

• Benefits of curing and smoking salmon
• Necessary equipment
• Curing process
• Smoking process
• Serving and storage suggestions

Why Cure and Smoke Salmon?

Before jumping into the how-to you may be wondering why go through the trouble of curing and smoking salmon at home. Here are some of the main benefits

• Deeply enhanced flavor—The dry brining cure and smoking process give the salmon incredibly rich and savory flavors. The finished product puts grocery store smoked salmon to shame.

• Improved texture – Curing firms up the salmon flesh, resulting in a silky smooth final texture.

• Longer shelf life – The salt and smoke used in the process preserve the salmon, allowing it to last for weeks refrigerated.

• It’s cheaper to cure and smoke salmon at home than to buy it already made.

• Customization – You can tweak the cure and smoking process to suit your taste preferences.

Equipment Needed

Curing and smoking salmon doesn’t require any fancy gadgets. Here’s the basic equipment you’ll need:

• Knife – For trimming salmon. A long slicing knife works best.

• Large glass/ceramic baking dish – For dry brining cure stage. Make sure it can fit the whole salmon fillet.

• Wire rack – To place salmon on post-brine to form pellicle. A cooling rack works perfectly.

• Smoker – Any type of stove-top or outdoor smoker will work. Electric smokers provide the easiest temperature control.

• Wood chips – Flavor salmon with alder, apple, cherry, maple or other wood chips. Soak before using.

And that’s it for the essential gear. Other helpful items include kitchen tweezers for removing pin bones, plastic wrap to cover during brine, and food storage containers for storing finished salmon.

How to Cure Salmon

With the prep work done, it’s time to start curing. Here’s the complete process:

1. Prep the Salmon

Rinse the salmon fillet under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off any unsightly bits with a knife. Run your fingers along the fillet to feel for pin bones and remove them with tweezers.

Make sure the salmon is fresh and sushi grade if you will be consuming it raw. Skin on or skinless salmon fillets both work great.

2. Make the Curing Brine

There are two main brine options – sweet or salty. A sweet brine uses more sugar than salt, resulting in salmon with a mild flavor. A salty brine has more salt than sugar and produces salmon with a more intensely fishy taste.

For a sweet brine, use a 3:1 ratio of brown sugar to kosher salt. For a salty brine, flip that to a 1:3 ratio of brown sugar to salt. Add any other desired spices like cracked pepper, garlic powder, citrus zest, etc.

Combine the brine ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. The exact amount needed depends on the weight of the salmon fillets. A good starting point is 1/4 cup each of salt and sugar per 1 lb salmon.

3. Apply the Brining Cure

Place a thin layer of the brine cure on the bottom of the glass baking dish. Lay the salmon fillet skin side down on top. Cover the salmon completely with the remaining cure mixture, using more on the thicker parts.

Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Flip the fillet halfway through brining.

4. Rinse and Dry

Once cured, discard any liquid accumulated in the dish and thoroughly rinse the salmon under cold water. Dry it very well using paper towels and transfer to a wire rack.

Refrigerate the salmon uncovered for 2-4 hours until a tacky pellicle forms on the outside. This helps the smoke adhere.

How to Smoke Salmon

With your salmon cured and ready for smoking, here’s the full process:

1. Prep the Smoker

Soak the desired flavor wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes. This slows combustion and allows for even smoking.

Fire up your smoker and fill with soaked chips per the manufacturer’s instructions. Bring up to 150-170°F for cold smoking salmon. You want very little heat so the salmon cooks gently.

2. Smoke the Salmon

Place the cured salmon skin side down on smoker racks. Insert in smoker, close the door, and open vents for air flow.

Cold smoke for 2-6 hours until the salmon reaches your desired level of smokiness. Check every 30-60 minutes and add more wood chips as needed.

For fully hot smoked salmon, continue cooking until the thickest part of the fillet reaches 145°F, about 15-25 minutes more.

3. Rest and Chill

Remove smoked salmon from the smoker and let rest 10 minutes before handling. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This allows the smoke flavor to fully permeate the salmon.

For long term storage, vacuum seal portions and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Serving and Storage Tips

Home smoked salmon keeps for 2 weeks refrigerated. Here are some tasty ways to serve it:

• Slice thinly and enjoy raw on crackers or in salads
• Add to omelets, frittatas, and scrambled eggs
• Layer on bagels with cream cheese and capers
• Toss into pasta, risotto, or fried rice
• Fold into mashed potatoes or potato pancakes
• Top pizzas, flatbreads, and bruschetta
• Mix into dips and spreads as a flavor boost
• Crumble over salads or baked potatoes

The rich smoky flavor pairs well with creamy, tangy, and robust ingredients. Get creative with your own signature smoked salmon recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re new to smoking salmon, chances are you have some questions. Here are answers to some of the most common queries:

What kind of salmon is best to smoke?

Wild-caught salmon like sockeye and coho are ideal. Of farmed varieties, Atlantic salmon tends to have the fattiest flesh best for smoking. Any sushi-grade salmon works.

Does the salmon need to be fully cooked?

Only if you are fully hot smoking. Otherwise cured salmon can be eaten semi-raw like lox when cold smoked at low temps.

How long does smoked salmon last?

Properly refrigerated, smoked salmon keeps for up to 2 weeks. It lasts 2-3 months in the freezer.

What wood should I smoke salmon with?

Alder and fruit woods like apple, cherry, and maple all impart mild sweet flavor. Hickory and mesquite are bolder.

Can I use dry brine instead of wet?

Yes, a dry brine of just salt, sugar, and spices rubbed directly onto the salmon works equally well.

The Takeaway

While smoking salmon may seem intimidating, it’s actually a very straightforward process. With quality salmon, a basic brine cure, and a home smoker, you can make incredible smoked salmon worth bragging about. The bonus is that doing it yourself costs a fraction of buying ready-made.

Hopefully this guide has broken down the process into easy, digestible steps. Keep the equipment and ingredient lists handy and refer to the detailed instructions. Before you know it, you’ll have mastered the art of smoking salmon at home.