Salmon candy, also known as squaw candy, is a beloved treat made by heavily smoking salmon strips and coating them with a sweet glaze. The combination of fatty, savory salmon with a hint of sweetness is irresistible. While salmon candy has its origins in Alaska as a Native American dish, it has become popular across North America.
If you love smoked salmon, you need to try salmon candy The deeply smoked flavor pairs perfectly with cheese, crackers, wine or beer Read on for everything you need to know to fully enjoy this addictive salmon treat.
What is Salmon Candy?
Salmon candy begins by taking skins-on salmon fillets, cutting them into thick strips, and brine curing them. The fish is then smoked for hours until it takes on an intense smoky flavor. Finally, the salmon strips are repeatedly brushed with a glaze while smoking. This caramelizes and candies the fish.
Traditionally, the glaze was made from brown sugar or maple syrup. Today, cooks use a wide range of sweeteners, such as fruit preserves, molasses, honey, and agave. The fish absorbs the sweetness while smoking resulting in irresistible savory-sweet salmon candy.
Because they have thick ribbons of buttery fat that soak up smoke flavor, salmon bellies are the best parts of fish to use to make candy. But you can candy any salmon fillets by cutting them into strips. Trout, char and whitefish also candy beautifully.
Tips for Making Your Own Salmon Candy
Making your own salmon candy at home is easier than you think. Here are some tips:
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Use a Dry Brine: Coating strips in a salt and brown sugar rub firms the salmon’s texture so it candies well when smoked.
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Let Salmon Form a Pellicle: Air drying salmon after brining develops a tacky skin which helps smoke adhere.
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Smoke Low and Slow: Use low temp smoke (150-180°F) for 4+ hours to fully candy without overheating fish.
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Brush with Glaze Frequently: Brush glaze like maple syrup every 30-60 minutes so salmon fully absorbs flavor.
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Rest Before Serving: Once smoked, let salmon candy cool and rest at room temp before eating for best texture.
Enjoying Salmon Candy on its Own
The rich smoky sweetness of salmon candy makes it a perfect standalone snack. Here are some tips for enjoying it by itself:
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Slice smoked salmon candy into bite-sized pieces with scissors. The candy will be firm but sliceable.
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Try salmon candy strips whole for a meatier texture. The caramelized glaze coating will add great sweetness.
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Bring salmon candy along hiking, camping or fishing. It travels well unrefrigerated in a pocket or pack.
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Pair salmon candy with beer or wine. The sweet glaze contrasts nicely with bitter IPAs or dry whites like Sauvignon Blanc.
Serving Salmon Candy as an Appetizer
Beautifully candied salmon fillet strips make for an elegant appetizer. Here are serving ideas:
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Arrange thin slices of salmon candy on crackers like ak-mak, flatbread or crostini. Top with herbs, pickled onions, capers or mustard.
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Mix cubed salmon candy with cream cheese, lemon zest, and chives. Chill then serve on bagel chips or cucumber rounds.
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Skewer bite-sized salmon candy and cheese cubes on toothpicks. Try manchego, aged gouda or fresh mozzarella.
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Pile sliced candy onto a platter with crackers, crusty bread, pickles, olives, mustards and cornichons.
Salmon Candy Entree Ideas
The rich, fatty texture of salmon candy lends itself nicely to both hearty and elegant entree presentations:
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Coarsely chop salmon candy and fold into rice pilaf with peas and dill for a smoked salmon risotto.
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Serve a salmon candy dressed salad with field greens, avocado, citrus, nuts and a vinaigrette or yogurt dressing.
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Make smoked salmon candy Benedicts with poached eggs, toasted English muffins and hollandaise sauce.
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Mix cubed salmon candy into macaroni and cheese or stir it into penne pasta with garlic, spinach and lemon.
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Use roughly chopped salmon candy in place of regular salmon for incredible eggs Benedict, omelets, frittatas or hash.
What to Drink with Salmon Candy
The interplay of smoke, salmon flavor and sweetness begs for certain beverage pairings:
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Sparkling Wine: Bubbly and brut champagne cut through the salmon’s richness.
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Riesling: A sweet Kabinett Riesling mirrors the glazed salmon’s sweet/savory flavors.
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Red Ale: The maltiness and mild bitterness counterbalance the candy’s richness.
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Larger or Pilsner: Crisp, clean lagers cut the fattiness without overpowering flavor.
Storing Leftover Salmon Candy
Properly stored, leftover salmon candy keeps well for serving again:
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Store salmon candy up to a week refrigerated in a sealed container. The candied glaze helps preserve it.
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Frozen salmon candy keeps several months. Thaw in fridge before serving.
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Vacuum seal extra candy in serving portions for longer freezer storage.
Sweet, smoky and irresistibly meaty, salmon candy is a delicacy every fish lover should try. Follow this guide to savor every decadent bite of this amazing treat. From making your own to creative serving ideas and perfect pairings, you’ll be a salmon candy master.
Author: Paula Roy
Hello, and welcome to my kitchen! I love making simple dishes with love, and I’m always looking for new ways to make food more fun and tasty. If you like this space, you should check out my cooking show on Rogers TV Ottawa called Paula Roy’s Favorite Foods. It’s on local cable, you can stream it, and there’s a playlist just for it on Rogers TV’s YouTube channel. View all posts by Paula Roy.
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Sweet, salty, chewy and slightly peppery, you’ve probably never tasted smoked salmon like this before. When I went to Vancouver, BC’s famous Granville Island Market years ago, that’s when I first tried salmon candy. I cannot stop thinking about it since then. Canadian salmon – whether Atlantic or Pacific – is recognized globally as being abundant and delicious. What makes this preparation different from traditional smoked salmon is the curing process prior to the smoking time. This step extracts much of the moisture from the fish, giving it a unique and appealing texture. You could crumble it over a salad, serve it on crackers with chèvre or cucumber rounds, or even use it as a garnish for eggs Benedict. I like to eat it “as is.” This same technique can also be used to prepare smoked candied trout, if that’s your fish of choice.
Ingredients
- Cut 2 pounds (900 grams) of salmon fillets in half, making sure there are no bones or skin on them. 25 cm) strips.
- 2 cups (500 mL) kosher salt
- 2 cups (500 mL) white sugar
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup (90 – 125 mL) maple syrup
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Mix the salt and sugar together in a bowl.
- It’s best to use a wide container with a tight lid that is big enough to hold the salmon. Add a layer of the salt and sugar mixture that’s about 1/2 inch thick. 25 cm) deep.
- On top of the salt and sugar, arrange the salmon pieces so that there is some space between them.
- Cover the salmon with more of the salt mixture, making sure there is at least 1/4 inch of space around it. 6 cm).
- Add more salmon pieces on top and cover it with more of the salt mixture.
- Do it again and again until all of the salmon pieces are in the salt mixture. If you need more, mix together more salt and sugar in the same amount.
- The salmon should be put in the fridge for two to three hours with the lid on. Leave it for no more than three hours unless you like your fish very salty.
- Because the salt mixture will pull water out of the salmon, the salt will be quite wet when the curing time is over. This is a good thing!
- Take the salmon out of the salt bath and quickly run cold water over each piece.
- Use a paper towel to dry the fish, then put the pieces on a rack to dry. Leave the fish rack out in the fridge for at least two hours and no more than three hours. This step is important because it helps the salmon’s skin soak up more of the smoke flavor.
- First, let the fish dry out in the fridge. Then, smoke it for two to four hours at a low temperature. For this step, I like to use a small pellet smoker with my gas grill, and I try to keep the temperature between 200F and 225F the whole time I’m smoking.
- Place the salmon on a grilling rack (anything will work as long as the slices don’t fall through the grill grates) and put the rack on the grill without any heat on it.
- Every 20 minutes, paint the salmon with the maple syrup. The lacquered finish and extra sweetness will come from this. It also helps get rid of the albumen (a white residue) that can form while smoking.
- While the salmon is still hot, flip it over and start adding maple syrup to the other side.
- After at least two hours, the salmon should look like it has a nice lacquer on it. Move it to a clean drying rack, brush it lightly with maple syrup one more time, and sprinkle it lightly with freshly ground pepper.
- Let it cool to room temperature, then put it in a clean container with a tight lid. Put it in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it for longer storage.
Makes about 1.75 pounds (800 grams) candy.
Candied Salmon Recipe in Bradley P10 Professional Smoker | Salmon Candy
FAQ
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