How much do you really know about smoked salmon? If you've ever had it, you know it's delicious
But do you know how it got that way? What's the process? Is it really cooked? Or is it raw
Is it even safe to eat? This is how smoked salmon is really made
Salmon for everyone! On me! First things first, what do we mean when we say smoked salmon? It turns out that a pretty generic
term for that could refer to any number of products. The fish itself could be farm-raised
or wild-caught, and the form could be cut into fillets or sliced into steaks
Some smoked salmon is cured and cold-smoked to create a raw but edible fish with a sushi-like
texture, while others are cooked over hot smoke to turn out firm and flaky. They all start out
the same way. The fish is brined in a salt solution to pull out the moisture and prevent
the growth of bacteria. After that, hot and cold smoked fish are dried and smoked
While you could technically smoke the salmon whole, you wouldn't really want to
It's easier to find the bones and remove them before you smoke a fish
plus there's the whole skin-on-skin or skinless debate. You could cut the fish into steaks
but the most popular way to smoke salmon is by removing the meaty fillets on each side of the
backbone. Most fish fillets still contain a few tiny bones called pin bones. They're super easy
to remove if you drape the filet over an upside-down bowl and remove the protruding bones
using a pair of tweezers, as Tasting Table recommends. Now it's time to decide whether
you want to smoke the salmon with the skin on or off. Thermal Works advises that keeping the skin
on helps the meat hold together as it cooks, but the salmon absorbs the cure better without it
The skin can also lead to off flavors, and although it does have nutrient value
the skin can become soggy and chewy when smoked Since most people don eat the skin on the cooked fish anyway we just as soon remove it now rather than later After preparing the salmon filet the next step is to apply salt to the fish
Salt gets a bad rap, but its importance in seasoning and preservation cannot be underplayed
There are two ways to cure salmon — wet or dry. Applying a dry cure means covering the fish in salt and rinsing off the excess after a long period
of time, anywhere between an hour and a full day. With a wet cure, a brine is prepared using salt and
sugar, and the salmon is submerged in the liquid for around six to ten hours. By the end of the
brining process, the salt has done a lot for your piece of salmon. Not only does it remove some of
the moisture, helping to stay fresh longer and tolerate the smoking process better, but it also
improves and intensifies the flavor. The sugar has a job to do, too. Aside from adding some sweet
flavor, sugar helps the salmon absorb moisture, allowing it to take on some of the wet brine
after the salt has pushed out the fish's original moisture. Now that it's been cured, there's only one more step before we can add that delicious
smoky flavor. It's time to develop the pellicle, a skin that forms on the surface of food as it's
exposed to air and moisture is removed. Professional kitchens often use a fan and higher temperatures to form a pellicle on
salmon in as little as 30 minutes, but most at-home recipes call for drying salmon at room
temperature for one to three hours. This might seem like a step you could skip if you're in a
hurry, but that protective layer has a few functions. First, it traps moisture inside the fish
ensuring that your final smoked salmon will be moist despite the long smoke time. It also gives
the finished product an attractive glean and helps the smoke adhere to the meat as it cooks
making your smoked salmon that much more flavorful. After it properly dried we finally ready to smoke the salmon Alder is a popular wood for smoking salmon but you can use any type of hardwood you like though using fir pine spruce or cedar is not recommended
These woods can impart bad flavors and give the fish an unpalatable finish
For hot smoking, the kitchen recommends setting your smoker to 150 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit
and smoking the fish until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees at its thickest point
Depending on the thickness of the filet, this should take about one to three hours
You'll have to then cook the fish in your oven until the salmon reaches 150 degrees at its thickest point
Remember, this is a hot smoke. That means we're actually cooking the fish as well as smoking it
With cold smoking, the smoker should never reach a temperature above 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Cold smoking gives the fish a vibrant color and helps it retain moisture
but it is also technically raw, so take extreme care when handling it to avoid foodborne illness
You can eat both cold and hot-smoked salmon right away if you prefer. Slice it thinly for
the traditional bagel, add it to your favorite pasta for dinner, or pulse it in a food processor
for a dip. Any fish you're not planning to eat immediately should be cooled and stored
The difference in temperature between the refrigerator and the fish can cause
condensation in the packaging, so Food Safety News recommends cooling hot smoked salmon
to at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit or colder before placing it in plastic bags, airtight
containers, or vacuum-sealed packages. This isn't a problem for cold smoked salmon
Since it was only cooked to 80 degrees, you should be able to package it right up
You can store smoked salmon in the refrigerator for up to two weeks
You can keep it frozen for up to a year in plastic wrap or a freezer bag
Raw salmon can range from around to per pound for Atlantic farmed salmon and to for wild varieties But smoked salmon can cost around per pound with smoked salmon jerky coming in at nearly per pound Why does it cost so much
more? Consider how much less the fish weighs after the process of brining and smoking it
as well as the waste involved. The European non-profit media agency Euris.com estimates
that only 50% of every salmon is eaten. The heads, skin, and bones are undesirable
and are usually discarded. And salting and smoking a fish can reduce its weight around 16 to 18%
So a 30-pound salmon will yield as little as 12 pounds of edible smoked salmon
Smoked salmon. For the guess it is, for you, consider it cow meat
Strictly taboo. I eat beef. Well, then consider it poison beef. If you're hoping to increase your consumption
of omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is a great way to go. Salmon is one of the most nutrient-dense
foods you can eat, thanks to its high-quality protein and high levels of B vitamins and minerals
like potassium and selenium. It's also a great source of heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids
So why not eat smoked salmon with every meal? Well, all that salt that keeps salmon safe from
bacteria is not great for our bodies. The Globe and Mail estimates there are 666 milligrams of
sodium in each three-ounce serving of smoked salmon. Compare that to the 50 milligrams you'd
get from fresh salmon. There's also some concern that commercial manufacturers add nitrites
which have been linked to cancer, to smoked salmon products. Should you eat it? Absolutely
but probably in moderation. And if you're at risk for listeria food poisoning
steer clear of the cold-smoked varieties. There are plenty of tasty hot-smoked salmon options
or you can try cooking your salmon in another way