Smoked Salmon

Growing up in the North with the farm close to both multiple lakes and the Baltic Sea, I learned to eat and appreciate fish early on. One of my favorite fish memories from my childhood was when the local fishermen would load their morning catch to their van and drive around the town selling fish that was still kicking. They almost always even had a herring or two for the barn cats. Later on when I was living on my own, I would make a trip to the open market and buy fish directly from the fishermen, caught that very same day. The fresh fish was then prepared at home. Some people even had their own smokers and they would smoke the fish themselves. However, smoked fish has always been something that you have been able to purchase.

As with the pandemic I haven’t been able to travel, I’ve been craving the fresh fish dishes from my younger years. While I can't find the cold water lake fish around here, I decided to try smoking some salmon myself. Actually, I tried this last summer, but used my gas grill and ended up with a burnt mess.

I started the process by buying a charcoal grill, some coal briquettes and some cedar planks. This dish definitely requires some time and patience. Light the grill and let the coals get evenly heated. If your grill has a thermometer, when the temperature reaches about 400F/200C, it is ready.

Place the salmon on a cedar plank, and season it generously with salt (and some white pepper if desidered). If you have a bigger fillet, you may want to cut it in half and divide to two planks so that it will be fully covered. Transfer the plank to the grill and close the grill lid. Reduce the airflow to the coals so that they start to produce more smoke. I let the fish smoke for about 20 min, but the time depends on the thickness of your fish fillet, so you need to check on it. Be careful when you open the grill as it may flare as the fire suddenly gets more oxygen.

The fish really just needs some salt, I added some white pepper too. The fish was served with some smashed potatoes and a tartar type sauce (recipe to follow), but only really needs a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some fresh dill.

Hope you will enjoy it!

This portioning makes 2-3 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Fresh salmon fillet (preferably not previously frozen)

Salt to taste

Freshly ground white pepper if desidered

Cedar plank(s)

Freshly squeezed lemon for serving

Fresh dill for garnish

TARTAR STYLE SAUCE:

2 tbsp finely chopped onion (preferably red)

2 tbsp finely chopped pickles

1 tbsp Creme Fraiche

1 tbsp mayo

1 tsp white wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground white pepper (if desidered)

Fresh dill

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and let stand in the fridge for at least 30 min before serving.