Smoked salmon, cheese and butter

[robgunby]

What with Christmas round the corner, I decided to cold smoke some salmon. Thought I'd record the process here in the hope of starting discussion that will help me improve my technique. Sorry if this isn't the right section to discuss cold smoking, there didn't seem to be anywhere else it would fit!

I unfortunately had to commit a cardinal sin and rush through the process, as I started too late and I was smoking a piece for a friend who needed it by Monday morning to take away with her.

Started on Saturday lunchtime with two good big salmon fillets, just over a pound each. I laid them skin side down on a bed of salt in a pyrex roasting tray, then covered the top in a thick layer of a 1:1 mixture of salt and sugar. I left them outside in the smoker (it's cold enough) for six hours, by which time they had dumped a lot of water and felt quite nice and firm. Actually, one of them did, the other I think could have done with longer, but I didn't have the option.

Next came the drying process. This bit, I stuffed up. I put them outside in the smoker overnight. The smoker was too damp inside from recent rain, and this combined with the lack of air circulation, meant the fillets didnt develop the pellicle needed for smoking. So, this morning, I had to leave them outside in the breeze for a few hours to dry a bit more. Again, they could have done with a bit longer, but I didn't have that luxury.

Into the UDS, with my crude CSG attached, which requires constant attention to keep the wood topped up and in contact with the coal. Added a sprinkle of demerara sugar and fresh cracked pepper. I managed 8 hours smoke before the embers died out. I wanted to do more, but I am pooped after a long few days preparing things for Christmas and didn't fancy lighting another fire.

I have tasted a little slice, but it is of course premature - I find cold smoked food tastes bitter and unpleasant immediately out of the smoker. I've wrapped it in baking parchment and popped it in the fridge to allow it to mellow out and the smoke permeate the fillets. I may resmoke my fillet if it needs it, but I think it will be ok. I'll try it tomorrow with breakfast, and reassess.

I also smoked 3 slices about 1/3" thick of gruyere, and three patties of butter. The cheese I gave about 3 hours smoke, the butter about 2 (the smoke was quite light during the butter smoking phase, or I would have smoked it for a half hour to an hour).

[robgunby]

Taste test this morning showed the salmon in its true colours. It is delectable, the balance of sweet and salty just right and the smoke has mellowed and is very pleasant. I still think it could have done with a tiny bit longer in the salt and a few hours more in the smoke, but it got a very enthusiastic thumbs up from a friend whose favourite food is smoked salmon, so I'm happy!

I have read that smoking at very low temperatures causes meat and fish to not absorb the smoke quite as well. The ambient temperature in the smoker was pretty much equal to outside, so yesterday it was between 2 and 8 degrees C. Can anyone confirm or deny this? If there is truth to this, I may rethink the way I generate cold smoke. I find the current method a pain in the backside as it needs tending to so often. Does the ProQ CSG generate any heat at all? If so it might be a better option for cold smoking on very inclement days, as they all seem to be...

[robgunby]

Picked up some more salmon today as Asda were selling off their remaining sides at £9 a kilo, so I bought one of two (the other looked way too fatty).

I also bought some wild, frozen salmon, but unfortunately it is cut into "portions" so I will have to cure and smoke it differently to the side.

Both have gone in the freezer because a) there are storms on the way and b) I've heard frozen and rethawed salmon is better for smoking because you need less salt to cure it due to the drying nature of freezing.

I'm going to take a punt on using an electric hotplate to produce the smoke, in the hope it will allow me to leave the smoker unattended. I will produce a very gentle throughdraught using the fish tank pump, and use the usual stainless steel pipe as the heat dissipator. CCC are selling them for £15 at the moment, so worth a punt I reckon.

[grum]

Thanks for these posts. I just received a ProQ Cold Smoke Generator for christmas so I'm really keen to try some of this stuff. You see a few dire warnings on some sites about curing/smoking meat and fish unless you really know what you're doing which has put me off a bit.

I was planing to start with garlic, chillies, butter and cheese - in my Weber One Touch. Sorry if this is a bit off topic but do you know if I would want to have the vents open or closed for cold smoking? Thanks.

I think the ProQ CSG only creates a very small amount of heat, but I haven't used mine yet - I will confirm when I do.

[robgunby]

I was planing to start with garlic, chillies, butter and cheese - in my Weber One Touch. Sorry if this is a bit off topic but do you know if I would want to have the vents open or closed for cold smoking? Thanks.

I think the ProQ CSG only creates a very small amount of heat, but I haven't used mine yet - I will confirm when I do.

Not off topic at all, I'm glad there is someone else giving this a go

Vents - Top one should be wide open, just as with hot smoking - you don't want stale smoke, so airflow is important.

WRT the bottom vents, it will depend on the oxygen needs of your CSG I would imagine, as to how much to open them, but you will certainly want them open to some extent.

Butter - just open the pack and lay it on the grill, just in case of any warmth at all from the csg. With that said, I haven't had any issues with butter melting with my external generator in the current cold conditions.

Chillies - dry em first I believe. I've only ever hot smoked them which dries them at the same time.

Regarding your fear of curing meat....don't let it bother you! Your nose, your common sense and your stomach acid have kept you alive so far, I wouldn't worry about them failing you now! I jumped in at the deep end and it turned out better than ok! I was a tiny bit apprehensive about the fish, but I figured I'd know if it was ok by tasting it, and it was great

Start with decent fresh produce and you'll be fine I'm sure. If you follow the procedure I followed I don't reckon you can fail.

[grum]

Thanks for the info on the vents, and for the tips on smoking the other stuff too - I will let you know how I get on.

I was talking to someone else who has cured sides of salmon and they've had no problems - I think I will give it a try.

I was planing to start with garlic, chillies, butter and cheese - in my Weber One Touch. Sorry if this is a bit off topic but do you know if I would want to have the vents open or closed for cold smoking? Thanks.

I think the ProQ CSG only creates a very small amount of heat, but I haven't used mine yet - I will confirm when I do.

Not off topic at all, I'm glad there is someone else giving this a go

Vents - Top one should be wide open, just as with hot smoking - you don't want stale smoke, so airflow is important.

WRT the bottom vents, it will depend on the oxygen needs of your CSG I would imagine, as to how much to open them, but you will certainly want them open to some extent.

Butter - just open the pack and lay it on the grill, just in case of any warmth at all from the csg. With that said, I haven't had any issues with butter melting with my external generator in the current cold conditions.

Chillies - dry em first I believe. I've only ever hot smoked them which dries them at the same time.

Regarding your fear of curing meat....don't let it bother you! Your nose, your common sense and your stomach acid have kept you alive so far, I wouldn't worry about them failing you now! I jumped in at the deep end and it turned out better than ok! I was a tiny bit apprehensive about the fish, but I figured I'd know if it was ok by tasting it, and it was great

Start with decent fresh produce and you'll be fine I'm sure. If you follow the procedure I followed I don't reckon you can fail.

[robgunby]

My second attempt at smoked salmon is drying now, to go in the smoker tomorrow.

This time around the side didn't appear to be as good quality but it was soooooo cheap. The flesh tore as I lifted it out of the packet. Nevertheless, they have had overnight in a 60/40 salt/sugar cure with some black pepper on both halves and some dill on one half (my dad is very keen on this evil herb). They felt firm enough to proceed this morning. Fingers crossed they come out as good as last time!

I am thinking of trying out a different CSG method this time....will let you know how I get on.