SMOKED SALMON DRY RUB RECIPES

Steps:

• Mix the water and ingredients together in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil to help dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat and let cool in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
• Rinse the salmon fillet in cold water. If the salmon still has skin, remove it at this time.
• Cut the salmon into 3” wide by 4-5” length strips. I find this is an ideal portion size and the smoke penetrates the salmon evenly.
• Once the brine is cooled place the salmon into the large pot of brine. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
• After the brining process, remove the salmon and lightly dry it. Place the salmon on some racks and let sit on the counter for 4 hours. This lets the salmon dry evenly and creates a shiny skin called pellicle. This is a crucial step because the smoke will adhere to the salmon properly.
• Preheat your smoker: I start my smoker at 100F. I typically use maple wood for smoking Salmon.
• Once the smoker is ready I lightly oil the grills so the salmon will not stick. Place the salmon in the smoker for two hours. After the two hours move the smoker temperature to 140F and smoke another two hours. Then turn the smoker to 175F and smoke for two more hours. This is a total of six hours.
• If your smoker can not operate at such a low temp, smoke the salmon for 4-5 hours at 165F, or 3-4 hours at 225F.
• Remove the salmon and place on racks to cool on your counter. Rest for one hour. After the resting, you are ready to enjoy. Refrigerate the remaining portions.

Steps:

• 1. Peel and trim the beets and place in a food processor with the salt, sugar, vodka and dill.
  2. Finely grate in the lemon zest, add the horseradish, finely grating it if fresh, then blitz until combined.
  3. Rub a little mixture on to the salmon skin, then place the salmon on a large tray, skin side down, and pat the remaining mixture all over it so that the flesh is completely covered.
  4. Cover the tray tightly with clingfilm. Pop a weight on top to help pack everything down evenly, then put the whole thing into the fridge for 36 hours. Please use your instincts here – if you have a particularly chunky side of salmon you may want to leave it for up to 48 hours to allow for proper penetration.
  5. Once cured, unwrap the fish, then, holding the fillet in place, pour the juices down the sink and rub away all the salty topping (it’s messy, so you might want to wear gloves).
  6. Pat the fillet dry with kitchen paper, then tightly wrap in clingfilm (sometimes I like to cover the salmon with freshly picked dill before wrapping, for bonus flavour). Put back into the fridge until needed, where it will keep happily for up to 2 weeks.
  7. To serve, use a long sharp knife to slice the salmon thinly at an angle and, as the knife touches the skin each time, kink it off, lifting away the salmon.
  8. Arrange the slices on a board or platter as you go. Delicious with a simple salad and good wholemeal sourdough, as part of a seafood platter, served up at a party or even as part of a festive brekkie spread.