Tommy Armour’s Smoked Salmon

Tommy Armour's Smoked Salmon

Author: Tommy Armour Snoqualmie, WA

This is a basic but fantastic way to smoke salmon to perfection every time! An uncomplicated system that in my humble opinion yields the best results when followed step by step.

Ingredients

1.) Gently wash fish
2.) Take fillets and cut the flesh vertically, down to the skin
(but not through the skin).
3.) Next prepare your brine -You'll need the following ingredients:
4 cups (dark) brown sugar
¾ cup canning & pickling salt
¼ cup Johnny's seasoning salt
3 tablespoons coarse fresh ground pepper
10 cloves of garlic
4 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
Now mix it all together in a bowl.

Instructions

)To brine the fish: Cover the fillets completely with the dry brine mixture in
a non metallic bowl or pot.Place the first fillets in the bowl skin side down,
and then alternate them so the fish lays flesh to flesh and skin to skin (with
plenty of brine in between). Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for
about 8 hours. Now remove the fillets from the fridge and very gently remove
any excess brine from the fillets with your fingers(I usually do this over the
sink and am very careful to handle the fish gently).
) Drying out the fish prior to smoking - I place the fillets on just enough
foil to keep the fish from dripping all over my smoker for easy clean up, then
put in a cool place for 4 to 5 hours with a fan set on low blowing on the fish.
I usually do this in the garage in winter (the fan aids in drying and as an
added benefit keeps any bugs away).
) Smoking the fish: Preheat your smoker to get it up to temperature (150 to
for the first 2 hours) then bring it up to 200 for the last 3 to 4 hours.
Put the rack of fish into your smoker (make sure you leave plenty of room for
smoke to get between the fillets).
Add your Alder chips to get it smoking (I
soak my Alder chips in beer for 1 hour
then drain thoroughly before placing in smoker).
Typically I smoke my salmon 5 to 6 hours (again it is important not to
let the temperature get over 175 for the first 2 hours then I raise it to 200
for the remaining 3 to 4 hours. I will use 3 bowls of Alder chips during
smoking and allow times where no smoke is coming out of the smoker so that the
smoke flavor doesn't over power the taste of my wild salmon.
) Before removing salmon from smoker you want the internal temperature to be
so that any parasites etc. that may be in the fish are rendered
harmless.This may require you to raise the temperature at the very end of your
smoke.
) Now that the fish has reached the 165 degree temperature I turn the smoker
off, take the lid off for a few minutes to let the heat escape, replace the lid
and let the fish rest a few hours to cool. Next remove it from the smoker and
place it the fridge for a day or two.
I then savor some of this delicacy and
finish the experience with a cigar
(usually a Partagas D #4 is an appropriate pairing 🙂
Enjoy!