Smoked Salmon for the Rest of Us

Mix together pickling salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, onion powder, 1 teaspoon dill, garlic powder and lemon zest and pack on both sides of the salmon.

Place in a Ziploc bag or other sealed storage container and allow to marinate in the fridge 2 to 4 hours. When you have successfully collected 2 to 4 tablespoons of liquid from the fish in the bag, you are done marinating.

Remove the fish from the bag, rinse it in cold water, and then dry it thoroughly and place it on a wire rack. The fish needs to sit and air dry for 30 to 45 minutes. A fan will speed this process.

As it dries, it will develop a tacky surface. This is good for the introduction of additional flavors such as herbs and smoke.

While the fish is drying, light your smoker or grill and get it to maintain 200 to 220 degrees. If you have a grill, wrap some hardwood chips (oak, maple, hickory or fruit woods) in a few layers of perforated foil and place directly on a low fire. If you have a smoker, get a nice even hardwood coal fire going with a few chunks of the various woods mentioned above.

Mix together 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon fresh dill and 1/2 teaspoon fresh tarragon. Spread evenly over the salmon. Place the fillet on the grate of your grill or smoker, cover and walk away.

Cooking time will depend heavily on the size and thickness of your fish. The goal is to reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees, approximately 1 1/2 hours depending on your grill and consistency of the temperature.

When it’s done, you should see the edges becoming red and the fillet will take on a distinctly striped appearance. When you decide that doneness has been achieved, remove it from the grate and wrap it in foil.

If you’re serving it hot, let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. If you’re saving it for later, let it cool down for a half hour or so before you put it in the refrigerator.

Tip: Mix cooled or leftover salmon with cream cheese, a squeeze of lemon and fresh dill for a tasty salmon dip.