Smoked Salmon, Barbecue University-Style

3 Reviews
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Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Hands-on Time
40 Mins
Total Time
6 Hours
Yield
Serves 4 (serving size: 5 ounces cooked salmon)
By Steven Raichlen
July 2014
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

This whisky-scented smoked salmon combines the virtues of hot smoking and cedar planking. The dry brine in a sugar-salt mixture seasons the fish wonderfully. Cedar planks are available at grill stores and cookware shops. For gas grilling, place drained, soaked wood chips in a disposable aluminum pan directly on the burner of your grill.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Scotch whisky
  • 1 (1 1/2-pound) 3/4-inch-thick, center-cut skinless salmon fillet (preferably wild)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1 (15 x 6 1/2 x 3/8–inch) cedar grilling plank
  • 1 1/2 cups hickory wood chips
  • Coarsely cracked black peppercorns (optional)
  • Lemon slices (optional)

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 312
  • Fat 9.6g
  • Satfat 2g
  • Monofat 3.2g
  • Polyfat 3.3g
  • Protein 36g
  • Carbohydrate 14g
  • Fiber 0.0g
  • Cholesterol 90mg
  • Iron 1mg
  • Sodium 444mg
  • Calcium 32mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Combine whisky and salmon in a large zip-top plastic bag. Refrigerate 1 hour, turning occasionally. Drain; pat salmon dry.

Step 2

Combine brown sugar, pepper, salt, and rind in a large bowl. Place one-third of sugar mixture in bottom of an 11 x 7–inch baking dish. Add fish; top evenly with remaining sugar mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 4 hours. Rinse fish well; pat dry.

Step 3

Soak grilling plank in water 1 hour; drain. Soak wood chips in water 30 minutes; drain.

Step 4

Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating both sides to medium and leaving center with no heat. Maintain temperature at medium (325°). Toss wood chips on coals. Place grill rack on grill. Place salmon, skinned-side down, on plank in center of hot rack, away from the heat. Cover; cook 30 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with cracked peppercorns and lemon slices, if desired.

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Ratings & Reviews

AndyGatc's Review

schapstick
August 03, 2014
I followed the recipe as written and it came out bland. The final step was very poorly written. I should have gone with my own knowledge of working with cedar planks, because using the written instructions only confused me. Before that, though, there was not enough salt. A normal cure is 2 parts sugar to 1 part salt. Using 1 cup brown sugar to 1 tablespoon salt left the salmon too dry and insufficiently seasoned. If I make this again, I will go with what I know and modify the recipe appropriately. Otherwise, I'll go back to Steve Raichlen's other smoke salmon recipe I like.

KathrynNC's Review

Rebecca
July 13, 2014
Fantastic! Made exactly as directed. Served slightly smaller portions than suggested (2-3 oz of salmon per person) along with roasted root vegetables (carrots, red potatoes, and red onion) and homemade mustard-creme fraiche sauce. Grilled asparagus would also be a great accompaniment. Plan to make again to serve to company.

phoebe1214's Review

KathrynNC
July 09, 2014
I used fresh wild king salmon. I don't keep scotch at home but used bourbon whiskey instead and it was FANTASTIC! About as good as food gets.
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