Another weekend smoker experiment...FISH!!

[FlyBoeingJets]

Since I'm home unexpectedly this weekend, I get to do some smoking!

I think I'm going to try smoking some fish. Salmon, preferably. I'm trying to decide between a couple recipes:

Maple Smoked Salmon

The maple syrup glaze in this recipe will give the smoked salmon a nice crusty surface that will lock in the juices and give it a mild, sweet flavor.
INGREDIENTS:

* 4 small salmon fillets (about 5 ounces each
* 1 cup maple syrup
* 1/2 tablespoon coarse salt
* 1 tablespoon butter

PREPARATION:
Clean and remove any skin from salmon fillets. Place in shallow baking dish and pour maple syrup over top. Turn to coat evenly. Sprinkle each side with salt. Cover and refrigerator for 24 hours.

Prepare smoker.
Place fillets in smoker at about 200 degrees F. for about 1 1/2 hours. When you are ready to remove the salmon from the smoker heat the butter in a skillet. Place fillets gently in skillet for about 2 minutes per side. This creates a nice glaze over the surface of the salmon.

Vodka Martini Smoked Salmon

This is a great salmon for any occasion. Of course, it goes really well with a nice vodka martini. You can either have this dish "as is," or mix it with your favorite herbs, spices, and cream cheese to make a smoked salmon dip.
INGREDIENTS:

* 1 salmon, cleaned (about 3-4 pounds)
* 6 sprigs fresh dill
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1/4 cup vodka
* 1/4 cup vermouth
* 3 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1 tablespoon horseradish
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 lemon, sliced
* 1/2 teaspoon hot suace

PREPARATION:
Prepare charcoal grill for indirect cooking over hickory or alder wood chips.

Wash salmon and pat dry. Fill with dill and lemon slices and set fish aside. Place remaining ingredients in small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and set mixture aside.

Lay salmon on a large piece of aluminum foil. Close three of the sides, pour in basting sauce, and fold over fourth edge. Place salmon on grill over a drip pan and allow to cook on low heat(about 225 degrees) for 1 hour. Open one side of the foil and let salmon cook for an additional hour.

Smoked Garlic Salmon

This hot smoked salmon is loaded with 10 cloves of garlic. While that might sound like a lot, once you've tried it you'll probably want to add more.
INGREDIENTS:

* 1 large (2 pounds or so) salmon fillet
* 10 cloves of garlic, minced
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 4 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon sage
* 1 teaspoon oregano

PREPARATION:
Prepare smoker for a 4 hour smoke. Wash salmon fillet and place in a large smoker safe pan. Cover with other ingredients and place in smoker for 4 hours. Remove and serve.

*****

So which should I try? Just for simplicity, I'm leaning towards the smoked garlic salmon.

Smoked Garlic Salmon!!! and double the garlic so we're super stinky.

[Henry1515]

I was thinking of trying to do some albacore tuna this weekend

[Hockey RN]

I vote garlic.

[kingofdodgers]

Garlic!!

and we wants pics when you're done

[FlyBoeingJets]

Decided to do the garlic salmon.

Prep is done. Too much garlic?? I don't think there could ever be too much garlic.

Aside from having to de-bone the filet (even though they said it had been done at the market) it was very easy to prep. The hardest part was mincing the fresh garlic (I used two full heads, about fifteen cloves). That step can be simplified by buying minced garlic in a jar (you'd just need to spread it over the fish). I used the juice of two lemons instead of measuring it the way the recipe said to. And I used a little more butter than was called for (the lightly salted kind).

My hands smell like garlic and fish. I've washed them in lemon juice, but that just made them smell yummy.

This will go on the smoker at about 2:30 this afternoon.



Me 'n MotherPuck are gonna be stinky tomorrow!

[rinkrat]

Damn, looks good. mmmmmmmm!! Love the dill/salmon combo

[FlyBoeingJets]

Originally Posted by rinkrat

Damn, looks good. mmmmmmmm!! Love the dill/salmon combo

Thanks. One of these days we'll have to have a bunch of LGK types over here. I'll do it up.

[Roody]

My dad's old tenant used to go deep sea fishing once a month. He would bring back a s-load of albacore and yellowfin. I could have 1/2 of what I could clean. He also had a smoker and we would make some killer smoked fish marinated in teriyaki and hot sauce. That fish turned out like candy.

[FlyBoeingJets]

It's been on the smoker for one hour. I just went outside to get some more coals going, and I'll tell you what...it smells seriously garlicky out there.

Like Gordon Biersch garlic fries X 100 kinda garlicky.

[Henry1515]

is it finished yet, how was it?

[FlyBoeingJets]

It'll be in the smoker for four hours. Won't be done until 6:30.

[Blueline]

75 min to go...how's the neighborhood smellin about now?

[FlyBoeingJets]

Originally Posted by Blueline

75 min to go...how's the neighborhood smellin about now?

Let's just say that if I have any neighbors that don't like garlic, they're gonna be pissed.

It really is garlicky. Extremely garlicky. I'm thinking I may have ruined this fish.

We'll know in about an hour.

[FlyBoeingJets]

Ten minutes to go. We'll see how garlicky it is.