Ingredients Seafood Fish Salmon Cold-Smoked Salmon Be the first to rate & review! These rich and silky slices of lightly sweet salmon are great for piling on cream cheese-smeared bagels. By Paige Grandjean Updated on August 3, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 40 mins Chill Time: 1 day 20 hrs Total Time: 2 days 10 mins Servings: 12 servings Cold smoking salmon Rich and silky slices of smoked salmon, with lingering sweet fragrance from cherry wood, make a strong case for cold smoking at home. Unlike hot smoking, which imbues ingredients with smoke while cooking them, cold smoking adds a smoky, sweet fragrance without the addition of heat. It’s the technique to lean on when you want to impart a delectably smoky finish to otherwise ready-to-eat ingredients, such as a side of cured salmon, a delicate ball of burrata for a Smoked-Burrata Hoagie, or fresh fruit for a Smoky Pineapple and Tequila Punch, without altering the texture. Best of all, this versatile cooking method requires nothing more than a grill (charcoal or gas), ice cubes, and wood smoking pellets. To make Cold-Smoked Salmon, begin by curing the fish in salt and brown sugar. This step helps draw out moisture and gives the salmon its silky texture and translucent appearance. After curing, refrigerate the salmon uncovered to form a pellicle, a thin, dry layer that helps the smoke adhere to the surface. Cold smoking salmon temperature Temperature control is key to cold smoking. In order to prevent fish from overcooking or turning flaky, the temperature of the grill must remain below 86°F. While it’s not strictly necessary, we recommend investing in a perforated stainless steel maze smoker — its labyrinthine design provides ample oxygen to keep wood pellets (which are less likely to ignite than wood chips) smoldering at a controlled pace, providing hours of steady smoke. (If you don’t have a maze smoker, a homemade boat-shaped aluminum foil tray will also get the job done.) As further insurance against temperature spikes, place the ingredient to be smoked on a wire rack over a tray of ice cubes. Then, sit back for a few hours and let the smoke do the work, transforming everyday ingredients into the makings of next-level fare. Best salmon for cold smoking King salmon is prized for its high fat content and vibrant orange color and ideal for this cooking technique. King salmon fishing season is late spring through summer, but high-quality frozen king salmon is available year-round at lummiislandwild.com. Unsliced smoked salmon can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Ingredients 1 1/2 cups kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) skin-on fresh or thawed frozen salmon side (about 1 inch thick at thickest portion) (such as king salmon) (see Note) 1 1/2 cups hardwood smoking pellets (such as cherrywood) Directions Cure the salmon Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Stir together salt and brown sugar in a medium bowl; set aside. Place a 24- x 18-inch sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface; sprinkle 1/2 cup salt mixture evenly over an area slightly larger than the salmon. Place salmon, skin side down, over salt mixture. Sprinkle remaining salt mixture evenly over salmon, pressing to adhere. Fold plastic wrap over salmon, and tightly wrap. Transfer salmon, skin side down, to a rimmed baking sheet; chill at least 36 hours or up to 48 hours. Soak the salmon Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Unwrap salmon, and thoroughly rinse off salt mixture. Place salmon in a large bowl; cover with cold water, and let soak 15 minutes to extract excess salt that was absorbed while curing. Form the pellicle Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Remove salmon from water; pat dry using paper towels. Place salmon, skin side down, on prepared baking sheet. Chill, uncovered, until salmon forms a pellicle (fish surface will appear shiny and feel dry to the touch), at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Light the wood pellets Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Place a maze pellet smoker or perforated foil tray on one side of grill grates. Fill maze with smoking pellets. Light pellets on both ends of maze or tray using a kitchen torch or stick lighter. Open top and bottom grill vents halfway. Cover grill with lid, and allow to fill with smoke for about 15 minutes. Smoke the salmon Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Fill a 13- x 9-inch baking pan about three-fourths full with ice cubes. Place wire rack with salmon over ice-filled baking pan. Transfer baking pan with salmon to grill, and cover, with lid vents positioned over salmon. Smoke, discarding water in baking pan and replacing with additional ice cubes as needed, 3 to 4 hours. (For mild smoky flavor, smoke salmon 3 hours. For more intense smoke flavor, smoke 4 hours.) Wrap salmon tightly in plastic wrap; chill at least 4 hours before slicing. Cut into slices Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Unwrap salmon, and transfer to a cutting board. Remove salmon skin using a long, thin slicing knife or a sharp fillet knife. Discard skin. Starting from the tail end, cut salmon crosswise, at an angle, slicing as thinly as possible. Notes A maze pellet smoker, such as the a-maze-n, and hardwood smoking pellets are available at most hardware stores or online.] The Sondiko Butane Torch is a handy tool that provides a steady flame to quickly light smoking pellets for hours of smoldering. It’s also handy for toasting meringue and caramelizing crème brûlée. Make ahead Unsliced smoked salmon can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in refrigerator up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month. Suggested pairing Light-bodied, lemony white: 2021 Bonny Doon Vineyard Picpoul Rate It Print