Maple-Cured Smoked King Salmon - Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke

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Rob: SO JUST CLEANING UP A BIT FOR YOUR CAMERAS. Steven: FROM ALASKA TO NOVA SCOTIA TO NORWAY, SMOKED SALMON IS A CONSTANT ON THE WORLD'S BARBECUE TRAIL. HERE, ON PROJECT SMOKE, WE GIVE IT A NEW ENGLAND TWIST AND WE DO IT ON A GRAND SCALE. THIS MAPLE CURED, MAPLE SMOKED SALMON REFLECTS MY DEEP AFFECTION FOR NEW ENGLAND. I LIVED IN BOSTON FOR 20 YEARS. I STILL HAVE A HOME IN NEW ENGLAND, AND I LOVE MAPLE SYRUP. THE MAPLE SYRUP ISN'T SIMPLY SWEET LIKE SUGAR. IT HAS THIS INCREDIBLE AROMATIC FLAVOR, AND IT GOES GREAT WITH THE RICHNESS OF SALMON. IT STARTS WITH A GORGEOUS THREE POUND ALASKAN WILD KING SALMON FILET. RUN YOUR FINGER OVER THE FILET FEELING FOR ANY PIN BONES, AND WHEN YOU FEEL THE ENDS OF THE BONES USE NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS TO PULL THEM OUT. YOU KNOW MY FEELING ABOUT SALMON. IF I CAN'T GET IT WILD, I PREFER TO WAIT UNTIL I CAN. NEXT, LET ME SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE THE CURE. IT'S TWO PARTS SWEETENER. I'M USING MAPLE SUGAR WHICH IS GRANULATED MAPLE SYRUP AND ONE PART SEA SALT. ADD FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER AND FRESHLY GRATED LEMON ZEST. [GRATING] THE LEMON ADDS A NOTE OF BRIGHTNESS THAT GOES REALLY WELL WITH SMOKED SALMON. MIX THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE RUB. I LIKE TO USE MY FINGERS. PROBABLY NOTICED I DO A LOT WITH MY HANDS. FOR ME, COOKING IS A VERY TACTILE EXPERIENCE. ONCE THE CURE IS MIXED, SPREAD ABOUT A THIRD OF THE CURE OVER THE BOTTOM OF A HOTEL PAN. YOU WANT TO FORM ROUGHLY THE SHAPE OF THE SALMON. NOW, LAY THE SALMON FILET ON TOP OF THE CURE AND SPREAD THE REMAINING CURE ON TOP OF THE FISH. THE CURE SERVES TWO PURPOSES. FIRST OF ALL, OBVIOUSLY, THE SUGAR, SALT, AND PEPPER FLAVOR THE SALMON, BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANTLY THE SALT HELPS DRY THE SALMON OUT. IT DRAWS THE LIQUID OUT OF THE SALMON. IN THE OLD DAYS, SMOKING WAS A WAY TO PRESERVE FISH WITHOUT REFRIGERATION, AND IT WAS ALMOST ALWAYS DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH CURING. THE LAST THING I LIKE TO DO IS DRIZZLE PURE MAPLE SYRUP ON TOP. AND THIS SYRUP IS VERY SPECIAL. IT COMES FROM THE FARM OF OUR OWN BOOM CAMERAMAN, JONATHAN NICHOLS. THANKS, JONATHAN. A SALMON FILET THIS SIZE WILL CURE FOR ABOUT EIGHT HOURS IN THE REFRIGERATOR. HERE'S WHAT THE SALMON LOOKS LIKE AFTER IT HAS CURED FOR EIGHT HOURS. YOU CAN SEE THE SALT HAS DRAWN OUT A LOT OF LIQUID, AND IF YOU FEEL THE SALMON IT ACTUALLY HAS A DIFFERENT CONSISTENCY. IT'S MUCH FIRMER. RINSE OFF ALL OF THAT EXCESS CURE IN COLD WATER. THEN LIFT IT UP AND WE'LL LET IT DRAIN, THEN LAY THE SALMON ON A WIRE RACK. BLOT THE FISH DRY WITH PAPER TOWELS. [RACK SHAKING] NOW, RETURN THE SALMON TO THE REFRIGERATOR AND LET IT AIR DRY FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS. WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS CALLED A PELLICLE, A SORT OF DRY, TACKY SURFACE. [CLOCK TICKING] AND HERE'S THE FISH AFTER ITS AIR DRIED FOR TWO HOURS. YOU CAN SEE THE FISH IS ACTUALLY TACKY. THAT STICKINESS IS GOING TO GRAB THE SMOKE. NOW, THE SMOKER. TO SMOKE THE SALMON, I'M USING AN OFFSET BARREL SMOKER. TO RUN THE SMOKER, START WITH A FIREBOX, AND I BUILT A BED OF CHARCOAL EMBERS, AND THEN WE'LL FUEL THE SMOKER EITHER WITH LOGS OR WITH WOOD CHUNKS. THIS IS SUCH A BIG, HOT FIRE, CHIPS WOULD GET LOST. AND CLOSE THE FIREBOX. NOW, TAKE A LOOK IN THE VERTICAL SMOKE CHAMBER. AND I HAVE TWO SALMON FILETS THAT WE CURED EARLIER. I'VE BASKETED THEM IN CHICKEN WIRE, HUNG EM UP TO SMOKE. YOU CAN SEE THE BEAUTIFUL PATINA OF SMOKE AND YET THIS IS SO COOL I CAN ACTUALLY GRAB THE SALMON WITH MY BARE HANDS. BUT WE'RE GOING TO HOT SMOKE THE SALMON FILET. AND THIS IS THE REGULAR SMOKE CHAMBER. YOU CAN SEE I HAVE A SALMON THAT I PUT ON EARLIER. REMEMBER, THIS IS A HOT SMOKE. THAT MEANS WE'RE ACTUALLY COOKING THE FISH, AS WELL AS SMOKING IT. 350 DEGREES, ABOUT 40 MINUTES. THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO CHECK FOR DONENESS. FIRST, THE FLAKE TEST. YOU PRESS THE TOP OF THE FISH, AND IF THE MEAT BREAKS INTO CLEAN FLAKES, IT'S READY. OR, YOU COULD USE AN INSTANT READ MEAT THERMOMETER. YOU WANT TO BE ABOUT 135 DEGREES. WE'VE GOT IT. AND GENTLY LIFT IT OFF THE SMOKER ONTO A SHEET PAN. [THUD] NOW, LET THE SALMON COOL TO ROOM TEMPERATURE THEN REFRIGERATE UNTIL SERVING. Richard: ACTION. Steven: OKAY, FOLKS. HERE'S THE SMOKED SALMON AND I AM A HAPPY MAN. WE'LL TAKE SOME TOASTED RYE BREAD AND SPREAD IT WITH CRÈME FRAICHE... ADD A FEW PICKLED ONIONS. THE RECIPE IS ON OUR WEBSITE. AND NOW THAT GORGEOUS FISH. MMM. AND A SQUEEZE OF LEMON, AND A SPRIG OF DILL. [CRUNCHING] MMM, OH MAN, THIS IS REALLY INCREDIBLE. THE FISH IS SMOKY BUT STILL MOIST. THAT NICE SWEET MAPLE FLAVOR AND YOU'VE GOT THE PICKLED ONIONS, THE DILL, THE CRÈME FRAICHE. THIS IS OUTSTANDING.
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Channel: Steven Raichlen Public TV
Views: 336,562
Rating: 4.8365469 out of 5
Keywords: smoke, fish, cure, lox, fire, meets, water
Id: e1pdskBl_as
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 6min 57sec (417 seconds)
Published: Tue Jun 27 2017
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