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.
