We enjoy bagels with salmon, and several years ago, we started smoking our own salmon. We have an electric smoker, which is convenient for the job. You can find my bagel recipe here.

The image shows a plate with a pile of smoked fish sections on it.
Several pounds of smoked salmon, ready to enjoy.

Preparing the salmon

To prep the salmon for smoking, it needs to be brined first. We use the recipe that came with our smoker, and it has salt, sugar, soy sauce, white wine or sherry, onion, garlic, hot sauce and water. Heat it in a saucepan until the sugar and salt are dissolved, then let it cool to room temperature.

I found that cutting the salmon is easier if the fish is slightly frozen. I place the cutting board in a lipped baking pan to cut the fish on. For the best results, cut the pieces as evenly as you can. I usually cut them about 3/4 of an inch thick.

The lipped baking pan prevents any liquid from the fish getting on the counter. I put the fish in large zipper bags, add the brine and put it in the fridge for several hours, usually overnight.

Image shows a metal rack laying on top of some newspapers. A can of cooking spray stands next to it.

I use a double rack system to put the salmon on. The racks that came with the smoker have large gaps between the bars, and the fish needs more support. I found some hotdog racks at the store, and use those to hold the fish. The trays for the smoker need to be prepared to keep the salmon from sticking. I use cooking spray to thoroughly coat the tray.

The brine is rinsed off of the fish and the fish is placed on the rack to go in the smoker.

Smoking

Image shows several bags of wood chips laying on the ground.

I use an assortment of wood chips to smoke the salmon – hickory, alder, maple, and apple. The apple and maple add a slightly sweet flavor. The hickory and alder add smoke flavor, but are milder than a mesquite would be. We tried a few different combinations. I mix the chips together in a old gift bag and can then just add them to the pan. We do 5 pans of chips for 4 to six pounds of salmon.

Image shows a metal smoker wrapped in foil bubble insulation,

I use a mix of fine and coarse wood chips, mostly whatever I can find when I am shopping.

We decided to make a cover for our smoker to help reduce the heat loss when we are smoking in cooler outdoor temperatures. We made it out of foil bubble insulation. A couple of strips of adhesive hook and loop tape keep it wrapped around the smoker, and we cut out a flap so we can add more wood chips easily. You can see the handle of the chip pan peeking out under the flap.

The salmon needs to go a while longer to get completely done, so I move it to the dehydrator. I sometimes need to use a spatula to gently remove the fish from the smoker racks. I run the dehydrator at 160 degrees for four to six more hours, until the fish is firm.

Once the salmon is ready, blot any oil from the surface and then freeze it in small quantities so we can enjoy it at later times. It stays good indefinitely in the freezer, not that ours ever lasts very long. The salmon does not require refrigeration, so it can go camping with us!