This smokey salmon is brined and marinated in Weston Vacuum Sealer bags for maximum flavor before being smoked over wine-soaked wood chips in a Weston Smoker as it's basted with the marinade.
-Ingredients-
For Brining
2 large salmon filets
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon crushed fennel
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon cracked pepper
1/2 cup kosher salt
For Soaking Wood Chips
1/2 cup Pinot Noir
1/4 cup water
For Garnishing
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon dill
-Tools-
Weston Vacuum Sealer + bag or canister
Weston Vertical Propane Smoker
Weston Marinade Injector
1 cup applewood smoking chips
Combine all of the Brining ingredients in a
Weston Vacuum Sealer Bag and seal, keeping the bag down below the sealer to keep liquids from the chamber. Refrigerate the brined salmon for at least 8 hours. You can also seal the filets in a
Weston Vacuum Sealer Canister with the brine, instead of the bag.
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| Salmon brining in a Weston Vacuum Sealer Bag |
After it has brined, remove the salmon from the bag or canister, reserving the brine. Gently pat it dry with a paper towel (don't wipe off the seasonings - you want to keep them on there) and allow the salmon to sit out for 45 minutes. This will help it to form a pellicle or film over the skin which will catch the smoke flavor. Since it is brined, it is safe to sit out. Still, try to keep it in a cool place while it dries.
In the meantime, soak your woodchips in the water/Pinot Noir blend (45 min-1 hour).
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Salmon ready to be placed into the
Weston Smoker. Wood chips are soaking
in Pinot Noir in the pot, and the Weston
Injector is filled with marinade. |
Preheat your
Weston Smoker. You will want it at 200 degrees F or lower as you are smoking, so it should only take about 15 minutes. Plan accordingly. Place the chips into the smoking box, fill your water bowl, and place your salmon onto the smoker racks. You may want to spray the racks with Weston Silicone Spray or cooking spray before placing the fish on them.
Inject the filets with the brine every 15 minutes with a
Weston Marinade Injector, making sure to inject into the sides rather than directly into the top (your salmon will fall apart if you hit the meat head on, you want to go
with the grain). Injecting it will keep it as moist as possible without removing that smokey pellicle.
Smoke the salmon until the internal temperature is 140 degrees F, about 45 minutes at 200 degrees F. Salmon cooks quickly in the smoker - Remember: Low and slow. Sometimes it is difficult to keep smokers at low temperatures. Opening your dampers more will allow some of the heat to escape, lowering the temperature.
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Salmon filets in the smoker being checked with a digital thermometer -
They're ready! |
Garnish your finished filets with fresh lemon juice and dill.
