Smoked salmon can be used to make elegant appetizers.
Brining is a term used for the process of lightly salting meats, fish or poultry to impart flavor and improve texture. The technique may be used for cooking, smoking or drying foods, with only slight variations in the procedure. Salt is the primary ingredient, although sugar or another sweetener is generally used to mellow the flavor. Salmon is an excellent fish to experiment with because its rich and mellow taste complements many flavorings and is forgiving of errors.
Instructions
1. Lay out a large piece of cheesecloth or plastic wrap on your work surface. If you wish to use kitchen gloves, put them on before handling the salmon.
2. Place the salmon on the cheesecloth, skin side down. Feel for pin bones at the head end of the fillet. These 27 short, stubby bones are arranged in a row between the fillet's center line and the top edge. Remove them with fish tweezers, or a sanitized pair of stainless steel, needle-nose pliers.
3. Mix the salt, sugar and flavoring ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Spread them over the surface of the salmon, taking care that the entire surface is covered. The flesh of the tail is thinner, so reduce the amount of salt mixture at the tail end.
4. Fold the cheesecloth or plastic wrap to hold the salt mixture in place on the salmon fillet. Place the fillet in a flat container with a lid, or in a long plastic bag. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, depending on the desired strength of flavor.
5. Remove the fillet from refrigeration, and carefully rinse off the salt mixture with cool water. Blot the surface dry. Return the fillet to the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 12 hours. This dries the surface and allows a thin skin to form, called a "pellicle," which retains the smoke flavor.
6. Smoke as directed, using either the hot-smoking or cold-smoking technique.
Tags: salt mixture, cheesecloth plastic, cheesecloth plastic wrap, plastic wrap