salmon
sea salt
sugar
To cold-smoke salmon, you first need to dry-cure it. Place the boneless salmon fillet in a baking dish, skin down. Sprinkle sea salt (30–50 grams per kilogram of fish) and sugar (15–20 grams per kilogram of fish) on the salmon. Gently rub the flavor onto the entire surface of the fillet. After this, cover the dish with a plastic film and allow it to sit in the fridge for 24 hours.
Take the dry-cured salmon out of the fridge and rinse it with ice-cold running water. This removes the extra salt and any slime from the fish. After this, dry the salmon fillet thoroughly with a disposable paper towel or similar.
Place the Mustang cold smoke generator at the bottom of the cold-smoking cabinet and choose the suitable type of smoking dust. Fill the cold smoke generator evenly and so that the dust is 2–3 millimeters below the upper edge of the generator (this way, the smolder will stay within the edges of the generator and the dust will not burn uncontrollably). Do not press the dust in too tightly, as this may suppress the smoldering during the cold-smoking.
Open the air vents of the cold-smoking cabinet slightly to let oxygen into the cabinet. The smoldering requires oxygen, and sufficient air circulation also dries the fish a little. Next, light up the dust from the start of the cold smoke generator, or place a lit candle in the designated spot in the generator. When the dust is smoldering, place the salmon fillet on a grill inside the cabinet and close the cabinet door.
The general optimum temperature for cold-smoking is +1 – +10 degrees Celsius. In any case, the temperature inside the cabinet must not rise above +24 degrees Celsius. A good smoking time is usually 24–48 hours, depending on the desired amount of smoke.
When the cold-smoked salmon is ready, you should vacuum-pack it or wrap it tightly in plastic film. Put it in the fridge to sit for a few more days. Naturally, it’s not wrong to try a slice or two right after the smoking – homemade smoked salmon is just too delicious!
Tip: You can cold-smoke meat, cheese or even salt at the same time – the Mustang cold-smoking cabinet will have room for everything.
