Hot smoked whole salmon questions

Chef Jay said:

I found a good deal on whole frozen salmons today so I got one for about $5. Is it best quality? Probably not but it would be a great test for a first time...
I'm guessing I want some sort of cure/brine. Is sodium nitrate necessary? I want to 'hot smoke' it but I still think i want to go around 120-135 for a longer smoke. Can I also just brine it as is? It has been cleaned but do I to trim it further (I'm fine with skin). Lastly, as long as there are no acids in my brine, can I leave it overnight to absorb the salt/sugar? Any other advice is greatly appreciated.

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Nobody's chiming in, so here are my $0.02.  But keep in mind that I've never done any brining, so my thoughts on that score might not be worth much more than $0.02.

I've eaten salmon raw plenty of times without issue.  I LOVE most fish raw, but that's just me.  If you're planning on bringing it to 120-135 and serving it then, I don't see a problem with that at all.  I'd do it without a second thought, as long as it's been refrigerated along the way without letting it get too warm for too long before putting it into your smoker.

If you refrigerate it in the brine, I can't see how you would have a problem leaving it in overnight.  Even with an acidic brine, I don't see a contaminant problem if it stays refrigerated.  You will have significantly acid cooked fish in the morning, so it's probably not the greatest idea to do that before putting it into the smoker.  But I highly doubt that would be dangerous.

I have no insight on the sodium nitrate issue.  But I don't think you need a brine.  I've cold smoked fish before with nothing but a coat of soy sauce and brown sugar, followed by about a 9 hour cold smoke.  It worked famously.  It wasn't salmon, but I don't think that would make any difference.

Again, just my $0.02.  It wouldn't be a bad idea to check out the FDA web page dealing with salmon prep.  I'm sure you'll find loads of good guidelines there if safety is your going concern.

In a nutshell, here's how I do it...

I use a calculated dry brine to prevent oversalting and overcuring.

Per 1000 grams of whole salmon:

20 grams of salt. (my preferred salt level, YMMV)
1/2 a tsp. Cure #1 (2.5 grams)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar (15 grams)
Plus any other flavors.

Coat the fish thoroughly and dry brine in the fridge for 2-3 days so the seasonings and cure fully permeate the fish and equalize.
Turn and massage 2-3 times per day.

At the end of brining, rinse (don't soak) the fish briefly.

Dry in front of a fan to form a pellicle.

Cold smoke (thin smoke) for 2-3 hours, thereafter, slowly increase (over the course of a minimum of 2 hours) the heat in the smoker to 170 degrees, continuing the smoke.

Smoke until the internal temperature is 140 degrees, at which time the fish should flake.

HTH

~Martin

I'm with Martin on this.....  I sprinkle kosher salt on the fish, about 10 grams per pound... If you wish to add cure#1 (93% salt), add 0.8 grams per pound of fish and add it to the salt and mix thoroughly,  less on the tail end 'cause it is thinner.... then sprinkle a mix of herbs... white pepper and dill are good (very lightly).... salmon is delicate and can be overpowered by outside flavoring...   I use white sugar (10 grams per pound) 'cause I don't like the molasses flavor in brown sugar.... For a candied flavor, brown sugar is excellent.....  

PS, fillet the fish first removing the pin bones also.....  lay the fish meat to meat in a tub or wrap in plastic wrap for a day or so and store in the refer....   rinse thoroughly and dry... place n front of a fan for several hours until a pellicle forms... (very, very dry to the touch, the drier the better) then smoke until IT is 140.... use a light flavored wood, alder, maple,pecan, Pitmaster's Choice Pellets, etc...  The fish should not show an abundance of white streaks as it comes to temp.... the white streaks are fat rendering from the fish.... the pellicle should keep most of the fat contained for a moist flavorful fish.... As the white streaks begin to show, the fish is done...  the fat comes mostly from the layer of fat next to the skin.. if it gets too hot, the fat comes to the surface.....( I don't use a therm, I watch for the fat)   I would smoke the fish at 160-180 deg F.....   For Kippered salmon, smoke at 225 or so and watch for the fat to start to ooze from the surface....  If you cut into chunks, put the thinner pieces farther from the heat..... over cooked fish can be very dry and almost like sawdust.....   Dave

I had some store bought frozen Atlantic Salmon from the grocery store, which was $5 a pkg. A word of advice or caution as it may be, once the salmon is thawed, check the firmness of it, I brined one package for 4-6 hours and it was nothing but mush!!!! I haven't brined any since but instead soak it in Yoshida's for a couple hours and the fish is still nice and firm. I wasn't making jerky or kippered but rather a hot smoked salmon for dinner.