Preparation of smoked salmon 'mojito style' in the smoker
In this recipe we opt for cold smoked salmon and the Oskar smoker is perfect for preparing cold smoked dishes. The temperature for cold smoking should fluctuate between 20 and 25 °C. Cold smoked salmon should therefore be prepared during the colder winter months.
Beforehand, you should salt the piece of salmon to prevent bacteria from developing. Then, it’s important to brine your salmon. To do this, mix 200 g coarse salt, 200 g brown sugar and some dried mint in a bowl. You can also mix in other herbs, such as dill or basil. Place the piece in the bowl with the brine mixture, cover with cling film and put in the fridge for 12 to 15 hours.
After 15 hours, take the salmon out of the fridge. The salmon will have lost a lot of moisture. Rinse it under cold water for 2 minutes. Then pat dry with kitchen paper and place the salmon back in the bowl. Cover again with cling film. Time for the drying phase: Now leave the salmon in the fridge for 24 hours. In this way, a layer is formed on the piece of salmon fillet so that the smoke can be absorbed even better.
24 hours later... Fill Barbecook's cold smoke generator with beech smoking dust. Press the smoke dust lightly and light the tealight at the end of the spiral. Place the generator on the grill of your Oskar. Hang the salmon fillet from one of the hooks at the top of the smoker. The smoking can begin, but how long should you smoke the salmon for? 12 hours... We’re almost there!
12 hours later... Place the piece of salmon fillet in a vacuum pack or in cling film and seal it tightly. During this phase, the smoke can penetrate the salmon properly. Make sure that the cling film seals everything well to prevent the whole fridge from smelling like smoke. Leave the cold smoked salmon in the fridge for another 2 days.
Then it’s finally time to taste the cold smoked salmon! Of course you are completely free to choose how you wish to taste the salmon, but we will serve it as delicious apetizer... in mojito style! To do this, put 10 cl of whole cream in the mixer and beat for 5 minutes until the cream is as thick as whipped cream. Add a dash of rum and some lime juice. Your mojito sauce is ready! Now cut the cold smoked salmon into slices and spoon a tablespoon of mojito sauce onto each blini and place a slice of smoked salmon on each one. Finish off with some lime rind. Delicious!
As you can see, smoking salmon takes time and patience, but you will see that it’s totally worth the wait! Bon appetit!
