Smoked Salmon, Poached en Papillotes
Salmon fillets, 5 poundsMarinade:
2 cups white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 large garlic clove
1 large shallot clove
3 tbs. fresh dill
2 tbs. maple syrup
1 tbs. salt
2 tsp. pink peppercorns
2 tsp. juniper berries
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Puree all the ingredents of the marinade in a blender. Then marinate the salmon for 45 minutes, turning frequently to make sure the marinade cures evenly.
Prepare the firebox of your smoker with a fruitwood, such as apple or cherry and stabilize the temperature of the smoking chamber to 190º-200ºF.
Wrap the salmon fillets in oiled parchment and place on a rack in the smoker. Depending on the maximum thickness of the fillets, smoke for 30 to 45 minutes. I've smoked 1 pound fillets of arctic char for 30 minutes and 4 pound salmon fillets for 45 minutes. If in doubt, open the parchment and cut into the thick end of the fillet. There should just barely be no rare salmon left at the center. When cooked correctly, even the outside of the fillet should not be the least bit dried out or tough. The entire fillet should flake apart easily with a fork.
Copyright © 1997 by George Clay
All Rights Reserved