Maple Orange Hot Smoked Salmon

Instructions

1. 1

   In a glass baking dish, combine all of the ingredients for the curing liquid and stir until the salt is dissolved. Gently submerge your salmon portions in the curing liquid, cover, and refrigerate for 8–12 hours (8 hours for thinner fillets, up to 12 hours for thicker fillets).

2. 2

   Remove the salmon from the curing liquid and transfer to a cooling rack positioned over a cookie sheet. Place the salmon in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight to develop a pellicle.

3. 3

   In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup and orange juice for the glaze and set aside.

4. 4

   Preheat your smoker to 165–170°F. Place the salmon on the grates skin side down and smoke for 3–4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 145°F. Brush the salmon with the maple–orange glaze every hour while smoking.

5. 5

   Serve the hot smoked salmon warm or cold. Simply flake and eat.

6. 6

   If you want the smoke flavor, but do not have a smoker, you can cold smoke the salmon by taking a smoke tube, filling it with your choice of wood, and laying it in your un-lit grill. Light the smoke tube, close the lid, and let it sit for 1-2 hours. Then finish in the oven.

7. 7

   If you are short on time or do not prefer the smoke flavor, you can skipp the smoker and grill and complete the steps using a conventional oven.