Smoked Salmon Candy by Mark Shore

"First of all I only use Demerara brown sugar. I order off eBay. C&H and other brown sugar are not really brown sugars other than adding molasses.

It's Northern King Salmon. Served with capers, cream cheese, and stuffed olives with fancy crackers.

Remember, I do large batches so adjust ingredients as needed.

Ingredients:

2 kilos of Demerara brown sugar
1 1/3 cups of pickling salt (non-iodized)
3 quarts of water
1 quart of honey

Put all in a stainless pot and slow boil. Take care not to scorch sugar. Bring it up slow and pay attention or it will boil over. And make a giant mess.

Next let cool and refrigerate brine. DO NOT USE WARM BRINE. It will ruin your fish.

Cut fillets or steaks and soak in the brine for 24 hours or longer if pieces are thick.

Once brining is done this is probably the most important step that people neglect to do.

Take fish out of brine put on racks on counter and let air dry. I will air dry overnight with a fan on. The fish will start getting a pellicle formed on top. Actually, fish will start to dehydrate. It will get translucent and dry to touch.

Once this has happened. I fill 6 racks on my SmokinTex 1500 with fillets skin down. I use alder wood chunks. About 4 ounces. I start at 100°F. degrees for first hour. Then 140°F. for 2 hours. This helps to slowly dry outside of skin so inside is still moist.

I turn up smoker after these 3 hours to around 170°F. At around 6 hours check with your thermapen. I pull at 160°F. internal temp. Once pulled let cool and refrigerate. The smoke will set into the fish and will no longer cook further.

After refrigerating I will package for customers’ requests.

This brine will do about 40 pounds of steaks or fillets. 5-gallon food grade bucket works great.

The appetizer is this salmon mentioned above with cream cheese, capers, stuffed olives and choice of nice crackers. When I smoke, I always start first hour at 100°F. degrees. Next 2 hours at 140°F. Remainder at 160°F. to 170°F. and check with thermapen to 160°F. finish temp. So it has a nice glazed crisp outside and a moist textured inside.

My SmokinTex 1500 has run nonstop since 2013. I do over 2500# of fish a year plus all the other fair, pork poultry, beef, nuts, seafood and cheese. I've only replaced 1 part. The 2 way on of burner on off switch