Salmon Smoking Techniques

Wondering how to smoke salmon? Gourmet Food Store has you covered!

Cold-Smoked Salmon

Cold smoking is a lengthy process of curing salmon also known as dry or wet curing. It typically takes about two to five days to cure, then 12 hours to smoke. Most salmon that people recognize in stores is cold smoked, sold as Nova Salmon. The process starts by placing the fish in a brine (salty solution) preparation which includes sugar (typically brown), salt & pepper, as well as a variety of spices (chosen by the particular tastes of the smokehouse). It is then drained, rinsed carefully, and refrigerated for about half a day. Then the smoking process beings, where the salmon undergoes a slow, low-temperature smoking over a wood fire (beech, apple, cherry, birch, oak, ash, and Adler are just some of the varieties of wood shavings used) at temperatures that range from 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This doesn’t cook the salmon per say, just smokes it, which is why cold-smoked salmon usually has a shorter refrigerator life than the hot-smoked variety. The process is very long, and the fish can be kept in the smokehouse between 1/2 day to 3 weeks.

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Norwegian Smoked Salmon Trout - Whole Side

from Norway by Fossen

The whole side of the superbly smoky Norwegian delicacy, hand-cured using a special recipe of sugar and salt.

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Scottish Gravlax Salmon

from United Kingdom by Marky's

This sublime delicacy is made with the finest Scottish smoked salmon using the traditional Scandinavian recipe of marinating in sugar, salt, and dill.

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Scottish Smoked Salmon - Hand-Sliced - Kosher

from United Kingdom by Marky's

Divine smoked salmon from Scotland, mildly smoky and with subtle hints of Sherry.

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Scottish Smoked Salmon - Non-Sliced

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Salmon prepared according to ancient smoking traditions and hand-crafting techniques.

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Hot-Smoked Salmon

Hot-smoking is a process very similar to cold-smoking. The salmon is left to sit for about three days in a brine solution much like the one described above (sugar, salt, pepper, and spices), and then smoked at a higher temperature, for shorter period of time – up to 12 hours) typically anywhere from 120 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, which successfully cooks the salmon (unlike cold-smoking, which just plain smokes it) giving it a longer shelf and refrigerator life. As with all smoking, times and temperatures may vary according to the size of the fish, if the smokehouse is close or far, and how “smoky” the client wants it. With hot-smoked salmon the end product is much drier and flakier, and more highly smoky and “cooked” flavor than cold-smoking.

Wet Cure vs. Dry Cure

Wet cure: Includes both hot and cold-smoked salmon. The ‘wet’ indicates the fish has been placed in a brine solution (salt, pepper, spices) before smoking. This is the most common method used today.

Dry Cure: Instead of brining, the salmon is salted by rubbing the salt directly onto its flesh. It yields a leaner salmon, as the fish lose a high percentage of fat during this process, but it also tends to be drier.