Smoked Salmon and Peppercorn Crust
by Masterbuilt
Ingredients
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon crushed allspice
- 3-4 pounds salmon fillet with skin
- ½ cup mixed color whole peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 thin red onion spices
- Fresh dill sprigs
- Suggest wood for smoking: 2 cups apple or hickory chips
Directions
- In a 1.5-quart pan bring 1 ½ cups water, sugar, salt, ginger, bay leaves, and allspice to boil over high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves completely. Let cool.
- Rinse salmon fillets and pat dry. Place fillets in a rimmed 12" x 15" pan. Pour brine over salmon, cover pan tightly and chill for 24 hours. Occasionally spoon brine over fish.
- Pour hot water over peppercorns to float them for about 15 minutes. Soak wood chips for at least 30 minutes. Preheat smoker to 190-200 degrees.
- Pour brine off of fish, rinse fish with cold water, and pat dry. Set fillets with skin side down on a sheet of aluminum foil and trim foil to make an outline of the fillet.
- Pour brine off of fish, rinse fish with cold water, and pat dry. Set fillets with skin side down on a sheet of aluminum foil and trim foil to make an outline of the fillet.
- Lightly oil the rack, and smoke for 1- 1-½ hours. Internal temperature should be 125 degrees in the thickest part or the fillet should flake.
