Hot-smoked sockeye gets a sweet-salty brown-sugar cure and a light maple finish. Coastal First Nations have diverse salmon-preservation traditions; this contemporary home recipe is not a Nation-specific traditional method. Smoke the fish fully and keep the finished salmon refrigerated.
Hot-smoked sockeye gets a sweet-salty brown-sugar cure and a light maple finish. Coastal First Nations have diverse salmon-preservation traditions; this contemporary home recipe is not a Nation-specific traditional method. Smoke the fish fully and keep the finished salmon refrigerated.
Step 1Keep salmon refrigerated. Remove any remaining pin bones, then cut the fillets into even 5 cm-wide portions. Wash hands, knife and board after handling raw fish.
Step 2Mix the brown sugar and coarse salt. In a non-reactive dish, spread some cure underneath, arrange the salmon skin-side down, then cover the flesh evenly with the remaining mixture.
Step 3Cover and refrigerate for about 10 hours, turning the pieces once halfway through. Keep the fish cold throughout; do not cure at room temperature.
Step 4Remove the salmon and rinse away the cure under cold running water. Pat dry. Set skin-side down on a clean wire rack over a tray and refrigerate uncovered for about 3 hours, until the surface feels tacky.
Step 5Set up an outdoor smoker with alder or applewood chips and preheat it to 60–65°C. Follow the smoker maker’s directions and keep raw fish separate from ready-to-eat food.
Step 6Arrange the salmon on clean smoker racks with space between pieces. Hot-smoke at 60–65°C for about 90 minutes, keeping the smoker closed as much as possible.
Step 7Raise the smoker to about 79°C and continue smoking for about 2 hours. Brush lightly with maple syrup once after the first hour and again during the final 15 minutes.
Step 8Check the centre of the thickest piece with a clean digital thermometer. The fish must reach 70°C and stay there for at least 1 minute; continue smoking and recheck if needed.
Step 9Move the cooked salmon to a clean plate with clean tongs. Rest for 5 minutes, then brush with any remaining measured maple syrup and add the black pepper.
Step 10Serve warm or chill completely before slicing. Do not taste the fish before it reaches the safe temperature.
Step 11Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours. Use within 2–3 days, or freeze promptly for longer storage; curing and smoking do not make this fish shelf-stable.
Step 12Reheat only the portion you will eat, stirring or turning as needed, until it reaches 74°C. Discard salmon left over 2 hours at room temperature or over 1 hour outdoors in hot weather.
Serve in thin slices as an appetizer or with a meal. Refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours and eat within 2–3 days; freeze promptly for longer storage. This home-smoked fish is not shelf-stable and should not be vacuum-sealed for room-temperature storage.
Nutrition is an estimate. Cure and glaze absorption vary with fish thickness, rinsing and product labels; the smoked fish is not laboratory-tested.
Contains fish (sockeye salmon). Check the maple syrup label and smoked-fish handling surfaces for cross-contact. Keep raw fish cold and separate, wash hands and tools, refrigerate the finished fish promptly, and do not treat it as shelf-stable.
Yes. Thaw it safely in the refrigerator, then keep it cold through curing and drying.
