Alder Plank Smoked Salmon

SUBMITTED BY: Smokin' Ron PHOTO BY: PAMELA D.

"This smoked salmon derives its flavor from Alder wood planks. I get these planks at the local lumber yard. Be sure you tell whoever helps you that you are cooking salmon on the wood so that you do not get any creosote wood or other treated wood. Also, make sure you know what plank size will fit in your smoker before you go to get the wood. This salmon will come out very moist and smoky, so be prepared for some of the best smoked fish you've ever eaten!"

RECIPE RATING:

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PREP TIME	15 Min
COOK TIME	6 Hrs
READY IN	10 Hrs 15 Min

SERVINGS

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Servings
USMETRIC

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

brine
1 (3 pound) salmon fillet
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water

What to Drink?
	Pinot Noir
	The Vodka Collins
	Best Lemonade Ever

DIRECTIONS

Soak the salmon fillet in a brine solution for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. Also, submerge the alder wood plank in water, placing a heavy object on top of it to prevent floating.
Preheat an outdoor smoker for 160 to 180 degrees F (70 to 80 degrees C).
Remove the salmon from the brine, rinse thoroughly under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the wood plank from the water, and lay the fish out on the plank. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Smoke the salmon for at least 2 hours, checking after 1 1/2 hours for doneness. The fish is done when it flakes with a fork, but it should also not be too salty. As the fish smokes, the salt content reduces. Adjust the cooking time and salty flavor to your taste. (Note: Smoking a fillet can take 2 to 6 hours depending on your taste, the size of the fillet, and the fat content of the fish.)
During the last 30 minutes of smoking, mix together the brown sugar and water to form a paste. Brush this liberally onto the salmon.

FOOTNOTES

This is a very Basic Brine for Smoking Meat and Fish.
See Our Smoking Tips.

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REVIEWS

Reviewed on Jan. 25, 2004 by Esmee

There are very few things in life that can make fresh salmon taste better, however smokin'... MORE

Reviewed on Jan. 25, 2004 by AMYSTAN

This was the best fish recipe i have ever tasted. The plank gave the fish so much flavor. I... MORE

Reviewed on Apr. 28, 2005 by SONYABOW

This is an awesome way to make salmon! Be sure to make the brine. I soaked my plank in water... MORE

Reviewed on May 18, 2006 by HEISLORD5

Full Review

The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.77 star rating.

HEISLORD5
May 18, 2006

Best Salmon I've ever had. Before today I would say that I didn't like salmon. Today was the turning point. I like salmon, it tastes wonderful...if done right. This recipes doesn't need modification, but I did do a few things different. I think the impact was minimal: Used the basic brine in the footnote, with a little modification: Water, soy sauce, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar (extra), normal iodized salt. At the end I added orange juice and lemon pepper. Soaked fish overnight and followed the recipe. Used double barrel charcoal pit with charcoal and wood chunks in small barrel and fish in big barrel. Replenished charcoal and wood when it got low. ~3 hours cooked, you could probably give or take an hour with no harm if smoking and not broiling. It was wonderful. Next time I'd like to try something exotic. I'd like to use more juices in my brine and layer the fish with fruit. Mandarine oranges, pineapple.... I think that might be really good. Then again, it came out great and I'd hate to mess up a wonderful recipe. This recipe is a keeper and will be used very very often in this house. You can't beat the health benefits of salmon with this wonderful taste.

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Best Salmon I've ever had. Before today I would say that I didn't like salmon. Today was the... MORE