SMOKING SALMON : from SLICINF FILETS to SERVING AT THE TABLE

First prerequisite: try to find a good fresh salmon, with SOLID meat and without those FAT seams so typical of artificially grown fish. Then also, buy not too heavy a beast, weighing around 2 Kg or 4 Pounds. What you find in the shops is often of minor quality, so beware! Ask the shop manager to fillet the fish, while however MAINTAINING THE SKIN. You can also do the job yourself, but it requires some skill...

The best way to do that is to first pass over the bone line with your fingertip, so that you can feel where
the bones are sitting. Then close in with the tweezer, and pull out towards the upper right. The first time around you will not be very successful. After five times, you're all set!

This time, the shop owner did it herself: what a service (see picture)

The beast is now ready for the PICKLING PHASE (see below)

As shown on the picture, we bought an old dressing box used by workers at a plant, we drilled some 5 to 6 holes underneath and on top, so that the AIR can pass through. (see picture)  
 

We fixed the box on the side of our garden pavillon. 
 

In the box itself, we put in a rustproof NET, on which one can put the salmon fillets. Restaurant owners and home cooks can also buy commercial smoking boxes, but in my experience, the traditional way of doing things gives the best result.

PREPARATION IN 4 STEPS:

1. As indicated above, remove the remaining fishbones using a fine pair of tweezers
    
2. PICKLE the salmon in a mix of about 3 liters of lukewarm water and about 0,85 kg of seasalt (and not 4 kg as old recipes will tell you - that was for our hard working grandparents). Immerse the fillets with the skin upward, for about 4 HOURS; 
    
3. Let the fillets REST ONE NIGHT or at least 3-4 hours, so that the salt can divide itself through the fish mass.
 
4. Prepare a SMOKING POT (see below), put the fillets on top of the net, SKIN DOWN, and let smoke for about 3 - 4 hours. Attention: this is COLD smoking, no flames allowed, because we dont want our eaters to develop cancer.

The SMOKING POT: 

First, make a base of paper snippets or use a special lighting cube, put dry pieces of thin wood over it, add one bigger twig, and set it on fire. When the wood has turned into charcoal (almost), quench the fire with SAWDUST (see picture), so that you get firm smoke - and no flames. You may need to add some sawdust as smoking goes on.  

Traditional recipes say one needs to use BEECH sawdust, but in our experience a mix of sawdust from firm wood - even exotic - is at least as good.

The smoked salmon has to be SLICED. For that purpose, you take a long very sharp knife (see picture above). Slicing requires some skill.  

Put the salmon on its back, and start slicing in the direction of the tail (from head to tail). Take slices of about 2-3 mm, and operate slowly, moving forth and back quietly. In commercial settings, they use cutting machines, of course. But a well-experienced hand can get about the same result!

What about  ARRANGING the PLATES? We prefer to use a ROSACE format, putting two slices with their broad sides against each other (see pics). Along with that, you can add vegetables - - we prefer  CORN SALAD and diced fennel, but there are lots of possibilities. 
 
 

We sometimes add a sauce:

lean yoghourt, a bit of mayonnaise, and a few spoons of whipped cream (or soya cream), plus crushed garlic: marvelous!

We have two preferences:

• on the one hand CHARDONNAY: its nutty and creamy character constitutes a COMPLEMENT to the salmon
   
• on the other hand RIESLING or any freshly acid wine, because of its CONTRASTING sour-mineral character. 

• NATHANSON CREEK CHARDONNAY 2002  (Australia at Colruyt's)
• Lindemans Bin 65  2002 (Australia, at Delhaize)
• Corte Giara 2002 (Italië,  Licata)
• Finca Flichmann Reserva 2001(Argentine, at Terclavers). 
• Vinja La Rosa (Chile, Delhaize)
• Riesling Rosacker Grand Cru Hunawihr (France)
• Riesling Reserve Ziegler (France, Delhaize) 
• Caves de Greiveldange (Luxemburg, Colruyt) 

A few more tips: 

• store the smoked salmon in a fresh room, not the fridge (smell!) 
• Quantities per person: ca 65 g as entree, ca 120 g als main dish
• One can also smoke other (fat) fish like halibut, eel 
• The same applies to meat (after pickling, of course)