VelvetGrill-Smoked Salmon
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Skin-on salmon fillets given a quick one-hour cure of sugar and salt, then hot-smoked over wood on the cool side of a covered barbecue until just cooked. Moist, silky and gently smoky, and as good at room temperature as it is warm.
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Method
- 1
Cure. Mix the sugar and salt in the small bowl. Set the salmon skin side down on the wire rack in the baking tray and sprinkle the flesh evenly with the mixture. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hr; the cure firms the flesh and seasons it right through.
- 2
Dry the fish. Brush off any undissolved sugar and salt with paper towels and blot the fish dry. Put it back in the fridge on the rack, uncovered, while you light the barbecue; the dry surface takes on smoke better.
- 3
Set up a charcoal barbecue. Open the bottom vent halfway. Light a large chimney starter one-third full of charcoal (about 2 litres). When the top coals are partly covered in ash, tip them into a steep pile against one side of the barbecue and set the wood chunks on top. Put the cooking grate in place, cover and open the lid vent halfway. Heat for about 5 min, until the barbecue is hot and the wood is smoking.
- 4
Or set up a gas barbecue. Mix the soaked and unsoaked chips, wrap them in a large piece of heavy-duty foil to make a packet and cut several vent holes in the top. Set the packet directly on the main burner, turn that burner to high and leave the others off. Cover and heat for 15-25 min, until the chips smoke, then turn the main burner to medium, adjusting it to hold 135-150 °C inside the barbecue.
- 5
Smoke the salmon. Clean the grate and oil it with paper towels dipped in the oil. Fold a piece of heavy-duty foil into a 45 x 15 cm rectangle, lay it on the cool side of the grate and set the fillets on it skin side down, at least 1 cm apart. Cover (with the lid vent over the fish on charcoal) and cook for 30-40 min, until the thickest part reads 52 °C and the centre is still slightly translucent when you check with the paring knife. Lift onto the platter with the fish slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Storage
Serve warm or at room temperature within 2 hours of cooking. Refrigerate leftovers covered up to 2 days and eat cold, or reheat gently until piping hot (74 °C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why it's healthy
40.8 g protein for 426 kcal = 9.6 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 38% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the EU condition. How we decide
Free sugars
Free sugars: 2.1 g per serving
4.2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 8.4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g (WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549028
Equipment
- small bowl
- wire rack
- rimmed baking tray
- paper towels
- charcoal barbecue with lid and chimney starter, or gas barbecue with lid
- heavy-duty foil
- grill brush
- instant-read thermometer
- paring knife
- fish slice
- platter
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 426 kcal |
| Protein | 40.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 2.1 g |
| of which sugars | 2.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 27 g |
| of which saturates | 6.1 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Salt | 1.02 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
9.6 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
