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Home Smoked Salmon with Green Salad and Apple Vinaigrette

Recipe courtesy Chuck Hughes
Show: Chuck's Day Off Episode: Fish Wars

Photo: Home Smoked Salmon with Green Salad and Apple Vinaigrette

TOTAL TIME: 24 hr 45 min
Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: 24 hr
Cook: 30 min
 
YIELD: 2 servings
LEVEL: Intermediate

ingredients

  • Home Smoked Salmon
  • 3 cups hot water
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 4 tablespoons coarse or kosher salt
  • Pinch grated lemon zest
  • 2 (4-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
  • 1 to 2 cups hickory or alder wood chips, for smoking
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Olive oil, for garnish
  • Apple Vinaigrette
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch coarse or kosher salt
  • Dash apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • Green Salad
  • 4 to 6 frisee lettuce sprigs
  • 2 large radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 small yellow beet, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Handful baby green beans, blanched
  • Handful baby arugula leaves
  • Handful fresh celery leaves
  • 1/3 cup croutons, toasted and slightly crushed
  • Zest of 1/2 lemon, for garnish
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      Directions

      To make the salmon: In a medium bowl or container, combine the hot water, brown sugar, white sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add the salmon, skin side up, to the brine, pressing it down to submerge. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

      Remove the salmon from the brine, and discard the liquid. Rinse the fillet under cold running water briefly to remove the excess salt. Place the salmon, skin side down, onto a rack. Let it stand until the top is dry to the touch, for about 1 hour. Do not pat dry.

      To prepare your wok smoker: Lay 2 layers of foil in the bottom of a wok if you want to protect the pan from getting charred. Add 2 handfuls of wood chips to the wok and place it over high heat. Add the 1/2 cup water.

      Position the bamboo steamer over top of the chips, and set the salmon fillets inside.

      Cover the wok with a lid or aluminum foil, and let the salmon smoke for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until its flesh is firm to the touch, and its edges are brown, crustier and caramelized.

      Remove the salmon from the steamer and transfer to a plate. Drizzle the smoked salmon with olive oil for garnish, and serve it alongside the salad.

      To make the vinaigrette: Pour the apple juice into a small pot, then boil it on high to reduce the liquid by half.

      Into a bowl, add the mustard and grind over some black pepper.

      Add a nice pinch of coarse salt, then add a dash of the apple cider vinegar. Whisk in your reduced apple juice along with the canola oil. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.

      To make the salad: Toss the frisee, radishes, beets, green beans, arugula, and celery leaves into a bowl with just enough vinaigrette to barely moisten the leaves.

      Partially crush your crunchy croutons by placing them into a bowl, then crunching them with the bottom of a second bowl. Then add them to the vegetables.

      Grate a little lemon zest over the salad with a grind of black pepper. Give everything a final toss and plate.

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      4

      Newest Ratings and Reviews

      Read all 5 reviews

      • on April 26, 2013

        Flag

        It looked so awesome & easy on the show. I doctored the brine after tasting. I can do this in less time outside & still keep my kitchen equipment. Sorry Chuck, this is not a winner. ... Still love you though!

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      • on April 04, 2013

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        Since my wife loves salmon I want out and bought a bamboo steamer. Well worth the investment. She absolutely loves it. Whenever I make it she'll eat most of the filet, but will save some for breakfast with bagels, cream cheese and capers. For Easter I made this using a little over a pound of salmon and took it to my in-laws (along with the breakfast fixings. It was gobbled up even before the main meal started. So this must be a really good recipe. I can't comment personally because I HATE salmon, but if it makes others happy, I'll continue to make it.

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      • on September 03, 2012

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        I was intrigued when I saw this show. I immediately went out and bought some wild salmon filets and got out my bamboo steamer and wok. I followed the recipe exactly and was very, very impressed with the results. I steamed it for 30 minutes. Next time I will steam for only 20 minutes. Very moist and the smokiness was not overpowering; very subtle and beautiful. It was not salty. This is a simple company dish. It is a keeper recipe. I used Alder Chips. After 20 minutes, I added about 1/4 cup additional water. I suggest that you go out and buy a bamboo steamer and metal wok, if you do not have one.

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