This is How I get PERFECT Smoked Salmon EVERY Time

By Chef Billy Parisi

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Bring the water, citrus zest, brown sugar and salt to a boil. Once dissolved, remove from heat and add ice cubes to chill the brine.
2. Trim the belly fat, the tail end and any bones along the backbone from the salmon.
3. Put the salmon in a non-reactive dish and cover it fully with the brine. If it floats, flip it skin side up.
4. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Longer than 24 hours makes it too salty.
5. Rinse the salmon under cold water, pat it dry, and let it rest on a rack for 2 hours to form a pellicle.
6. Brush the smoker grates with neutral oil, placing the salmon as far from the fire as possible. Smoke at 150°F for 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 140°F.
7. About 1 hour 10 minutes into the first smoke, bring the brown sugar, soy sauce, butter and citrus juice to a boil in a small pot to make a caramel glaze.
8. Brush the salmon with a thin layer of glaze after 1 hour of smoking, then every 30 minutes.
9. After 2 hours, raise the heat to 200°F and smoke for 1 more hour, glazing as you go.
10. Rest the salmon for 10 minutes before glazing and serving. To eat it cold, cool it to room temperature (about 1 hour), wrap it and refrigerate until cold.

Summarized from Chef Billy Parisi's video. Watch it for the details.

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