Smoked salmon ridges. Smoking salmon: cold and hot methods

Fragrant freshly smoked salmon at home - sounds delicious, doesn't it? Home smoking- an exciting activity accessible to everyone. It is enough to start, as thoughts of further experiments with ingredients and flavors arise. Fresh smoked fish is incomparable to the one sold in the store. She has a clean, beautiful color. On the palate it is delicate, saturated with the smell of smoke. Exists various options cooking smoked fish. At the same time, various types of marine life are used, up to exotic options.

There are many options for smoking fish at home. You can cook smoked products in a saucepan or in a wok. But it is most convenient to use a smoker. A single principle finds application: sawdust is heated, they begin to smoke. The fish are placed above them on the grill. It is affected by hot fragrant smoke.

Preparing salmon for smoking

Salmon is not a cheap fish. That is why it is necessary to carefully approach the choice of the basis for a smoked product. By the way, if you look for smoked salmon, you will surely notice that its cost is more expensive than that of fresh fish. Self-cooking delicacy makes it possible to save money. Also in favor of this option is the absolute safety of the product, its naturalness. It is free from harmful ingredients.

For smoking, it is desirable to select not frozen, but fresh fish. Such a product can be recognized by the soft pink shade of the pulp. You can take whole fish. Also used are steaks or salmon backbone, if desired.

The taste of fish fresh saturated. That's why there is no need for herbs and spices with intense flavor. It is enough to take only salt. Take coarse salt and rub the salmon generously on all sides. Before this, of course, do not forget to clean the fish and wash it. After the salmon has been treated with salt, it is wrapped in foil and sent to the cold for 5 hours.

You can keep it in the refrigerator. As soon as this period passes, the fish is washed under water and dried. The basis for a smoked dish is left in the air for one hour. After this mandatory procedure, you can start smoking. If you want to spice up smoked salmon, then add a little black pepper or your favorite herbs.

marinade for smoked salmon

by the most simple option marinade is dry mix. She was mentioned above. Sometimes chefs recommend adding a little brown sugar to such a marinade for a more interesting taste. You can use 1 part sugar to 5 parts salt.

Wet way. It involves dissolving sugar and salt in a small amount of water. You should not make too much effort, because the dissolution of salt and sugar is not necessary. Take bay leaf, black peppercorns, dried dill. These herbs must be ground to a powder. After this, the spices are added to the solution and the fish is poured with the mixture. The fillet should be properly rubbed with the resulting mixture, then transferred to a container and covered with cling film. A day later, the process can be considered complete. So, the fish can be sent to the smokehouse.

What seasonings go well with salmon:

• basil;
• garlic;
• various types of peppers;
• rosemary;
• lemon;
• fennel.

All these spices are optional, because salmon, as mentioned above, already has a rich taste. But if you like it, then no one will forbid you to cook the product according to your own author's recipe. Maybe you have a favorite condiment. You can also add it to a small piece of fish and see the result.

Before proceeding to smoking, marinated salmon meat must be dried in a well-ventilated area. If there is no time to wait, it is enough to wipe the fish with napkins from excess moisture.

How to smoke salmon?

Hot smoked salmon

Hot smoking is the easiest and most affordable. You will need a stationary or portable smokehouse. You will also need to stock up on firewood and the fish itself, necessary for smoking. First, a fire is lit. Do not achieve too intense flame. Let the fire be constant but moderate. A handful of alder chips or chips from fruit trees are poured onto the bottom of the oil lamp. Spread the fish on the grate, close the damper and put the smokehouse on the fire.

The optimum smoking temperature is at 90 degrees. To measure it, just sprinkle water on the smokehouse. If it does not hiss, but quickly evaporates, then everything is fine.

After 35 minutes of this treatment, the fish can be considered ready. The smokehouse must be removed from the fire, the salmon must be taken out, let it cool for at least 20 minutes. After this, you can safely serve the fish to the table.

hot smoked recipe

• salmon (fillet) -1–2 pieces weighing 900–1000 gr each
• maple syrup - 2-3 tbsp. l. or to taste
• brown sugar - 1 tbsp. l.
• coarse salt without iodine 2 tbsp. l.
• ground black pepper - half a teaspoon
• ground allspice - half a teaspoon
• ground laurel leaf - 1 tsp.
• ground cloves - half a teaspoon

Smoke Ingredients:

• Dried juniper berries 15-20 pieces
• Strong black tea of ​​any kind 1 teaspoon without a slide
• Refined sugar 1-2 pieces

This is a hot smoked salmon recipe for true gourmets. But you will have to work a lot if you really want to get delicious fish. Salmon fillet with skin is washed under running water and dried with paper towels. Rub the fish with a mixture of the above spices and put on cling film. Wrap the salmon in it so that there are no holes. Thanks to this, the juice formed during the smoking process remains inside and does not flow out.

Salmon wrapped in cling film is placed in any deep container and pressed down with oppression. If you don't have the right item, you can simply cover the fish with another glass bowl on top. It is also not worth pressing hard, otherwise the fish will lose its shape and become dry and crumbly in structure. Put the bowl of fish in the refrigerator for 6 hours. It's okay if you had no time to watch the fish and you overexposed it in the cold. But still, it is advisable not to leave it in the refrigerator for more than 12 hours. Salmon marinated in the range from 6 to 12 hours is even tastier.

Remove the bowl of salmon from the refrigerator, unwrap it with great care, and pour the fish juice into the bowl. Rinse the fish fillets under tap water and pat dry. Do not pour juice. Transfer the fish to this juice again and leave for 2 hours in this form. Flip the salmon from time to time to one side or the other. So the product marinates better.

Remove fish fillets from juice and pat dry with paper towels. Place an iron grate over the bowl and place the salmon on it. It's good if you have a chef's brush available. Dip the maple syrup into it. As soon as the fish is ready, it is transferred to the wire rack.

As for the sawdust, if it is too dry, it is advisable to soak it a little in water. It is better to spray them with a small amount of liquid. This is necessary as the sawdust does not need to be completely wet. They should not burn, as happens with dry firewood. Wood chips that are too wet will not produce smoke at all. The above smoke ingredients will need to be added to the sawdust before smoking begins. You can wrap wood chips with juniper berries and other ingredients in a foil envelope and poke a few holes with a knife so that smoke can come out of them. This option is good for a homemade smokehouse.

Hot smoking takes place under standard conditions, which were described earlier. As an additional tip, it would be recommended to hold events in a well-ventilated area if you are not smoking outside. Sawdust from trees such as alder, apple, aspen, plum, cherry, birch, walnut have proven themselves well. Sawdust should be without bark, because it contains tar.

A set of spices is never fundamental. Each person chooses those seasonings that he likes. The main condition is that they are suitable for fish dishes. Basically, in the world it is customary to use rosemary, sage, mint. Wetting the sawdust, by the way, protects the finished fish from a bitter aftertaste.

Cold smoked salmon

What are the secrets of delicious cold smoked fish? First of all, during cold smoking, the processing of a fish product occurs at a temperature of 25 degrees. The quality of the finished product directly depends on the knowledge of the stages of the process. The method is good if you want to extend the shelf life of fish and prepare it for future use.

Salmon is ideal for cold smoking. This fish is often smoked balyk parts. In no case should the smoking temperature exceed 30 degrees. Violation of these conditions will lead to an increase in the content of carcinogens hazardous to health. It will also affect the taste of salmon, as it will become dry and lose valuable fats.

Cold smoking salmon involves 2 salting methods: dry and wet. For smoking, you can use a professional home smoker or a unit assembled by yourself. Pre-treatment of the product precedes any smoking. The fish is cleaned and salted. Gently clean the insides, including caviar and milk. What does it look like? The blade of the knife is sharpened and an incision is made with its narrow side in the pharynx between the pectoral fins. The length of the incision should be no more than 3 cm and end 1 cm before the gill line. The wide side of the blade then pry the insides and pull through the incision.

After that, they move on to the gill entrails. They need to be removed not individually, but as a whole. They should retire with the shoulder girdle. This method bleeds the fish, which improves its presentation. At the end of smoking, there are no bloody smudges left on the carcass, which protrude if the gills are not well removed. You can leave the large scales, and remove the small ones. After smoking, the peeled carcasses acquire a uniform golden color.

The process of smoking itself goes like this.

First, you need to stock up on fuel so that it is enough for 8 hours of smoking. Without this, it will not be possible to maintain smoke for enough time. During this period, a break in smoking is unacceptable. While working with a fire, it is necessary to periodically monitor it so that it does not give an intense flame. Otherwise, your fish will be smoked not in a cold, but in a hot way. Medium-sized fish is smoked for 4 days. For small specimens, the mass of which does not exceed 500 g, 2 days is enough. Large individuals do require up to 1 week. At the end of the process, the fish is not removed from the crossbars, but left to hang and dry for a while. You can keep it for about 2 days. The fish will acquire an even shade and rich taste.

Algorithm:

• sawdust is loaded into the fuel compartment;
• put the fish in the smoke cabinet;
• connect power;
• set the temperature to 28 degrees if it is an automatic smokehouse.

Smoking in an automatic smokehouse lasts a day. All this time you do not have to be around. Sawdust is loaded at the set time intervals cyclically.

How to make a smokehouse yourself?

It is very convenient to smoke fish in the open air. If you are near a river, look for a steep slope. Dig a hole here. At the top, arrange a tunnel for the chimney. Place a container without a bottom near the chimney. This must be done on the surface. Hang the fish inside the specified container and proceed to prepare the fire. The smoke from it should pass to the pipe with the fish. To provide smoke, wet alder branches are thrown up. Smoking lasts from 7 to 15 hours, depending on the size of the fish.

Salmon smoking video

smoked salmon – delicious treat, which has long been loved by many and capable of turning even a banal breakfast into a real feast in no time.

Salmon is a large fish of the salmon family. She is a predator. This fish lives both in the wild in the northern seas, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and in the waters of fish farms in any corner of the planet. A characteristic feature of salmon is the meat of an amazing taste of red color. For this quality, it is popularly called "red fish".

The nutritional characteristics of this fish are very high. It is especially valued for its high content of polyunsaturated acids, which have the scientific name omega-3. This miraculous substance is contained in fish oil in all respects. Because of these unique qualities, this valuable breed of fish is bred. Extraordinary delicacies are obtained from salmon meat.

Another positive feature of this fish is distinguished by chefs: salmon does not contain small bones. Thanks to this, the meat is easily separated from the ridge and looks very neat on slices.. The salmon looks about the same as in the photo.

Prepared from salmon great amount variety of delicious dishes. This fish, as culinary experts say, is non-waste. Only the insides and scales are considered unfit for food, and everything else is used. Soup is cooked from the meat of this fish, fins and ridges, for example, various snacks and pickles, meatballs and many other dishes are made from fillets.

Cooking salmon treats is very simple, and at the same time they always turn out delicious. Boiled or baked meat of this fish is used in diet food and nutrition of children. This product is also necessary for the elderly.

Smoking salmon is an easy way to preserve all the useful substances of this valuable commercial fish in its original form.. It is no secret that smoked meats are stored longer than pickles, and also have better organoleptic qualities. Smoked salmon attracts with its appearance, aroma and unsurpassed taste. This delicacy quickly saturates and increases the level of serotonin in the body, popularly referred to as the hormone of happiness.

Compound

The composition of smoked salmon meat does not differ from fresh fish. Salmon contains vitamins A, E, C, as well as group B, rich in trace elements. The meat of this valuable fish contains a large amount of easily accessible protein and fats, which, unlike other animal fats, help a person in the fight against many diseases. It is the high fat content that makes salmon a rather high-calorie product..

The main trace elements contained in this fish are sodium, magnesium and phosphorus. Meat contains these trace elements in maximum quantities. The no less familiar fluorine, iron, zinc, calcium and potassium take a secondary place, and complete the line useful substances microdoses of chlorine, nickel and molybdenum.

The meat of fish grown in the wild contains a large amount of a substance such as melatonin, known to science as the best assistant in the fight against wrinkles and trophic skin lesions.

How to choose high-quality smoked salmon?

How to choose high-quality smoked salmon? This question is asked by all, without exception, people who once wished to buy this delicacy. And it is quite understandable, because high price The product must be justified by the high quality.

When buying smoked salmon, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. Rate appearance product. High-quality fish should be moderately dried, the skin should easily move away from the meat when you try to pull it down, the fish itself should be elastic and pleasant to the touch. The purchase of a piece of smoked salmon crumbling into fibers (even cooked by hot smoking) should be abandoned, even if its cost is suitable. If the smoked salmon fillet is packed in a vacuum casing, then, of course, it is a little more difficult to determine these characteristics. In this case, you should trust the manufacturer and his conscience.
2. Buy only well-known brands. Manufacturers of this level care about their reputation and make a delicacy in compliance with the technology and always from fresh raw materials that have not been frozen.
3. Be sure to study the composition of the product on the package, and also find out the date of preparation and the deadline for use. When buying a weight product, you can get this information from the seller.
4. Feel free to sniff smoked product. If you have any doubts about the naturalness of smoking or the quality of the original product, then refuse to purchase. Health is more valuable than a short gastronomic pleasure!
5. Purchase products only in stores and always ask for certificates. Try not to buy fish from private producers and in places of spontaneous trade, because in this case you cannot be sure of the correct preparation and smoking of the product, as well as its subsequent storage. Always remember that a low-quality delicacy can easily land you in a hospital bed.

In order not to worry about the quality of the purchased salmon, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the secrets in the next section of this article and cook the delicacy yourself.

How to smoke with your own hands?

How to smoke salmon with your own hands, you will learn in this section of the article.

Before describing the technology for preparing a delicacy at home, I would like to insert a short remark. Suitable for smoking fish that has not been subjected to cooling, and even more so long-term freezing. Only a fresh product will allow you to get smoked meat with a dense structure and maintain a pleasant elasticity of the fibers. If the fish was frozen, then it is possible that the smoking process will take a little longer.

cook smoked fish it is possible both in a portable mini-smoker on the street, and right in the apartment. In the latter case, a slow cooker with a smoking function or a home-made device made of a large cast iron and a grate inside will help. On the manufacture of "cunning smokehouses" with your own hands on the vastness of the worldwide network, you can currently find a lot of videos.

The process of cooking smoked salmon at home always begins with salting or pickling the main ingredient. And it can be not only the fillet of this valuable fish. Smoked and ridges, and heads, and bellies. The latter are high in fat, so they are always cut out and used separately.

In most recipes related to smoking salmon, chefs suggest using a mixture of ordinary table salt, granulated sugar and herbs, which include fenugreek, juniper berries and other herbs that give the aroma of wood.

The weight of the average specimen is four kilograms. It is on this basis that it is advisable to cook and smoke salmon portioned pieces. Yes, and buying it this way is also much more convenient and profitable.

If you purchased a whole fish, be sure to rinse and gut it before marinating. Be sure to remove the cord white color with dark filling, located at the base of the ridge, especially if you plan to smoke this part of the carcass. You don't need to remove the skin. Thoroughly blot the abdominal cavity, freed from the viscera and fat, with paper towels, and then wipe the peritoneum dry. Be very careful not to hit or crush the gallbladder.

If it so happened that bile got on the tender meat, then try to collect it as quickly as possible, and then treat this place with lemon juice or natural apple cider vinegar. Soak the liquid on the fish for about five minutes, and then rinse it thoroughly with salty and always cold water.

After that, proceed to further cutting the carcass. Cut off the fins, including the tail. It is not advisable to smoke these parts of the fish. Cut off the head and remove the gills from it. If you intend to smoke it, then be sure to prepare sticks of a suitable size and density, which will allow you to fix the gill bones as well as possible at a distance from the head. This will make it possible to qualitatively smoke this part of the carcass. Cut the fish with a sharp knife: separate the fillet from the ridge, and then carefully cut out the fatty part of the belly.

Marinate all parts of the fish to be smoked and leave them in the refrigerator under pressure for a day. Remove the salted fish from the brine. Hang the pieces on hooks and let the brine drain. If you smoke salmon in a hot way, then at this stage of cooking, be sure to tie the fillet with twine. This will keep the fish from breaking apart prematurely.

Light a fire in a mini smoker, fill the wood chips in the pan and install a water trap. Bring the chips to the desired condition, and only then load the fish. Pieces of the carcass can either be laid on a wire rack or hung on hooks.

Control the temperature of the smoke: throughout the smoking it should not exceed ninety degrees Celsius. Smoke the fish for about one hour. After the time has passed, check the readiness of the fish. If necessary, continue smoking for the desired time.

Cool the finished fish in the air (it will take at least four hours), and only then eat or send for storage.

Do-it-yourself smoked salmon will definitely surpass all industrial products in quality and taste. You can not only always have an excellent delicacy on hand, but also significantly save the family budget, because the price raw fish less than the cost of the finished delicacy.

How to store smoked salmon?

How to properly store smoked salmon, read in this section of the article. Like all smoked products, salmon meat must not only be properly prepared, but also stored under appropriate conditions. In modern life best place, where you can save smoked salmon without losing quality, is a refrigerator.

Wrapped in parchment or cotton cloth soaked in a strong saline solution, cold-smoked fish can be preserved without drying out for two weeks. But hot-smoked fish under similar conditions will be suitable for food only within three days from the moment of preparation.

With regard to smoked salmon sold in vacuum packages, the following requirements should be observed: the whole package can be stored under the conditions indicated on it for the recommended shelf life, but the uncorked one can be stored for no longer than five days.

What to cook?

What to cook from smoked salmon? This question is relevant at all times, because the fish is not so cheap to spend it irrationally.

The first thing that comes to mind is to cut the delicacy into thin slices and put them on a spread butter loaves. A cup of sweet black tea or fragrant tart coffee - and the perfect breakfast is ready on your table!

A piece of salmon fillet and a portion of spinach for garnish - excellent diet dish. A portion of such a delicacy will easily become a full breakfast or dinner.

In fact, there are a huge number of dishes that use smoked salmon. All of them are easy to prepare, so even completely inexperienced chefs can make them.

From smoked salmon fillet can be made delicious salad, which then stuff pita bread or fill tartlets, rolls, casseroles, and even cook soup, for example, with the addition of young asparagus beans. Salmon heads and backbones are also great for cooking the latter.

Smoked salmon is also cooked and served:

• pasta and macaroni;
• potato fritters;
• pizza
• pies.

Smoked salmon bellies, woven in a spiral, as in the photo, are a great snack for beer or an independent dish.

with one of the most interesting recipes using smoked salmon you can find below. Its name is unusual - gnocchi with herbs and smoked salmon sauce.

The main ingredients of this delicacy are:

• potatoes - 700 grams;
• wheat flour - 200 grams;
• fillet of cold-smoked salmon - 200 grams;
• high-fat cream (for sauce) - 200 ml;
• green onions (feathers) - 1 bunch;
• dill (greens) - to taste;
• table salt - 1 tablespoon;
• water (for cooking gnocchi) - 2 liters.

Read on for the step-by-step process of making the delicacy.

1. Wash the tubers well in running water. Boil potatoes "in uniform" until tender. Let the product cool down cold water and peel off the skin. After that, grate the tubers on a fine grater. Put the mass in a bowl and salt a little.
2. Add to potatoes wheat flour. Mix the ingredients and knead a stiff dough.
3. Divide the workpiece into four parts. Roll each piece of dough into a sausage about one centimeter thick.
4. cut strips potato dough cubes, and then use a fork to make wavy impressions on them, applying the fork with the back of the teeth to the dough. These dumplings or potato dumplings and there are gnocchi.
5. Boil water in a large saucepan, season with salt to taste, and carefully add the gnocchi. Boil the dumplings for a minute after the liquid boils, and then fish out with a slotted spoon and put on a plate.
6. Pour the cream into a deep frying pan, and then add the diced smoked salmon fillet and finely chopped greens.
7. Bring the mass to a boil over low heat, and then salt it to taste. Put the gnocchi into the hot sauce. Stir them very quickly and then remove the pan from the heat.
8. And that's it, a wonderful delicacy is ready! Arrange the dish on portioned plates and boldly serve to the table. Wish the household Bon appetit and get praise!

If you add half a can of canned green peas and about a hundred grams of grated hard cheese, and after that send the dish to an oven preheated to two hundred degrees Celsius, you will get a delicious casserole. She might be the favorite holiday table and your signature dish.

We hope that this section has taught you how to cook simple, tasty and unusual delicacies and helped dispel all your doubts!

The benefits and harms of smoked salmon

We will try to describe the benefits and harms of eating smoked salmon in the diet as much as possible in this section.

The benefits of smoked salmon are obvious, and it is fully consistent with the use of salmon in its pure form. Regular use of the product helps to improve the functioning of all organs and body systems. It is useful to use salmon for people suffering from:

• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• diabetes mellitus;
• disorders of the nervous system;
• brittle bones and diseases of the joints;
• atherosclerosis.

At the same time, smoked salmon can be harmful. That is why it is not recommended to use such a product for pregnant and lactating women, children and allergy sufferers. These categories of people are especially susceptible to carcinogens, which inevitably accumulate in the product during smoking. Due to the individual state of the body or the immaturity of the digestive system, such people may experience a deterioration in health due to intoxication.

In general, moderate and not too frequent use of smoked salmon in the diet helps to improve performance, cheer up and increase the body's overall resistance to external factors.

Eat smoked salmon and be healthy and happy! Just keep in mind the fact that smoked salmon is more nutritious than a fresh or salted product, so it can change the shape of your figure.

A delicacy without which it is difficult to imagine a modern holiday. This type of fish is especially highly valued by gourmets. Salmon has a great taste, contains a number of vitamins, including omega-3 acids.

A common cooking method is smoking salmon. Since ancient times, it has been used to increase the shelf life of a product. In addition, smoking gives the fish an amazing taste and unique aroma that cannot be obtained by frying.

The ideal raw material fresh salmon because frozen loses its natural juiciness. To begin with, it must be cut: rinse thoroughly under running water, remove the insides. Next, remove the head, fins, tail - this is an excellent basis for the fish soup. The carcass needs to be cut along the ridge, a large bone is separated, the fish is dried with a paper towel, the finished layers can be smoked.

Cold smoked salmon with pre-marination

Consider how to smoke salmon. We marinate the prepared, butchered carcass in saline with spices. The main difference from the hot method is the cooking temperature in the smokehouse. For this cooking option, it should not exceed +40 degrees Celsius. Duration of smoking - not less than a day. Now on sale there are many devices for smoking in different conditions, designed for different volumes of products. After buying your own oil lamp, you will immediately have "crown recipes". If it already exists, please share. the best options cooking in our blog.

Hot smoked salmon

Grilled meat - very popular dish, however, at the end of the summer season, you want variety. Hot smoked salmon is a very popular product for charcoal cooking. Write down an easy and delicious recipe.

Extremely simple. The first stage is marinating the fish in a mixture of pepper and salt. It's better to give preference sea ​​salt coarse grinding, the amount of pepper and its type, choose to taste. According to the recipe, the duration of pickling is at least an hour. This is the minimum at which spices impregnate pieces of salmon. So that the spices do not spread, portions of the fish should be blotted with a paper towel.

Proper selection of wood chips will improve the taste of fish

We turn to the preparation of the smokehouse, choose - bird cherry, apple, alder, cherry wood chips. The substances contained in these types of wood give the fish a wonderful taste and aroma, but the main thing is that the finished fish will not be bitter.

After laying the chips on the bottom and installing the grate, you need to put a tray to collect fat, because salmon is quite oily fish, and when fish oil burns, carcinogenic substances are released. The smoking process can be carried out on coals or an open flame.

It is important to monitor the amount of smoke, because with abundant smoke, the fish turns out with a sour taste. Lack of smoke production leads to a less intense taste - consider these features.

Charcoal cooking time is about 20 minutes. On an open fire, it is halved, otherwise the fish will turn out dry. If large pieces are smoked, the smoking time can be extended up to 40 minutes. The resulting product can be consumed still hot, some like the already cooled version. For a picnic, grilled fish is a great option.

liquid smoke recipe

If you are unable to cook smoked salmon in the smokehouse, . In this way, fish can be cooked in the refrigerator for a day.

Cold-smoked salmon is tender and has a rich aroma of smoked meats. Already in a day cold appetizer can be served at the festive table.

We lower the prepared pieces into a solution of liquid smoke for five minutes. Next, rub the fish on all sides with salt so that it absorbs right amount. The resulting layers of fish should be wrapped with cling film and put in the refrigerator for a day. Cold-smoked salmon is ready to eat, it can be cut in portions and served.

Summarize

Now you know how to smoke salmon in a cold and hot way. The cooking process is easy, so you will do a brilliant job, even if this is your first time smoking.

The salmon family, which is so valued among gourmets for its taste and beneficial features represented by a variety of species. Among them, salmon occupies one of the leading places in popularity, it is sometimes even called the queen of salmon.

It can be identified by the characteristic silvery color of the scales below the lateral line, as well as a bluish tinge on the back. Relative to its relatives, it is considered a fairly large representative, so some individuals can reach one and a half meters in length.

For 9 years of its life, salmon gains a mass of 35 kg, this is an average figure, since during spawning, the fish pretty much loses weight.

The habitat of salmon is localized in the west of the Arctic Ocean, covers the northern part of the Atlantic and the basins of the Baltic, Barents and White Seas. It is noteworthy that the salmon has a lake variety that lives in Onega and Ladoga. Norwegians artificially breed fish for commercial purposes, but the benefits and quality of dishes from artificially fed individuals are no longer as high as their representatives of the wild.

Chemical composition

Salmon meat, like the meat of other fish, is valued for its high protein content in the absence of carbohydrates, which have such a negative effect on our body. If we present the content of all substances in terms of 100 grams of product, we can get the following results:

• water -70.6 g;
• protein - 20 g;
• fats - 8.1 g;
• carbohydrates - 0;
• other substances (ash, cholesterol).

Of the vitamin complex, the entire range is present in its entirety, but especially salmon meat is rich in vitamin C, E and PP. The total share of the complex is 10 mg. Traditionally, the product is rich in fluorine, calcium and phosphorus, but in addition to these trace elements, there are zinc, molybdenum, chromium, sodium and magnesium.

Beneficial features

Fish, as a food of animal origin, serves as an indispensable source of fats, protein and amino acids, but unlike poultry or beef, fish is absorbed almost completely within an hour. This fact is decisive in the preparation of the diet for those who wish to gain muscle mass without the risk of weight gain due to fat.

Often to fish diet resorted to people who have undergone surgery, athletes or just losing weight. The amino acids present in salmon meat have a general rejuvenating effect on the body.

Despite the fact that cholesterol is always present in salmon, you should not think about the dangers of fish for cores. Its value is extremely small, therefore, fish in any cooking recipe is indicated for patients with cardiovascular diseases. Separately, it is worth considering the benefits that seafood brings to the normalization of the nervous system, the risk of diseases characteristic of old age is reduced.

The role of vitamins in the activity of the body cannot be overestimated. In particular, vitamins A and E help strengthen nails and hair, improve skin elasticity and increase its resistance to certain diseases. It is known that an oil solution of vitamin A has a healing effect. Eating salmon gives the body a natural saturation with all the necessary substances. It is especially indicated for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Salmon caviar is considered a delicacy. The price of it fully proves this status. The indicators of fat and protein in caviar are much higher than in meat (15% and 30%, respectively), therefore, the calorie content of caviar is 250 kcal. And again, there is a paradox here: there is a lot of lecithin in caviar, and, as you know, it removes cholesterol, which you often have to fight with.

How to choose the right salmon

Before you smoke salmon or implement other recipes, you will definitely have to face the difficulties of choice. Unfortunately, not everyone can get freshly caught fish, so you often have to go to the store. Many suppliers cooperate with farms where fish is grown artificially, this is fraught not only with the absence of many useful substances, a violation of the calorie content, but also with the presence of dyes or flavors.

Although they are considered harmless, a reaction to foreign substances is not excluded, so you need to be able to choose the right salmon, avoiding possible negative consequences.

There are two simple criteria for selecting a whole fish:

1. First of all, you need to pay attention to the color of the meat. Since a whole palette can be presented to the consumer, we will give some patterns of choice. Fresh salmon grown in natural conditions, has pink meat. If a brownish tint prevails, then it is better to refrain from buying, since the fish is clearly stored for a long time. Many sellers try to artificially restore the external freshness and presentability of their products. Often tinting leads to the appearance of bright shades. Too pale meat holds the secret of several frosts. You will soon be convinced of this, since the meat itself will be loose and will lose its elasticity.
2. The second indicator of freshness is the gills. They should not contain bruises, but be plain, pink.

In some cases, you have to buy ready-made steaks. White streaks on the cuts will help to evaluate the freshness. Look also at the date of defrosting, because after defrosting chilled salmon should be sold in two weeks. Vacuum-packed fish will last longer, but labeling, expiration date, and packaging date should be checked. Of all types of salted salmon, it is better to give preference to lightly salted salmon, this recommendation is based solely on the dangers of salt for the human body.

Preparation for smoking

Salmon is famous for its palatability whatever dish you choose to cook. But various smoked meats were considered truly royal snacks at all times. The price of smoked fish, especially the salmon family, is quite high, but you want to enjoy your favorite dish not only on major holidays, but also on a weekday. The solution will be the opportunity to smoke the fish at home.

Before preparing any dish, you will definitely have to do preparatory work. Not without them and smoking fish. The whole process can be divided into several stages: the selection of carcasses, section, salting, drying and smoking.

Usually the salmon carcass is quite large, so there is no reason to leave it whole. The most common way of cutting is the preparation of fillets.

To do this, the abdomen is torn open, and the insides are removed. The head will also have to be cut off. The pulp cuts in a horizontal plane along the spine. Similar manipulations are performed on the other side.

Salmon has practically no waste, you can only throw out the insides. The ridge and the head are smoked along with the fillet pieces, because there is a lot of meat left in them. This section is not finished. The dorsal fin, as well as fat from the abdomen, are also cut off. You can smoke salmon bellies as an independent dish, because they are always on sale. On the ridges of salmon, the head and abdomen with fins are an excellent dressing for fish soup or ear.

Cooking hot and cold smoked fish

In order for hot-smoked salmon to turn out tasty and healthy, it is recommended to follow the fundamental tips that come together in a single recipe. Note that it is not recommended to separate the skin, as it will act as a protective shell in the smokehouse.

The marinade will consist of salt, pepper and parsley. Dry mix - the most affordable way cook pickle at home. You just need to generously sprinkle the carcass inside and out with the resulting mixture, wrap it in cling film and place in a cool place for 5 hours. After that, the almost finished semi-finished product is washed with water and dried. Some lovers of experimenting argue that the piquancy of the taste will be ensured if one teaspoon of sugar is added to the resulting composition.

A water-based liquid marinade is prepared from almost the same ingredients, only the water is heated to better dissolve the salt or sugar. You may also come across recipes that indicate that it is not necessary to completely dissolve the spices. Bay leaves and other herbal spices should be ground before adding them to the solution.

No one forbids you to try something different, making new discoveries, but you should know that some seasonings go well with the taste of fish, while others do not. Basil, lemon, garlic, rosemary, peppers are suitable for salmon. We remind you once again that improvisation will not change the smoking process itself, but will only give a certain note to the taste.

Do not forget that before placing the carcass in the smokehouse, it should be weathered or, according to at least, wipe with a napkin.

It is necessary to smoke salmon with hot smoke in a special device. If it is not possible to fully spend outdoor recreation, while simultaneously showing the wonders of cooking, then you can use the air grill, which will give the right temperature for heat treatment, and the smell of smoke will help mimic "liquid smoke". But lovers of truly natural products are better off making a smokehouse with their own hands.

A fire is made, and it is necessary to achieve not a big flame, but rather its constancy. Alder sawdust is poured into the bottom of the smoker box. The fish is placed on special sieves, the box is closed on top with a lid and the process begins.

Fish smoked in this way will turn out to be of high quality and delicious dish if some conditions are met:

• smoke temperature is 90°C degrees;
• the duration of the process does not exceed 45 minutes;
• after reaching the degree of readiness, the product has cooled down to ambient temperature.

The secret that cold smoked salmon contains is that the whole procedure takes place at a temperature of 25 ° C degrees. Your task is to fulfill this condition with all your might and means for a sufficiently long time. To prepare the brine, you can use the recipes described above, because the only difference is in the preparation. Salmon smoked with cold smoke will get completely different taste qualities.

The first 8 hours of smoking should never be interrupted. Therefore, you need to stock up on the required amount of firewood. Keep an eye on the intensity of the flame, because increasing the temperature of the smoke to 30 ° C will lead to irreversible consequences. You will cross this fine line between cold and hot smoking. Depending on the size of the carcass, the entire smoking period may take 4 days or even a whole week. Connoisseurs always give the same advice: if the fish is left to ventilate for a couple of days after cold smoking, then its taste will become even richer.

Smoking is a type of heat treatment of products. A unique way, firstly, to preserve products (meat, fish, game, etc.), and, secondly, to make the products fragrant and very tasty. Smoking, rather, is conservation, for subsequent long-term storage.

Usually smoking is divided into cold and hot. Their difference lies in the fact that hot smoking is very similar to baking (temperature is usually 60-120 degrees) with the effect of smoking due to the formation of aromatic smoke.

Hot smoking is quick smoking, and to enhance the effect, unfortunately, chemical cocktails are often used - liquid smoke. Due to its simplicity, hot smoking is applicable even in a city apartment. Cold smoking is a very long treatment with sufficiently cold smoke (temperature 20-30 degrees). Sometimes cold smoking lasts several days.

Hot smoked salmon is easy, even at a picnic or at home in the kitchen. For a picnic, you need a portable smoker; for kitchen smoking, you need an airtight smoker with a smoke exhaust system in the form of a water seal.

Once, with friends, we impromptu prepared an amazing delicacy - hot smoked salmon, right on the river bank. Well, try it yourself and feed people - smoked salmon is something who has time. I confess, I cut off one steak to cook at home.

Ingredients (10-12 servings)

• Salmon, carcass 2.5 kg
• Salt to taste

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Hot smoked salmon. Recipe

1. Do you know how the jellied pike perch is prepared ??? A hake is bought and it is poured that it is a pike perch. We decided not to suffer, bought two good salmon, 2.5 kg each.
2. On the shore they began to prepare for smoking. The carcasses of the fish were heavily salted from the inside and along the skin, then left for 1 hour so that the fish was salted.

   Salmon salt and then wash

3. While collecting firewood - the fish was ready for smoking. The fire was lit neatly. They asked someone in boots to rinse the fish in the Dnieper from salt and clean it from mucus.
4. Heads and tails were cut off. The fish was wiped dry.
5. Three handfuls of large alder shavings, loaded the fish, closed the damper and put the smoker on the fire.

   Load the fish into the smoker

6. Fire needs medium or even less, but constantly. The sawdust began to smolder almost immediately.

   Put the smoker on the fire

7. Fragrant white smoke billowed out. Exactly - 30 min.

   Poured fragrant white smoke

8. We have to keep the fire going. Half an hour. No more, no less! Then carefully remove the smoker from the heat.
9. It is better to immediately “disassemble” the fish, remove large bones, smoked salmon must cool down. Garnish for salmon may not even be needed.

   Remove bones from salmon and let cool.

10. Well, then you can use it. It is very tasty to put salmon on a piece of very fresh Ukrainian bread!!!