Best 5 Apple Cider Cured Smoked Salmon Recipes

APPLE CIDER-GLAZED SALMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Fit a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• In a medium saute pan, heat the butter and canola oil over medium heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides and cook on one side until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets, then add the apple cider and shallots and raise the heat to medium high to bring the liquid to a simmer. Cook the fish another 2 minutes, then gently remove the fillets to the rack and transfer to the oven. Bake 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare.
• Meanwhile, continue simmering the pan sauce over medium-low heat, whisking often, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the honey and mustard and continue to simmer until slightly reduced, 2 to 4 minutes more. Whisk in the creme fraiche and simmer, whisking often, until the sauce is thick and glossy and coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding apple cider vinegar as desired.
• Transfer the salmon to serving plates and spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish with the tarragon, mint, chives and jalapeños.

APPLE CIDER CURED SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• To make brine:
• In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, salt and apple cider; bring to a boil. Add remaining brine ingredients, remove from the heat and cool. The brine can be made 2 to 3 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
• Place the salmon fillets in the liquid brine for at least 6 hours up to overnight(making sure it's submerged), refrigerated. Remove the salmon from the brine and place uncovered, on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan(or a cookie sheet). Refrigerate the fillets for at least 6 hours, or overnight, to dry them out. (A dry fillet will take on smoke quicker than a moist fillet)
• To smoke salmon:.
• In an outdoor grill, make a small fire using mesquite charcoal or briquettes. When the fire has burned down to a hot bed of coals, after about 1 hour, place the soaked wood on the coals. Position the grate 8" to 12" above the smoking wood and place the salmon fillets on the grate.
• Cover the grill and shut any open-air vents. After 5 minutes, check the heat of the grill; large fillets will be cooked and smoked through in about 30 minutes if the heat is low, about 300* to 350*F., while a hotter fire will cook the fillets in 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the salmon hot off the grill and enjoy!

HOT SMOKED SALMON WITH APPLES, DRIED CHERRIES, HAZELNUTS AND GREENS

Steps:

• 1. Cure the salmon: Mix together the salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peppercorns in a medium bowl. Line a piece of extra-wide aluminum foil that's a little longer than the length of the fish with an equally long layer of plastic wrap. Sprinkle half of the salt rub on the wrap. Lay the salmon on the rub. Sprinkle the remaining rub on top of the salmon. Cover with plastic and wrap in foil, crimping the edges together tightly around the fish. Put the wrapped fish on a rimmed baking sheet and top with another baking sheet. Weight with a brick or two and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• 2. Unwrap the salmon and rinse off the cure mixture with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and put the salmon in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) until the surface of the fish is dry and somewhat matte, 1 to 3 hours, depending on humidity. A fan may be used to speed the process.
• 3. Soak 2 cups alder wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes.
• 4. Heat your smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If using a charcoal or gas grill, set up a drip pan with water on the bottom grates and heat the grill to low for indirect grilling. For a charcoal grill, put the drained wood chips over the hot coals, add the cooking grate, and close the cover. For a gas grill, add the wood chips to a smoker box or foil pouch, put on the cooking grates toward the back, and close the cover. For both grills, open the vents halfway and maintain a temperature of 200°F. Let smoke build for 10 minutes.
• 5. Add the salmon to the smoker, skin side down, and cover the smoker. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the temperature and smoke until the thickest part of the fish registers 150°F, about 1 hour. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• 6. Make the salad: Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and honey in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Add the greens, apple, onion, cherries, and hazelnuts and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• 7. Put the salmon on a platter and arrange the salad on top.

CIDER GRILLED SALMON

Steps:

• Combine cider and soy in nonreactive pan.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add butter and garlic.
• Cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Cool for 30 minutes Brush marinade over salmon, let sit 30 minutes then cook on grill.

DRY-CURED SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• To make the dry cure, combine all the ingredients. This will make about one cup. The mixture may be kept, covered, for six months or more. For this recipe, you will need four tablespoons.
• Rub each salmon fillet on both sides with two tablespoons of the dry cure and place in a glass baking dish. Refrigerate for six hours, or overnight.
• Remove fillets from the dish and rinse quickly under running water, just to remove excess cure. Place fillets on a raised grid surface to allow air to circulate around them. Leave to dry for three hours, or until the surface is dry and shiny.
• Forty-five minutes before cooking, light the charcoal fire.
• When ready to cook, throw a handful of wood chips on the coals. Add hot water to the water pan of the smoker, or an improvised smoker (see note). Place the fillets on the grid over the water pan. Cover with the lid and leave the fish for at least 45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Check periodically and replenish the fuel or chips if necessary. The smoker temperature should not exceed 190 degrees (use an oven thermometer). The fish is done when the flesh is firm to the touch.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and pepper to blend.
• Remove the fish from the grill and cut crosswise into serving pieces. Serve the fish immediately on its own with the vinaigrette, or on a bed of greens dressed with the vinaigrette.