Thursday, September 25th, 2008...9:47 pm

Take It Back Tuesday, or your tutorial on how to smoke salmon at home

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[I know, not Tuesday. I was supposed to post this Tuesday, last week. Or maybe a few weeks ago...if you ask the Hubs.]

You may recall this:
dsc_0041.JPGI may have laughed at it, or tried to get you to laugh at it (well, it WAS kinda funny-looking).

Now it looks like this:
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The hubs built it from scratch (faster and more completely than with as much attention to detail as any other house project here….).

For all the time and energy involved, it does make amazing smoked salmon. Here’s how to make Kenai style, Alaska smoked salmon:

First, get a bunch of Alaskan salmon. We have our secret sources….
dsc_0067-1.JPGAfter a brine soak, that fish gets sliced into long, two-inch wide strips that are hung on string across a 2×4. The boards are hung across the top inside of the smoker, like so:

dsc_0014-2.JPGdsc_0069.JPGFish smokes for about 6 hours. The fire box sits 15 feet away from the smoker for a “cold smoke” effect. We preferred using alder wood for the fire, which is supposed to stay between 70 and 90 degrees. If you sleep late are not careful, you end up watching the fire into the night….
dsc_0018-2.JPG

When the smoking is done, you bring out the fish. Beware of predators, all along the way.
dsc_0023-2.JPG

dsc_0030.JPGThose smoked strips are cut into chunks, according to the specially-made, specifically-measured cutting board. Did I mention the hubs made that cutting board himself? The chunks go into the wide mouth, half pint, mason jars with a jalapeno slice on the bottom and extra virgin olive oil on top. Those are placed with water into the big pot for 100 hours minutes to cook the fish and seal the jars.

dsc_0046.JPGI mentioned the predators, right?

After you’ve taken care of the Kid all day, for two days and no breaks the hubs does all this meticulous work, you get this:
dsc_0052-1.JPG

Which tastes YYYYYUUUUUUUMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE.

And may attract people constantly hitting you up for fish a few cats.

But which is totally worth all the time, money, vacation days and late night energy. Totally.

How’s that, hubs?

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Filed under Bainbridge Island, WA, food, life is good, marriage

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