This recipe is a show stopper but requires some ahead of time prep. I served this on a big platter with my creamy chive dip, my grandmother’s biscuits, loads of crudité, crackers, mini lemon wedges, capers and dill.
Clean and debone your fish. In a large roasting pan or hotel pan, combine the dry rub mix well. Coat the salmon in the dry rub and refrigerate 12 hours. (you can dry brine the side of salmon for between 12 hours and 3 days- totally a personal choice. I prefer just the 12 hours)
After the 12 hours has elapsed, rinse and pat dry the salmon and store covered in the fridge overnight to form the pellicle, at least 12 hours or overnight.
Using an electric smoker, or a pellet feeder in a smoker or large grill, light your wood (alderwood is great here) and bring the cavity’s temperature to 180. Place your salmon in the cavity, and smoke the salmon until the internal temperature reads 145.
(Because this is a hot smoking recipe—the cooking time is significantly quicker than a cold smoked side. Using about 2 cups of wood chips or pellets- it will take about 30-40 minutes to get a good even smoke generated- either with fire or an electric smoker.
In a sealed smoker- it should take about 2 hours to get to a safe temperature- 145 at a minimum- 150 is perfect. The air temp of the smoker should be between 180 and 225- but the lower your temp, the longer the smoking will take. I don’t use an electric smoker- I use a typical barrel style smoker that leaks a bit- so my cook time ranges from 2-4 hours, more if the side is especially big.
I use a digital probe thermometer that has an external dial with 2 read outs—one for air temp, one for probe temp. This allows you to set an alarm when you reach your desired temp
Using a mixer with the whip attachment, whip the farmer’s cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and mayo until light and fluffy. Add the chives, and salt and pepper to taste.
Serving Size 2 Tablespoons
Servings 0