If you love fish, well, even if you don’t love fish, you’re sure to love this smoked salmon recipe from Chef Ted Reader. Chef Reader walks us through how to make Smoked Sesame Ginger Wasabi Salmon that melts in your mouth. This recipes uses a hot smoke method with alder wood and cinnamon sticks. First, rub the salmon with some black pepper, then make the perfect blend of sauces, spices and brown sugar to baste your salmon. Place your prepared salmon in the Bradley smoker, then hot smoke your salmon for an hour. Half way through, baste your salmon one more time with the “special” glaze, and then remove the smoked salmon that will melt in your mouth. Watch the video, get the smoked salmon recipe and try it for yourself!
Let’s get Smoking!
Besides your Bradley Smoker rack, you’ll need 20 Cinnamon sticks, each approximately 6 inches in length, 1 side Fresh salmon, skin on, approximately 1 1/2 – 2 lbs, 1/4 cup Soy sauce, 2 tbsp Mirin, 2 Tbsp Rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp Sambal oelek chili sauce, 2 Tbsp Brown sugar, Handful Fresh cilantro, chopped, 2 Green onions, finely chopped, 1 Lemon, zested and juiced, 1 tsp each Freshly grated ginger, Toasted sesame seeds, Black sesame seeds and Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Serves 6
Bradley Smoker Temperature: 250-260°F
Oven Temperature: 250-260°F
- Lay the cinnamon sticks across the bottom of the smoker rack in an even row with the sticks snug up against each other.
- Lay the side of salmon over top of the cinnamon sticks. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator and allow to rest for 1 hour so the cinnamon lightly infuses into the salmon and keeps nice and cold before cooking. Sprinkle salmon with black pepper after laying across cinnamon sticks.
Tip: Always have your seafood icy cold before you start to smoke it. Stays firmer, holds in the natural juices better and stays fresher. - In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sambal chili and brown. Stir and set aside.
- Using a rasp, finely zest the lemon. Add zest to the soy mixture.
- Using a rasp, finely grate the fresh ginger and add it to the soy mixture.
- Juice the lemon and add it to the soy mixture. Add chopped cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds, stir and set aside.
Smoking Temperatures
- Set up Bradley Smoker according to manufacturer’s instructions, using Alder Wood Bisquettes as the smoking agent for your salmon.
- Set smoker control temperatures at 250-260°F.
- Remove salmon from refrigerator. Season the salmon side with a little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brush the reserved soy-lemon-ginger mixture evenly over the salmon.
- Place salmon in the middle of the preheated smoking Bradley Smoker. Insert digital thermometer probe into the thickest part of the salmon. Close door and allow salmon to hot smoke for 1 hour or until internal temperature reads 150°F.
- Remove from smoker. Liberally spoon the soy-lemon-ginger mixture over the salmon.
- Serve immediately.
