How To Make Dry Brine Smoked Salmon; Easy Recipe - Jett's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

How long should I dry brine salmon for smoking? ›

It's amazing how much liquid that dry brine pulls out of the fish – in about 30 to 45 minutes the fish will be immersed. That's all the time you need. The time depends on the fish and your taste, but leaving the dry brine on for too long will make the fish too salty.

Salmon Brine

Let's Make it Easy – the basic recipe for a brine is 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 cup of water. The main purpose of brining is to infuse our desired flavors in the meat.

The first and most important step before you smoke fish is to brine it for at least 2 hours and preferably 6 to 10 hours. Brining fish before smoking it prevents it from drying out. Soaking it in a brine made with a combination of water and seasoning will also infuse it with flavor.

The brine-to-fish ratio should be 3 parts brine to 1 part fish.

When ready to cook, remove the salmon pieces from the brine, discarding the brine. Rinse the salmon pieces under cold water and pat dry. With today's recipe, I mixed some Dijon with olive oil to brush on the salmon before cooking to give it a tangy flavor.

Once the dry-brining waiting period is up, there is no need to rinse off the surface of your food. The meat will not be overly salty, and rinsing the surface with water will undo all of the surface-drying achieved by the dry-brine process. That, in turn, will prevent browning.

From there, you'll lay your salmon fillets in a shallow container (a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish works well) and pour the solution over them, submerging them fully. Then, cover the dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for eight to 10 hours to allow the fish to fully soak up the brine.

The salt does not go deep into the meat, but does allow the meat proteins at the surface of the meat. This is helpful because the exterior of the meat is exposed to the most heat and has the tendency to dry out the most. The recommendation, and one I followed, was to use 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of meat.

Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt. Place the meat in the brine and put the whole container in the refrigerator.

Albumin is a liquid protein that solidifies when the fish is cooked, seeping out as the muscle fibers contract under heat, becoming thick and a bright white. Think of your salmon as a wet towel being rung out. The wringing is the heat and the water being pushed out is that white stuff you're seeing.

Why is my smoked salmon mushy? ›

#1: If store bought, your smoked fish could be mushy for one or more reasons, I would think the most common would be from excessive heat “overcooking” the fish, especially running the heat up high too early in the process.

Pat the salmon very dry on both sides. Place the salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet or similar surface to where you can carry it out to the smoker easily. Heat your smoker nice and low—150 to 170°F is ideal, but can be difficult to maintain; 200°F is attainable, what we use, and will give you delicious results.

Dry-brined salmon will have a firmer, juicier bite that doesn't become chalky even if you accidentally overcook it. Because salt can break down some proteins in the meat, you'll find that dry-brined salmon does not leak out white coagulated albumin as it cooks.

12 hours ought to be enough. I've gotten in a hurry before and not had any big change in how the fish came out. IMHO most of the brining occurs in the first few hours and too long is worse than too short a time in the brine.

Brown explains that wet-brining salmon—soaking it in water seasoned with salt—helps solidify the fat within the protein, so it doesn't leach out as quickly once the fish hits the heat, “keeping it nice and succulent.” In other words: less chance of drying out. The other option is dry-brining, or curing.

Dry brining is a way to brine a steak without using any liquid, relying on a coating of salt and pepper and a set period of time—anywhere from 45 minutes to 48 hours—stowed in the refrigerator to work its magic. This allows the salt to more effectively permeate the cut of meat and tenderize it at the same time.

Soaking salmon in a simple, quick brine for as little as 10 minutes (up to overnight, if you like planning ahead) is all it takes. To make it happen you need two very basic ingredients: water and salt. Combine 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water.

Brining Basics

Place the salmon in the brine, making sure it's fully submerged, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. I know that some recipes only go for 30 minutes, but trust me, the brine will work its magic, infusing the salmon with incredible flavors and moisture, ensuring a succulent result on the grill.

How long should I brine my salmon before smoking? Allow at least 3 hours and up to 8 hours for the brining solution to soak into the fish. Keep in mind that whole salmon filets can be very thick, and you want the brine to work all the way through the flesh.