I love the flavour of smoked salmon, but when you do maple syrup candied salmon you get that smoke flavour with a harder, stickier exterior that sends your tastebuds flying. Candied smoked salmon takes a little bit of time as you need to brine it in a sweet marinade first, and then baste it every 30 minutes as you smoke it, but it sure is worth it. Stock around as I show you exactly how to do this candied salmon recipe.
Typically you want to cook your salmon to 145 degrees internally, but since we are essentially drying out the inside and crisping out the outside with a sticky glaze, we will run it way past this temperature to about 180 degrees. Candied smoked salmon should be by touch and taste. You want it a little on the harder side but still able to pick up from the rack without breaking.
WHAT TYPE OF SALMON SHOULD I USE?
There are primarily two types of salmon, Pacific and Atlantic. Typically Atlantic salmon is farmed and Pacific salmon is wild-caught. You can use either of the two for this candied salmon recipe, but I personally prefer Pacific wild-caught salmon. I like to use a whole
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
PELLET SMOKER
I used my Louisiana Grills Founders Premier Pellet Smoker
PELLETS
I used Cherry Blend by Pit Boss Grills
SALMON
I used a whole slab of wild-caught Pacific Salmon
MAPLE SYRUP
I used Carrick Bros. Maple Syrup
BAKING SHEET with RACK
BRINE TIME: 12-24 Hours
PREP TIME: 1 Hour
COOK TIME: 5-6 Hours
GRILL TEMPERATURE: 180 Degrees
THE BRINE
You want to marinade your candied smoked salmon in a brine for 12-24 hours in advance. Using a dish add:
Water (2 cups)
Maple Syrup (1 cup)
Brown Sugar (1/2 cup)
Mustard Seeds (1 Tbsp)
Kosher Salt (1 cup)
Stir until all your sugars and salts are dissolved. Next prepare your salmon by removing any skin it may have and then kit in 1" strips. Submerge your salmon into the brine mixture, cover and place in your refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
THE PREP
Once ready to do your candied smoked salmon, remove your salmon strips from the brine, rinse off and pat dry. For this candied salmon recipe, you want to dry out your salmon before it hits the smoker. Using your baking sheet with a grate, lay your salmon and place it in the refrigerator for an additional hour.
THE COOK
Preheat your pellet smoker to 180 degrees. Place your salmon on the grill. In order to get that glossy, sticky, candied salmon recipe, you want to brush/baste your salmon every 30 minutes for the entire cook. This will build up the layers of delicious maple syrup glaze. After about 5 hours you will see the bright colour you have achieved. If it is hard, sticky, and still pulls off your rack without breaking, it is ready to be devoured. Enjoy
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