Best Brown Sugar Cured Salmon Recipes

Brown Sugar-Cured Salmon image

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 4h25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 skin-on, center-cut wild king or other salmon fillets (2 1/2 pounds total)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
Olive oil
1 1/2 cups hickory chips, soaked for 30 minutes and drained

Steps:

Pat fish dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, pepper, spices and zest. Rub mixture all over fish. Place in a dish, cover and let cure in the fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably 8 hours. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Generously oil salmon.
Light the grill. Once coals are hot, scatter drained hickory chips over coals. (If you're using a gas grill, place them in a disposable metal pan on the grill next to the salmon.)
Place salmon flesh-side down on grill and cover, closing top vent so not much smoke is released. Smoke salmon, covered, for about 5 to 6 minutes, then flip. (If the fish is sticking to the grill grate, then it's not ready to flip. Cook for another 3 to 10 minutes, depending upon how hot your fire is. The fish is done when the interior is medium pink and exterior crisp and smoky. Serve with lemon wedges.

BROWN SUGAR AND DILL CURED SALMON image

Yield 20 pieces

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 (1 1/2 lb) salmon fillet
1/2 C firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 C Kosher salt
1 TBS cracked black pepper
1/4 C chopped fresh dill
1 TBS vodka
Dark Pumpernickel bread slices, flatbread crackers, creme fraiche, chopped red onion, fresh dill, cracked pepper

Steps:

1. Cut salmon fillet in half cross-wise and place one half, skin side down, in an 8x8 inch glass baking dish. 2. Combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, and dill; spoon half of the sugar mixture evenly over the salmon in dish, and drizzle the vodka. Cover with the other half of salmon, skin side up, and spoon remaining sugar mixture on top. Cover with plastic wrap; place a plate or small dish on top of salmon, and weigh down with soup cans. Refrigerate 2 days, occasionally rotating fish and basting with liquid that collects in bottom of dish. 3. Remove fish from liquid and rinse. Cut meat into long, thin slices, discarding the skin. Serve on dark pumpernickel bread slices, flatbread crackers, creme fraiche, chopped red onion, fresh dill, and cracked black pepper.

BROWN SUGAR CURED SALMON image

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 skin-on, center-cut wild king or other salmon fillets (2 1/2 pounds total)
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground mace
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
Olive oil
1 ½ cups hickory chips, soaked for 30 minutes and drained

Steps:

Pat fish dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, pepper, spices and zest. Rub mixture all over fish. Place in a dish, cover and let cure in the fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably 8 hours. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Generously oil salmon. Light the grill. Once coals are hot, scatter drained hickory chips over coals. (If you're using a gas grill, place them in a disposable metal pan on the grill next to the salmon.) Place salmon flesh-side down on grill and cover, closing top vent so not much smoke is released. Smoke salmon, covered, for about 5 to 6 minutes, then flip. (If the fish is sticking to the grill grate, then it's not ready to flip. Cook for another 3 to 10 minutes, depending upon how hot your fire is. The fish is done when the interior is medium pink and exterior crisp and smoky. Serve with lemon wedges.