I've gotten a lot of good ideas from this forum in the past few weeks, so I thought I'd try to contribute something. Here's a recipe that has recently become one of my favorites.
Eskimo Candy – This is a dry-cure method for preparing Salmonid fish that is halfway between traditional smoked salmon and jerky. It should be both sweet and salty. Saltier than regular smoked salmon, but more sweet and tender than jerky. The final product should have a dry texture on the outside, but still contain all of the essential fats and oils of the fish, so it is juicy, almost buttery, on the inside. It also has low refrigeration requirements and makes a good take-along for camping, hiking, hunting etc., provided it is sealed right. I do not recommend making a large quantity of this unless you have a vacuum sealer.
Salmon or Steelhead filets, skin on or off
-For best results, choose filets that have good, consistent fat distribution.
Dry cure:
• 2 parts Brown Sugar to 1 part Sea Salt
• Mix thoroughly so salt and sugar are evenly distributed
• 1 average filet will require approximately 1 cup of sea salt and 2 cups of brown sugar(packed), so make enough to cover.
• The sugar is the most important part of this cure.
Glaze
• Maple Syrup – apply to fish with brush hourly while smoking
• Honey or Birch Syrup can also be used
Wood
• Alder is preferred
• Maple or Apple also work well.
Cut filets into strips approximately 1 inch wide.
You may want to trim any parts that are thin as they will pick up a lot of salt.
Gently roll strips in cure and place in a plastic or glass container leaving ½ inch gap between strips.
Use remaining cure to fill in between gaps and cover the top of the strips.
If you are using skin-on filets, place in the container skin side down.
If you have enough strips to layer more on top of the first row, make sure there is a layer of cure between the strips.
Cover and cure in refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
More than 12 hours will likely be too salty for most folks
You should notice that quite a bit of water has been pulled from the fish at this point.
Remove from cure and rinse well with water, removing any remaining cure sticking to the fish.
Place strips on a rack or cookie sheet and let dry for about 2 hours or until a decent pellicle has formed.
This can be sped up with the use of a box fan set on low.
Smoke strips at 140 degrees F for 1-2 hours.
Begin glazing with Maple syrup, Honey, or birch syrup after the first hour.
Depending on the smoker, ambient temperature, and desired doneness, you may want to use a cold-smoke adapter if your smoker has one.
Increase temp to 150 for 2-4 hours, making sure the temperature of the fish does not get too high or all of the fats and oils will render out.
Continue glazing strips at least once per hour.
Finish off at 160-180 for 1 hour or until the desired doneness has been reached(my personal preference is more towards a cold smoked finish).
Glaze one final time and rest for approximately 2 hours at room temperature.
Vacuum seal in 4-8oz. portions (or sized appropriately for snacking).
Sorry for the lack of pics... I will add pics next time I make this.
