Adapted from Food in Good Season by Betty Fussell, ISBN 0-394-57117-7. Once you figure out the smoking part, this is a very easy recipe for company since there's little work and it's spread out over time. Guests are invariable impressed and eat more than you'd expect so if you want leftovers (it's really good cold) increase the amount you cook (or don't invite the guests). Two pounds of salmon is a good starting point for four adults with normal appetites. For more or fewer, adjust all ingredients in proportion. Try to get the thick end of the salmon. For more than three pounds you'll end up with two pieces. With all fish dishes, of course, the quality of the fish is crucial. As for any recipe, adjust the spices to your taste. New potatoes and green beans are good accompaniments, but many other things work just as well.
Mix the dry ingredients (not the salmon) in a bowl, crushing any lumps. Place a strong plastic bag (with no holes) into which the salmon will fit flat on a counter top and throw about a quarter of the dry mixture inside. Spread this out in the bag and slide the salmon in to rest on top with the skin side down. Throw the rest of the mixture on top of the salmon and spread it over evenly. If you have a second piece, lay it skin side up on top and by reducing the amount you threw in the bottom save some mixture to spread on top. Now, fold the open end of the bag and any loose sides upwards to wrap the salmon tightly and trap the mixture as it liquefies in contact with the fish. Secure the bag and wrap it further to prevent anything leaking out. I wrap the whole thing in the paper in which the fish came but another good idea is to put it all in a second bag. This all goes in the refrigerator overnight. Before you go to bed, cover a couple of big handfulls of mesquite, hickory or other smoking wood with water.
The next day, take the salmon out of the refrigerator an hour and a half to two hours before you want to eat. Unwrap the salmon, rinse it and pat dry with a paper towel. I don't rinse very thoroughly, preferring to leave some spices sticking to the fish. Leave it to rest on a rack. If it feels stiff, that's fine, it will soften up again. Drain the water from the smoking wood.
Now, off to the grill. I use a Weber kettle grill and have no experience with anything else so for something else you'll have to experiment. You need a modest pile of coals over to one side and plenty of open space without coals beneath. Arrange for these coals to be fully lit, that is not smoking, but burning slowly one hour before you want to eat. To do this on the Weber, just shut the vent in the lid until it is very nearly closed. When the coals are in this state, dump the wet smoking wood on top and spread them out to cover the coals. Put the food grid on the grill and place the fish as far away from the coals as possible, skin side down. Put the lid on tight before your eyes begin to smart.
The rest is simple, but not easy. You want to prolong the cooking time as much as possible without the coals going out. I keep the vent in the lid very nearly closed and most of the smoke escapes between the lid and the kettle. In winter, cooking can last an hour, but in summer 45 minutes is more the norm. To tell if the fish is done, you have to go poking at it with a knife or something. You should meet a little resistance at the smoky layer that forms on top, but below this the flesh should be soft but clear of the translucent pink raw look. Don't let it overcook and become too firm, even if this means less time in the smoke. The fish will never actually get hot, just warm. If you don't mind making a hole, taste a chunk from the thickest part. To remove the salmon from the grill, you'll probably need a couple of spatulas to scoop it off, leaving the skin behind to be cleaned off when you next need the grill or get tired of the weird smell in the yard. Sometimes I can keep the salmon in one piece, which looks nice on the table, but if it looks as if it's going to come apart the best thing to do is to cut it on the grill and lift it off in pieces. If you try for one piece and it falls apart in mid air your cat may love you but the guests won't.
If you need to hold the fish for a while before serving, put it in a warm oven where warm is something you can touch. Ten minutes in a hot oven will ruin it. A sprig of parsley and a lemon slice look nice on top when you serve it. Maybe you have room to arrange the potatoes on the same dish. Watch the guest who claimed not to be fond of fish come back for more.
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