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Indian Smoked Salmon

Adapted from Food in Good Season by Betty Fussell, ISBN 0-394-57117-7. Once you figure out the smoking part, this is a good recipe for company as the work is spread out and you can spend time with your guests. Two pounds of salmon is a good starting point for four adults with normal appetites. But, be prepared for people to eat more than you'd expect and plan for leftovers (it's really good cold). Adjust all ingredients in proportion to the salmon. As with all fish dishes the quality of the salmon is crucial. Ask for the thick end as the tail can get overcooked. New potatoes and green beans are good accompaniments.

On the day before the meal, put the salmon in the dry marinade. First, mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl, crushing any lumps. The quantities given are a starting point; adjust them according to your preference. If you tend to avoid salt, begin by halving that and, perhaps, increasing the sugar. Now find a strong, clean plastic bag, with no holes, into which the salmon will just fit. Lay the bag flat on the counter top and slip in the salmon, skin side down. Holding the bag wide open, hurl the dry mixture in so that it spreads over the salmon. Use a spoon to gather up any that misses the fish and generally even things out. Fold the open end and the sides of the bag up and over to wrap the salmon tightly and trap the marinade as it liquefies in contact with the fish. Secure the bag and wrap it further to prevent leakage (or put it all in a second bag). Move it to the refrigerator, maybe on a cookie sheet if you're concerned about leaks. Also well before the meal, put a couple of handfuls of smoking wood (alder, apple, hickory, whatever) in a bucket and cover with water.

Take the salmon out of the refrigerator about two hours before you want to eat. Unwrap it, quickly rinse off most of the solids and pat dry with paper towels. Leave it to rest on a rack. If it feels stiff, that's fine, it will soften up. Drain the water from the smoking wood.

How you proceed with smoking the salmon depends on the equipment that you're using and how you determine that it is "done". You need to keep the fish in fairly dense smoke for up to an hour. So, the heat has to be very gentle. The original recipe assumes a charcoal grill and advises you to "put the fish on the highest rack above the coals". Unless you're an experienced smoker, it may take a couple of tries to get this exactly how you want it. Here's how to use a Webber kettle grill. Light a small pile of charcoal up against one side of the grill. Let it burn until it stops smoking and then put on the lid with the vent almost closed until the fire has damped down. Dump the wood on the coals and spread it out to cover. Put on the cooking grate and place the fish, skin side down, belly towards the coals and as far away as possible. (If you have the time and skill, an aluminum baffle hanging under the grate to shield the fish from the direct heat of the fire is a good idea.) Put the lid back on. Adjust the vent so that the fire burns as slowly as possible without going out. You should see wisps of smoke coming out of the vent and from under the lid but you should be able to place your palms on top of the lid for a couple of seconds without discomfort. If things heat up, sprinkle water over the grill from a watering can and close up the vent a little.

Whether you're able to keep the heat down or not, the most important thing is that the fish is done to your liking. Start checking after 30 minutes in summer or 45 minutes in winter. If you use a thermometer, be aware that the USDA recommendation of 145°F results in overcooking. You can poke around with a knife to look for color and texture. A method that preserves the appearance of the fish is to insert a thin metal skewer, such as a turkey lacer, for ten seconds and then quickly apply it to your lower lip. It should feel distinctly warm, definitely not hot. You'll learn over time what warmth corresponds to your preference.

Use a couple of spatulas to carefully lift the salmon off the grill onto a cutting board. Leaving the skin on helps hold the fish together. Then slide a spatula between the skin and the flesh to move it to a warmed serving plate, first cutting it into servings if desired. 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. For garnish, sprigs of parsley and lemon slices look nice around the edge.