Smoked Salmon
1 chilled Salmon filet, about 2 ½ to 3 pounds, cut in thirds
2 cups water
1/3 cup Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
1/3 cup honey or packed light brown sugar
2 cups ice cubes
1. Heat the water and dissolve the salt and honey. Add ice cubes
2. Place salmon pieces in 7 by 11 pyrex dish or large bowl, skin side up. Cover with the brine. Refrigerate 6-8 hours, moving the salmon filets around every couple of hours to ensure full contact with the brine.
3. Remove the salmon pieces, rinse well and dry with paper towels. Cover salmon pieces with spices (see below) and (optional, but recommended) place on drying rack in the refrigerator overnight to form pellicle on surface of salmon meat.
4. Lightly drizzle a small amount of honey or maple syrup (the real stuff, not Log Cabin type) over salmon meat to taste. Don't make it too sweet, a little goes a long way. Smoke in Traeger smoker using alder pellets* for 2 hours on 225F setting and 1 hour at “Smoke” setting.
Spices:
Gourmet Chipotle Adovado – 4 Corners Spice Co.
or
Lemon pepper, lemon zest and lemons slices
*Traeger brand pellets are, I think, 70% alder wood. Great for salmon, but too much alder for everything else. I bought online "pure" Applewood pellets (for chicken), and hickory (for beef), and black cherry wood for pork ribs.