AndyK
TVWBB Guru
I made a batch of salmon candy recently and thought I’d share what my ingredients were and the process I used to get the finished product.
Ingredients for 1 sockeye salmon filler
Main ingredients
1 (2-3 pound) sockeye fillet (mine was a nice medium/large sized one and I forgot the exact weight)
1/2 cup coarse kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons coarse ground pepper
1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
Other ingredients
1/2 cup real maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
2-3 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
1 spray bottle (1/3 acv, 1/3 Mexican coke, 1/3 bourbon)
1/4 cup +/- Tabasco sweet and spicy sauce
Mix all the main ingredients (less salmon) thoroughly.
Add some of that mix to the tray the salmon came in or something similar.
Lightly drizzle half the syrup to the meat side of the salmon (sort of like a binder).
Add some of the dry brine to that.
Flip and place the salmon meat side down onto the tray.
Add the rest of the mix to the top (skin side) of the fillet.
Add the rest of the syrup
Add 1/4 cup of the honey on top
Slide the plastic tray (or whatever) of salmon into a vacuum seal bag and vac seal that.
Rest in fridge overnight
Early the next day rinse the brine off of the salmon.
Cut the fillet into long strips about as wide as your thumb using a sharp knife because the skin will be really tough.
Cut those strips into 2-3 inch pieces (5.08- 7.62 cm) or basically just as long as your thumb
.
Fry one of your cuts to see if the salt level is acceptable. If it’s not re-rinse until acceptable.
Place salmon in fridge for 2-3 hours to form pellicle .
Cold smoke at 70f for 2 hours.
Add some sweet spicy Tabasco, honey every 30 minutes and a few squirts from the bottle
Hot smoke at 130f for 2 hours.
Add more honey, sweet Tabasco and some squirts from the bottle
Hot smoke at 150-160 for 1-1/2 to 2 hours
During the final 90-120 minutes only add the sweet spicy Tabasco.
Note, I originally didn’t plan on the squirt bottle but I had a bottle handy for a rib cook I was doing at the same time and thought “why not?”.
Also, I recommend a slightly tacky finished product. Think no napkin needed.
Ingredients for 1 sockeye salmon filler
Main ingredients
1 (2-3 pound) sockeye fillet (mine was a nice medium/large sized one and I forgot the exact weight)
1/2 cup coarse kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons coarse ground pepper
1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
Other ingredients
1/2 cup real maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
2-3 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
1 spray bottle (1/3 acv, 1/3 Mexican coke, 1/3 bourbon)
1/4 cup +/- Tabasco sweet and spicy sauce
Mix all the main ingredients (less salmon) thoroughly.
Add some of that mix to the tray the salmon came in or something similar.
Lightly drizzle half the syrup to the meat side of the salmon (sort of like a binder).
Add some of the dry brine to that.
Flip and place the salmon meat side down onto the tray.
Add the rest of the mix to the top (skin side) of the fillet.
Add the rest of the syrup
Add 1/4 cup of the honey on top
Slide the plastic tray (or whatever) of salmon into a vacuum seal bag and vac seal that.
Rest in fridge overnight
Early the next day rinse the brine off of the salmon.
Cut the fillet into long strips about as wide as your thumb using a sharp knife because the skin will be really tough.
Cut those strips into 2-3 inch pieces (5.08- 7.62 cm) or basically just as long as your thumb
.Fry one of your cuts to see if the salt level is acceptable. If it’s not re-rinse until acceptable.
Place salmon in fridge for 2-3 hours to form pellicle .
Cold smoke at 70f for 2 hours.
Add some sweet spicy Tabasco, honey every 30 minutes and a few squirts from the bottle
Hot smoke at 130f for 2 hours.
Add more honey, sweet Tabasco and some squirts from the bottle
Hot smoke at 150-160 for 1-1/2 to 2 hours
During the final 90-120 minutes only add the sweet spicy Tabasco.
Note, I originally didn’t plan on the squirt bottle but I had a bottle handy for a rib cook I was doing at the same time and thought “why not?”.
Also, I recommend a slightly tacky finished product. Think no napkin needed.
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