Preparation:

• Check the salmon for any remaining bones and remove them with fish tweezers.
• Generously coat the salmon with a thick layer of Holy Grail, then cover with the dry cure mixture.
• Wrap the salmon tightly in plastic wrap or vacuum seal it.
• Let it rest for 24 hours on a large cutting board in the refrigerator.
• Rinse the salmon thoroughly, pat it completely dry with paper towels, and glaze it with a thin layer of maple syrup.
• Leave the salmon uncovered in the fridge to dry for at least 12 hours.
• Now you can start cold smoking. Smoke the salmon for 24 hours in your kamado BBQ using the Cold Smoke Generator filled with smoke dust. This equals running the Cold Smoke Generator twice.
• Choose beech for a mild smoke flavor, a beech & oak mix for medium, or pure oak for a rich smoky taste.
• Important: The temperature inside your kamado must not exceed 20°C (the outdoor temperature should be a maximum of 15°C).
• Fill the Cold Smoke Generator completely with smoke dust, but make sure the dust doesn’t touch across the top of the metal spiral.
• Light it with a natural firelighter, wait until the flame goes out and the smoke dust starts smoldering.
• Place the salmon on your stainless steel grates, close the top vent to ¼ open, and the bottom vent to about 1 cm.
• After two 12-hour smoking sessions (total 24 hours), wrap the salmon again (or vacuum seal it) and let it rest for another 24 hours in the fridge so the smoke flavor can mellow and penetrate.
• If you taste it right after smoking, the flavor will be too intense.

Tip: If you prefer a slightly saltier taste, leave the salmon in the cure for 32 hours. Personally, I like it cured for 32 hours and smoked with pure oak.

• Make sure to prepare enough, because it will be gone in no time! You can portion and freeze the salmon for later.
• Serve with horseradish cream: mix 1 tablespoon of sour cream with ½ teaspoon of horseradish purée and some fresh dill.

Smakelijk!
Jan Luts