Dry brine smoked candied salmon

[Sir Reel]

This is my dry brine candied salmon with some spices added.
It turns out great and folks like it more than just my candied salmon. Brown sugar and maple syrup.
I don’t really have measurement quantities as each batch is different depending on how much salmon I have.
However here are the basics for the 2 Tupperwares in the picture.

in each tub
1/8 cup of coarse salt
2 cups dark brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
Ground pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Couple of bay leaves

put salmon in Tupperware and sprinkle all ingredients all over salmon.
Let sit in fridge overnight and shake up contents every few hours.
There will be a lot of liquid within a few hours as the salt draws out the moisture

lay strips on racks and air dry for 2 to 4 hours with fans.
Smoke with Alder chips until done. We like the salmon still somewhat moist inside.

 

[Sir Reel]

 

[Sir Reel]

Have also tried brushing on maple syrup halfway through the smoking process. It was good but not really needed.

We present these on a cracker with cream cheese and a blob of red pepper jelly. They are a hit every time!