Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Smokin Lucky


I used to have an electric Little Chief Smoker which I used for years to smoke fish. I had that smoker before Gary and I were married. I'd smoke trout I caught in California streams and salmon I got at fish markets in the San Francisco Bay Area. Later when Gary and I were married I'd smoke fish for us on occasion too. Folks raved about my smoked salmon and trout. Autumn seems the time of year I am called to smoke fish. Perhaps it's my Native American roots which unconsciously bring me back to preparing fish to preserve for the winter season.

Years later at a gathering in a former workplace I brought some of my smoked salmon with cream cheese on crackers, everyone raved about that smoked salmon and wanted to know how I made it. I told them about the brine I made and about my smoker. My boss asked to borrow my smoker, so I lent it out. A few months later half of the staff were laid off from that job, including myself. After months of calling to ask for it to be returned numerous times, I finally got my smoker back from my former boss. It was so dirty and damaged we had to throw it away. How could someone borrow something from me and return it in such poor condition? C'est la vie.

Since then for many years Gary and I dreamed of having another smoker to use but could never find another smoker like the one we had or justify the price of others we saw. Just the other day we looked at a few smokers at Lowe's but decided we didn't need to spend the money to purchase one.

I can't believe how lucky I am, sometimes it just boggles my mind. Gary and I went to a couple of estate sales last Friday hoping to add to our repertoire of items to sell at flea markets. At the first location we found this electric smoker for $12. This smoker was never used and sells new for about $300. We were going to sell it, but we decided to try it out just one time to see if it compared to our old smoker in quality.

A few weeks ago I purchased some salmon in the frozen section of wally world for not too much money (wild caught in USA - check labels carefully) putting it in the freezer to thaw out at a later date. We happened to have some hickory chips in bags we've had for years, saving them for that time when we got another smoker. I thawed out the salmon and put it on some tin foil and used some of those hickory chips I had from long ago. I smoked that salmon in less than an hours time in this new smoker. I didn't even make a brine. I just smoked the salmon the way it was.


Oh my goodness it was so good. Gary and I were in heaven eating that smoked salmon. It brings back so many memories of the smoked fish we used to eat in California. Thanks to the universe for this wonderful gift. We're keeping this smoker; sorry flea market junkies. I know this may seem like an insignificant happening, but to us it was a wondrous thing. Sometimes the little things in life make up for all the drudgery we wade through on a daily basis. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

17 comments:

  1. Electric smokers are an unknown world to me. I always assume they could not match smoking over wood and charcoal. Perhaps I should keep an eye out for an electric.......your salmon looks delicious.

    No guilt over keeping the smoker.....that's a pretty inexpensive treat.....besides think of it as an early present for whatever holiday(s) you celebrate.

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  2. Indeed a gift! Yum, love that smoked salmon! Many gifts...

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  3. Does not seem insignificant to me. Enjoy!

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  4. Hi Smartcat, thanks, we put hickory chips in the bottom which are real wood and they impart the flavor, was so delicious, this smoker works really well and much quicker than the one I used to have, this smoker was designed in New Zealand and it works like a charm. Yes, this was a real present for us, I still can't believe we almost thought of selling it.

    Hi Lori, thanks, that salmon was so good, maybe almost too much smoke flavor I'll cut down the smoke time to half next time, but oh so good and not having using the brine I don't have to worry about eating too much salt.

    Hi Dennis, thanks, it really wasn't insignificant, but well I'm not sure what I meant about that, just that the little things are sometimes the big things.

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  5. oh my! living right on the ocean and having lots of access to fresh fish and smoked fish...locals know the people who make good smoked fish. There's a woman who everyone knows makes the best...nothing like fresh smoked fish!

    we are kicking off crab season, but some really good smoked fish sounds delish right now!

    fantastic!

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  6. now i am craving smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers and slivers of red onion on crackers!!! your salmon looks delicious.
    jeff has an outdoor smoker, maybe next time he smokes a shoulder we will throw on some salmon.

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  7. Hi Linda, thanks, you are lucky where you live just like us, I lived in San Francisco in the late 70s and then the east bay for the early 80s, then moved to the Sierra where I then started to smoke the trout I would catch and also the Kokanee (landlocked salmon). The snow crabs are wonderful from fisherman's wharf and oh that sour dough french bread, I am drooling for them now. We have crab here but not the same as the West Coast. I might have some smoked salmon for breakfast - totally decadent. Ha.

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  8. Hi Michele, thanks, oh yeah the capers and the slivers of red onion, yummmy, I always have some capers in the frig, now I want some of that too, What kind of smoker does Jeff have? this one worked so well I can't believe our luck. Check out the frozen section at wally world for that salmon it isn't half bad for the price very reasonable.

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  9. Ahhh Linda you're sounding like an ALASKAN! Just about everybody either has a smoker or knows someone who does up here in Alaskaland. Usually they look like wooden outhouses in a backyard! But in the fall you can see and smell sweet streams of smoke coming from all of these little "outhouses!" We also can or jar our bounty to enjoy all year. The holidays wouldn't be the same without smoked salmon treats!

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  10. Hi Cindy, thanks, yes in my mind I envision Native Americans years ago all over our country smoking their fish tied to sticks strung across campfires and the smell of the smoke and fish wafting through the air.

    I smoked the salmon on the front porch because it's covered and has an outdoor plug, now even today the front porch smells like hickory smoke. Next time I'll set up a table outside, I am not sure the smell of hickory smoke is the best for he front entry. Ha.

    I remember we looked at a house in Sequim that had a concrete smoker in the back yard and we dreamed of owning that place but then it got cold and we left Washington state.

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  11. Synchronicity is a beautiful thing...how fabulous to have lucked upon such a delightful thing as a smoker..I am going to investigate electric smokers now...my dad has a big smoker outside where he uses charcoal, but I like the looks of this one...great story!

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  12. Hi Staci, thanks, yes synchronicity, we did miss some conga drums that my Gary would have liked by about two minutes, but such is life, Ha. The thing about this one that works better than the one I had before is the element gets real hot real fast and the food is smoked quickly. My little chief smoker I had to keep on for more than 10 hours which was kind of pain cause I didn't want to leave it running if I wasn't there. The manual says I can smoke chicken, vegetables, even cheese, can't wait to try them all.

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  13. I love your new smoker, what a lucky find indeed. The only place around here I can buy wild salmon is Whole Foods, for about $30. a lb. so I don't buy it often. When I go to visit my friend in British Columbia, she cooks salmon for me every day.

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  14. Hi Barbara, thanks, try the salmon at wallyworld in the frozen section it isn't half bad and the price is definitely right, it is a large fillet.

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  15. what a great post, we smoke fish in our family as well, we live in an area among many native people and smoked fish is a big cabin industry here, such wonderful memories you have.

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  16. Hi Laurie, thanks, I remember traveling to the Pacific Northwest and seeing lots of cabin industries up there by Native Americans; you've refreshed my memory of those.

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  17. hey Linda, Jeff has one of those big smokers that uses wood & charcoal. i don't know that brand it is.

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