Mesquite Smoked Salmon

Each time I purchase salmon from Shellys Seafood in Homosassa, Gary wants me to make teriyaki salmon. This time I got two large fillets of salmon so I could finally make some smoked salmon. The salmon we get comes from Scotland and is considered some of the best salmon in the world, sushi grade. I venture to guess it rivals the Pacific salmon. My palate detects a slight difference in flavor and texture. Pacific salmon is firmer and has a wilder taste. Salmon from Scotland has a softer texture and a sweeter taste. Each is equally good, just different. 

I decided to use mesquite wood because hickory didn't seem like the best choice  for salmon. I marinated the salmon over night in the refrigerator with vinegar, olive oil, juice of one lime, brown sugar, minced garlic, dash of soy sauce, cardamom, cumin, thyme, and sea salt. After marinating I drained it well and let it sit to form a glaze on the surface.

I placed the salmon fillet on aluminum foil on the rack in our Anuka smoker. I filled the tray with mesquite chips and smoked it for 30 minutes. The lime gave the perfect amount of tartness to the flavor.

I served the smoked salmon with crisp crackers on my new leaf plates. I could have added a bit of cream cheese and red onion, but somehow I like to savor the flavor of the salmon without enhancement. The leaf plates are available in my Etsy Pottery Shop. They stack well and can be used to serve snacks, for a soap dish, candle holder, spoon rest and any number of uses. They are food and dishwasher safe. Several purchased at the same time will receive a discount because they can be shipped together. This post is part of the Mud Colony what's happening in the studio. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.