This Month: A fast, lower-carb version of Eggplant Parmigiana; and Crab Soup, from my ‘Land of Pleasant Living’.
-JT
Did we ever decide what size Instapot I should buy?
Salmon Season here in Alaska
Smoked Salmon
First you need to get your fish!
Always use fresh and wild Salmon. Farmed fish are badly colored, loaded with dyes, hormones and turn to mush in your smoker!
Last weekend was the height of the red (Sockeye) salmon run, (I brought home a bunch) they can be caught with a fly in fresh water spawning areas or dip-netted on the tidal flats. Fish average 8 - 14 pounds.
Start by taking good care of your catch and getting it cleaned and processed and on ice asap. Dispose of the gut pile responsively! (Bear country) Best places are in a bear proof dumpster or your liberal neighbors front flower beds!
Filet your salmon and pick the rib bones out of its flesh.
Roll your filets in a 50/50 mixture of salt and brown sugar and lay them out overnight in a cool, critter free environment.
Set your smoker at 250 degrees and place the racks of Salmon inside. The ideal wood to use is Alder.
Smoking time is variable and is a function of the humidity (don’t smoke in the rain!) and generally takes 3 - 6 hours.
Salmon should be a beautiful caramel brown and flake easily with a fork.
Keeps a couple of weeks fresh, 6 months frozen and practically forever when canned.
METHOD Cook to simmer on med 2 c ea h/cream, HnH, cup milk. Add
cup ea fine-diced potatoes, carrots, 1/2 lb lump crabmeat, 1/2 c fresh corn
kernels, s/p; simmer/stir/softn veg on low 15 mins. Add cornstarch slurry,
cup clam broth; BTB. Stir/boil/thicken a min.
FINAL Just before serving, stir in minced scallions/dill, tbl Pernod.
SERVE w/ a dusting of paprika.