Smoked Salmon - Indian Candy Style

[MrHoss]

Have not done these babies in some time and wild salmon is as cheap or cheaper than the farmed stuff so I am having at it. The meat was far to pretty to pass on. So I removed as many pin bones as I could and skinned the halves then made a brine out of salt, demerara brown sugar, honey, 3 large crushed garlic cloves, a lot of dark maple syrup and water:



I have done 2 batches slightly staggered in time.  The first batch started used most of the brine and the second batch used the augmented...I added more of everything as well as some garlic sriracha paste for a change.  The salmon went about 12 hours in the brine then I placed toothpicks through one end and threaded the toothpick thorough a suspended rack.  I have the racks in an air conditioned room with a couple fans close in:

This batch is fresh out the brine:



And this one is about 9 hours in front of the fans:





The hardware on the flyers is to keep the paper down in the windstorm I am using to air cure this stuff.  This stuff will be cooked tomorrow at about 110f to start then I'll ramp it up to 180f or so till till I get an internal of 135f.  I have made grown men swear at how good this is.  I'll add shots when I cook it up.

[truckertrash]

Wow that looks incredible! Lookin forward to cookup pics. For now i will google demarara sugar 

[Craig]

Nice!! Looking forward to the cook. Keep us posted.

[MrHoss]

Cook is now on.  Batch 1 just before removing from rack - these went 18 hours in the brine and 24 hours in front of the fans:



When held up in front of the sun you can see through these babies:



Batch 2 - went about 10 hours in the brine and 17 hours in the windstorm:





Just before hitting the WSM I call SmokeZilla:



My setup for the day....I stacked 2 middle sections on the WSM so as to keep my temps down...works like a charm:



I am running a combo of white oak and apple chunks with Kingsford blue briquettes added already lit.  Fifteen are giving me temps about 120-125f.  I figure I'll cool smoke it for about 3 hours then crank the heat up to 185f to finish.  Done is 135f internal.  Gonna spritz with a combo of water, dark maple syrup and Bowmore Single Malt Scotch.

[1buckie]

That's not just Candy Style....it is CANDY !!!!


Wow....that looks great !!!!!

[Troy]

Wowsss!!!
I don't think I've ever eaten anything like that. It's Indian?

[MrHoss]

I don't think I've ever eaten anything like that. It's Indian?

From what I understand it is a tradition on the west coast of Canada amongst the Native Americans.  Way back when it was made with water, honey, salt and maple syrup.  You can do this with any meat...I am told that salmon and beef candy are popular out in British Columbia.  I was introduced to it about 20 years ago and when I got into smoking food a couple years ago I went and found a video on youtube and more or less followed the recipie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhef6s7uyk8

[SixZeroFour]

You're bang on Hoss, all types of salmon is hugely popular here on the west coast and in many parts on the PNW.

I've seen a lot of Candied Salmon in my day and I must say yours is looking superb! I can taste the sweetness through the monitor!

Anyone who hasn't tasted this stuff is truly missing out! It has very little seafood taste at all, more like a really soft beef jerky with LOADS of flavour - just sweet honey/candy goodness. Oh man I'm starving.

[MrHoss]

All done:





I ground up some black pepper corns and granulated garlic in the mortar and pestle and sprinkled the salmon pieces lightly:



"Damned Good, Served Here".

[SixZeroFour]

Post a couple pieces of that up in the member sales and trades section and you'll fill your garage with rare kettles Looks really good!

[Idahawk]

I'm all over this , fantastic looking salmon , I assume a guy do the same with steelhead .......thanks for a killer cook !!!!!!!!!!

[Weber MD]

Sweet!

[truckertrash]

This is the definition of food prOn!  thanks for shareing"

[Craig]

And.....I'm hungry! Looks amazing.

[MrHoss]

This stuff is good when warm off of the smoker but you MUST wait.  I let it sit out for about an hour then put it in the fridge uncovered for about 10 minutes...THEN you can try some. My version of Indian Candy tastes best at about room temperature.  But the best way to have it is after a night in the fridge.  I believe the flavours comingle and set overnight.  So I pull em out of the fridge and let them sit out at room temp for 30 minutes or so then snack.

Here we are after a night in the fridge and 30 minutes at room temp:









The centre section of these babies hold moisture and the thicker sections the salmon folds apart.  The thinner sections are permeated with the maple syrup/honey/brown sugar mix and it really is soft jerky.  This mix of moister fold-apart meat and jerky is what makes this stuff well worth the 2 and half day effort.  If I were to take the internal temp past 135f it would in measures turn into jerky.

A thicker piece pulled apart:



Hope I did not add too many photos here boys.  This stuff looks so damn good though - I have one of the shots as my desktop shot right now.  But as good as this stuff looks.....it tastes at least twice as good.