Smoked Salmon Candy

Jennifer Hess gave me this recipe many years ago. Hess worked at the Icy Waters Ltd. inland Arctic char farm near Whitehorse, and taught me a lot about smoking fish. She says, “There are hundreds of recipes for smoked fish candy, but this one is basic and good.” For smoking I use a Bradley 4-shelf model with a separate oven control. But a simpler model such as True North will also work; the temperature gets up to about 165˚ F. If you don’t have a smoker, try adding a bit of liquid smoke (use a brand that contains just smoke and water) to the brown sugar and baking your candy in a 170˚ F oven for about 2 hours. Or follow online instructions for modifying your barbecue into a temporary smoker.

By Michele Genest | February 13, 2024

Ingredients

SERVINGS: Makes about 1½ pounds

2 pounds sockeye salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed
2 quarts fresh, cold water
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 pound brown sugar

Preparation

Make a brine by whisking the salt vigorously into the water until it dissolves. Cut the fish into 1-inch slices. Immerse the slices in brine for 15 minutes—use a plate to keep them from bobbing up. Drain, pat dry, and transfer to a bowl.

Pour sugar over top and work the mixture gently with your hands, turning the fish so each piece is thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours. Every couple of hours, turn the fish, bringing up the grainy sludge from the bottom of the bowl and incorporating it into the mix.

Remove the salmon from the cure and pat dry. Arrange the salmon pieces on a rack set over a baking tray and let dry for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge, uncovered.

When you’re ready to smoke, get the smoker going for 15 to 20 minutes so the fish will go into a preheated, smoky environment. Set the temperature at 120˚ F to start with. Oil two fine-meshed smoker screens (you can find these at hardware stores) with a neutral oil like canola or grapeseed. This step is crucial—the candy is so sticky that it adheres to the screen like glue.

Place oiled screens on a couple of baking sheets to catch the drips en route to the smoker, and arrange the pieces of salmon with space between them.

Place candy in smoker. After 1 hour at 120˚ F, brush the salmon pieces liberally with birch syrup and increase temperature to 140˚ F. After 30 minutes, brush with birch syrup again, and increase temperature to 165˚ F. After 30 minutes, check for doneness—if you like a softer, more juicy texture, the salmon could be ready now. (The food safety rule is an internal temperature of 145˚ F.) Remove the salmon from the smoker, brush with birch syrup once more, and let cool to room temperature.

If you prefer a drier, chewier texture, smoke salmon for another 30 to 90 minutes, brushing with birch syrup at each 30-minute mark and brushing again one last time before cooling.

Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months. Eat salmon candy as is (it’s a great road trip snack), crumble into spaghetti Alfredo, combine with avocado and cucumber in sushi rolls, or serve with chèvre and green onions on crackers.