Brined Smoked Salmon with Potato Salad and Green Tartar Sauce

This recipe was fabulous.  I made a couple of changes to the original from Food and Drink 2014 recipe by only soaking it for about half the time in the brine and using skinless salmon.

BRINE
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup hot water
3 cups cold water
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
4 pieces salmon fillet (I used skinless)
2 tsp vegetable oil

GREEN TARTAR SAUCE
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced celery
1 tbsp chopped capers
1 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped chervil
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tsp lemon juice
Pinch cayenne
Salt to taste

POTATO SALAD
250 g mini gold potatoes
250 g mini brown potatoes
250 g mini purple potatoes

1. Add salt and sugar to hot water and stir until dissolved.  Stir in cold water, bay leaves and peppercorns.  Place salmon in a baking dish.  When liquid is cool, pour over salmon.  The fish should be submerged in the brining liquid.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Remove salmon from brine and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Preheat grill to high.  Add smoking packages (wrap 2 cups wood chips in foil. Poke holes in foil and add to barbecue before you reduce heat.) Turn off 2 burners and reduce heat to 225 to 275 F.
3. Rub the salmon with vegetable oil.  Place on the side of the grill that is turned off.  Close lid and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until white juices begin to appear.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  
4. Combine all the tartar sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and reserve.
5. Bring potatoes to a boil in a large of of salted water.  Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 15 min.  Drain and let cool.  Slice potatoes in half and then mix with 1/3 cup tartar sauce.  
6. Serve cold or hot.

Fresh Rosemary Pork Roast With Vidalia Onions and Rose Wine Sauce

Posting this for you Kristin!

This recipe came from Food & Drink Early Summer 2011.  I changed the pork roast for two pork tenderloins and they were in the brine for about 4 hours longer than the recipe calls for (I didn't want to get up at 1 am to take them out).  It turned out beautifully!  Do not skimp on the fresh Rosemary with dried.  It just won't come out the same.  This is the second time I have used a brine and I have had success both times.  It is an easy way to make your roast/bird tender and juicy.

Brine
8 cups cold tap water, divided
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Roast
2 to 3 lbs (1 to 1.5 kg) well trimmed boneless pork loin roast
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups diced Vidalia or other sweet onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Sauce
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 to 2 tbsp butter
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup rose wine
1 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary

1. Heat 2 cups water mixed with salt and sugar until very warm; stir to dissolve salt and sugar.  Meanwhile, place loin in a large casserole dish big enough to hold it and water, such as a 13 x 9 inch dish; pour in remaining cold tap water.  Add warm sugar and salt water.  Cover; refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.  (If longer time is needed, refrigerate in brine for up to 12 hours; then drain.  Return to drained dish; refrigerate until needed, up to half a day.)
2. Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat until hot.  Add onion; reduce heat to medium-low.  Saute, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until onion is lightly golden and much reduced in volume.  Stir in garlic.  Remove from heat; put a third of onions into a small dish.  Reserve these for sauce.  Mix parsley, rosemary, black pepper and salt into remaining onions.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F.
4. Drain loin; discard brine.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Lay roast on cutting board.  Horizontally stab a boning knife into centre of 1 end, carefully working knife back and forth to form a slash that comes within 1 inch of either side.  Turn roast and do same from other side.  Work knife carefully so slash goes completely through length of loin.
5. Switching ends back and forth as needed, stuff rosemary-onion mixture into loin slit.  (roast can be covered and refrigerated for up to half a day.)
6. Heat a large heavy frying pan capable of going into the oven (cast iron is best) until hot, over medium-high heat.  Beginning fat-side down, brown pork about 2 minutes per side.  Place in oven, fat side up.
7. Bake 50 minutes; if roast is browning too much, loosely cover with a piece of foil.  Check internal temperature with an instant read thermometer.  As needed, continue baking another 10 to 20 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 145 to 150 F (allow additional roasting time for made ahead chilled stuffed roast.)  Remove roast to cutting board; tent with foil while making sauce.
8. Sprinkle flour over pan dripping; add butter as needed to mostly dissolve flour.  Place pan over medium heat; slowly stir in a mixture of broth and wine.   Mixture will be lumpy.  Bring to a boil; let bubble several minutes or until desired thickness.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Stir in any juices released by tented roast.
9. Strain gravy, discarding solids; stir in reserved onions and final tsp of rosemary.  Taste and add seasonings as needed.  Slice roast a generous 1/4 inch thick, laying slices as cut onto warm serving plates.  Drizzle with a bit of sauce; pass remaining sauce at the table.

Generously serves 6 to 8.