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.

Planked Salmon with Ginger Mirin Mayonnaise

This is a wonderful recipe.  I ended up not soaking the cedar plank long enough and it burned a bit.  This meant that I turned down the temperature of the BBQ and the salmon got a beautiful smoked flavour.  I also couldn't find Mirin and substituted it with white wine.  The wasabi I had to go to Barrie to get.  So this was quite an adventure, but I was very happy with it.  From Food and Drink Summer 2011.

1 kg salmon fillet on the skin

MARINADE
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup rice wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp wasabi paste
2 tsp chopped ginger
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper (I skipped the salt)

GINGER-MIRIN MAYONNAISE
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp pickled ginger, chopped

1. Soak a plank in water for 1 hour
2. Place salmon in a dish or bag.  Combine mirin, rice wine, soy sauce, wasabi, ginger and sugar.  Pour over salmon and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat grill to high.
4. Place plank on hot grill and let smoke, 3 to 4 minutes.  Turn over before placing fish on plank.
5. Remove salmon from marinade, reserving marinade, and season with salt and pepper.  Place salmon on plank, skin side down, and grill for 15 to 20 minutes or until white juices begin to appear.  The salmon should be slightly pink in the centre.
6. For mayonnaise, place reserved marinade in a skillet and bring to boil.  Boil until reduced to about 2 tbsp, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Strain liquid and combine with mayonnaise and pickled ginger.
7. Remove salmon to serving platter and serve sauce on the side.

Smoked Salmon Terrine

I made this and brought to a friends house for a Christmas get together.  Unfortunately I didn't realize she didn't eat fish :)  While my husband, myself and another friend enjoyed this wonderful hors d'ouevre she nearly gagged!  Ahhh well I tried.  I really liked the way this came out.  Make sure your salmon is sliced thinly and of good quality.  It makes all the difference.  Serve with the Potato Chips recipe preceding this or a good quality cracker.  The original recipe from Food and Drink 2000 called for cooked spinach but I elected for raw baby spinach instead.

500g Cream cheese
2 tbsp chopped dill
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Salt to taste
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 cup chopped baby spinach
2 tsp lemon juice
500 g smoked salmon, thinly sliced

GARNISH:
Watercress leaves
Dill sprigs

1. Combine cream cheese, dill, green onions, salt and pepper.  Remove one third of mixture and combine with spinach.  Season spinach mixture with lemon juice.
2. Place plastic wrap in loaf pan coming up over the sides.  Divide salmon into 4 portions.  Place a single layer of smoked salmon on base of loaf pan.  Top with half of cream cheese mixture, a second layer of salmon, all of spinach mixture, a third layer of salmon, the remaining cream cheese and finish with the remaining salmon.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and place a weight on top.  Refrigerate overnight or until ready to serve.  Turn out, remove plastic wrap and garnish with watercress and dill.
4. Slice gently with a serrated knife.  Cut slices into smaller pieces and serve on top of potato chips or alongside crackers.