【Surprisingly easy!?】How to make homemade cold smoked salmon with 100 yen tools.

Previously, when I attempted to smoke salmon, I reflected on how the heat from the smoke wood cooked it too much. This time, I challenged myself to try cold smoking to improve! I used almost all tools from a 100 yen shop, except for the smoke wood.

Last time, the temperature was too high during hot smoking

Last time, when I tried making smoked salmon for the first time in preparation for a camping project, the taste was good, but the fish was overcooked. After researching, I learned that there are two smoking methods: hot smoking and cold smoking, and that if I aimed for a moist, rare finish, I needed to use cold smoking with ice or ice packs.

Preparation for smoked salmon using cold smoking

I started making smoked salmon using cold smoking. The ingredients needed for preparation are as follows.

【Ingredients】
Salmon sashimi (200g)
Salt 2 teaspoons
Sugar ½ teaspoon
Pepper to taste

Basically, cold smoking and hot smoking only differ in the temperature applied to the ingredients, and I could say that the methods and materials are almost the same.

The steps are not difficult.

【Steps】
・Sprinkle the mixed seasoning all over, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the refrigerator for about half a day to dehydrate.
・Rinse off the surface seasoning and soak in water for 1 hour to remove salt.
・Dry without covering in the refrigerator for more than 3 hours to complete the preparation.

However, the key point in cold smoking starts here.

Cold Smoking Points

As before, I will use two smoke woods and two bowls (21cm) from Daiso, along with two grilling nets (15cm) from Daiso.

The key point is that you need to place ice between the smoke wood and the ingredients for cold smoking. This time, I had a cast iron plate (about 3cm deep) that fits into the bowl, so I decided to use it. The iron plate is black, which makes the ice appear gray.

To place the ice plate, I slightly bent the corners of the grilling net to position it as low as possible, and it ended up in a perfect position. I placed another grilling net on top of the ice plate and it was ready to go.

If the smoke wood is too large, the part that catches fire may get too close to the ingredients, so I broke it into smaller pieces, about 1cm wide.

By the way, smoke chips, which need to be heated from below, are not suitable for cold smoking, so be careful not to confuse them.

I placed the salmon and monitored the temperature, but I could feel the cold air from the ice, and it seemed like there wouldn't be any increase in temperature. The temperature was also quite cool at 24 degrees, which has a positive effect on cold smoking. I left it for an hour from here.

The result is a stunningly finished smoked salmon

Here is the cut smoked salmon. The salmon is slightly cold and has not been cooked at all. It has been enhanced only with the aroma of smoke, adding to its dried state. Even when thinly sliced with a knife, the flesh does not fall apart, and it looks perfect.

When I tried it together with a highball, the good aroma of smoke matched the flavor of the salmon, making the taste ideal. While it feels slightly less salty than hot smoked due to the remaining moisture, it is just the right balance.

It seems that most commercially available smoked salmon is just soaked in a flavored liquid with smoke aroma, and very few are actually smoked. If you want to enjoy the authentic taste easily, homemade is recommended. The cost of ingredients other than the main ingredients is low, and it's very simple, so please give it a try.

Reporting and text by Kazuma Tanaka

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