Hot Smoked Coho Salmon
This Coho comes to us from our friends at Kenai Red Fish Co., whose care for their catch mirrors the reverence we bring to our vines. There’s a quiet luxury in their fish—wild, vibrant, and full of the cold, clean waters of Alaska. When gently brined and kissed with woodsmoke, it transforms into something both rustic and refined.
Chef Clayton Allen
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 lb coho salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed
Brine:
4 cups cold water
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
2 thin lemon slices (optional)
Smoking wood: cedar, apple, or cherry
Method
Warm 1 cup of water with salt and sugar just until dissolved. Remove from heat, add remaining cold water and aromatics, then chill completely.
Submerge salmon in the cold brine, cover, and refrigerate for 4–6 hours.
Rinse gently, pat dry, and rest on a wire rack in the refrigerator, uncovered, 1–2 hours.
Prepare smoker at 180–200°F, adding wood of choice.
Smoke salmon, skin side down, until the thickest part reaches 135°F—usually 45–90 minutes.
Rest 10 minutes. Serve warm, or chill and enjoy later with a glass of crisp rosé or Chardonnay.