Lox (Smoked Salmon)

One of my hubby’s favorite things is lox on a bagel with cream cheese and tomato. I am not a fan of the lox but not long ago he bought a chunk of fresh salmon. I was able to smoke it into some lox for him using this recipe. This is a Scottish-style lox because it is cold smoked with a salt and sugar brine. I don’t want to call it Nova lox because this salmon probably came from somewhere other than Nova Scotia.

Ingredients

• Fresh salmon that has been cleaned, de-boned and skinned (raw, not cooked)
• 1/2 – 1 cup of non-iodized salt (I like course sea salt or kosher salt)
• 1/2 – 1 cup brown sugar
• 2-4 tablespoons of liquid smoke

In a bowl mix together the salt, sugar and liquid smoke (this mixture is called the brine). The consistency should be like wet sand that you would use to build a sand castle.

Take the salmon and place it on a board or on a plate and use about 1/2 of the brine and press it onto the top of the fish.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap down and then carefully turn the fish onto it brine side down (careful to leave the brine on the fish).

Take the rest of the brine and press it onto the other side of the fish.

Tightly wrap the fish in the plastic wrap and then put another piece of plastic wrap around it (double wrap it tightly).

Put the fish in an air tight container and place it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to cure.

After the fish has cured carefully remove it from the container and the plastic wrap and brush off the brine. Lightly rinse the fish.

Slice the fish and enjoy it on a bagel with cream cheese.

Note: the fish will stay fresh and should be eaten within 3 days of curing. Store it in the refrigerator between uses.