Hot-Smoked Salmon and Chipotle Crema

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: about 24 hors d'oeuvres
  • Total: 1 hr 15 min
  • Prep: 20 min
  • Inactive: 30 min
  • Cook: 25 min
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Ingredients

Salmon:

Mesquite chips

1 tablespoon whole coriander seed

2 teaspoons whole cumin seed

1 teaspoon whole allspice berries

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skin on

Chipotle Crema:

1/4 cup creme fraiche

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

3/4 teaspoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lime juice

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For serving: Corn tortillas, black bread, or cucumber slices, as desired.

Directions

Special equipment:
Stovetop smoker
  1. Salmon: Soak wood chips in a large bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes. Toast the whole spices in a small skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about 1 minute. Cool and grind in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder. Add the salt and set aside. Rub the salmon thoroughly with 3/4 teaspoon of the rub and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Save extra spice rub in a sealed container for up to 3 months.)
  2. Drain the chips and scatter in the bottom of the stovetop smoker. Heat the chips over medium-low heat until smoky, about 10 minutes. Cook the salmon, covered and skin side down, on a rack in the smoker, until just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set aside on a rack to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate if not serving right away.
  3. Crema: Stir all the the ingredients together to make a smooth sauce.
  4. Cut or flake the salmon into even portions. Serve salmon with warmed corn tortillas, or on black bread or sliced cucumbers with a drizzle of the chipotle crema.

Let's Get Cooking!

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llmcc16837

I prepared this as a main dish, layering shredded lettuce, cooked white rice, black beans, flaked salmon, and topped with the chipotle crema. I used the rub on the salmon, covered it with foil, and baked it in the oven at 350 for approximately 15 minutes. The oven made this recipe easier to prepare. My husband is not a big fan of rice or salmon, but thought that this dish was delicious. When I am hungry for salmon, I will definitely make this again.

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