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Salmon: Smoked Salmon Tacos

Cooks Country America's Test Kitchen

The original recipe is from Jim Ruddell's Smokehouse in Cayucos, a little surf town north of Morro Bay.
For a heartier meal, serve on a grilled hoagie roll

Ingredients

Brine

  • 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbls. c. kosher salt
  • 1 lb. skin-on salmon fillet, cut into four equal pieces

Apricot Glaze

  • 1 Tbls. good quality apricot preserves
  • 1 t. warm water

Gourmet Sauce

  • 1/4 c. Hellman’s mayonnaise with olive oil
  • 2 Tbls. spicy brown mustard
  • 1 t. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/8 t. ground cumin

Apple Slaw

  • 1 small granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 celery rib, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, shredded
  • 1 green onion, diced

To Assemble

  • 6 flour tortillas, warmed
  • 2 red & green leaf lettuce, chopped
  • 1 tomatoes, sliced or chopped
  • hot sauce, optional

Instructions

Prepare Salmon: Combine sugar and salt in a bowl. Place salmon on a casserole dish and top with the sugar-salt mixture evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 4 hours, or up to 24 hours, in the refrigerator. You can use a Ziplock bag instead of a casserole dish.

Gourmet Sauce: Whisk gourmet sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and chill until ready to use.

Slaw: About 1 hour before serving, combine apple, celery, carrot and green onion in a bowl and chill.

Apricot Glaze: Mix apricot preserves with water. Warm in microwave for just a few seconds, to thin.

Smoke Salmon: Use hickory chips for smoking. Set smoker to 250 degrees.

Remove salmon from brine and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Brush tops and sides of salmon fillets evenly with apricot mixture.

Place fillets, skin side down, on cooler side of grill, with thicker ends facing fire. Smoke, skin side down, about 30-35 minutes (done at 135 degrees).

Transfer salmon to a serving platter. Remove skin from salmon and discard. Cut salmon into bite-sized pieces.

Assemble Taco: Warm tortillas on a grill (wrap in foil) or in microwave for a few seconds on a plate.

Spread with gourmet sauce, topped with the apple slaw, salmon, leaf lettuce and tomatoes. Add hot sauce, if desired and enjoy.

NOTE: Makes 6 tacos