Smoked salmon at home

1. Carefully select the small bones from the salmon fillet. It is best to do this with tweezers. We run our hand over the surface of the fillet, if we feel the presence of bones, we extract them. The bones in the carcass are at an angle, so be sure to stick to one direction at the right angle so as not to damage the integrity of the carcass.

2. And now we cut each part of the fillet across into three parts. Smaller pieces are more convenient to work with. Although you can leave them whole if desired.

3. Pour the water into a saucepan, send it to the fire. When the water boils, we put a bay leaf in it, add honey, pour salt and sugar. Stir, let all the ingredients dissolve. Garlic is cleaned, sent to the brine. Let cool to room temperature.

4. We put the salmon fillets in a glass or plastic container. It should be laid out so that the side with the skin is up. Fill the fish with brine. Since salmon tends to float to the surface, this position will allow the meat to remain in the brine.

5. Leave the fillets in the brine for 30 minutes. If desired, salmon can be kept in brine for longer. Only this is for a saltier option.

6. After the specified time, we remove the fish from the brine and wash it under running water. Dry with paper towels. Then we put the salmon fillet on the grill and leave it in a cool place outdoors for at least 2 hours. When the fish dries, its surface becomes sticky - ideal for smoking.

7. The chips are soaked in water during the last half hour of the fish drying time. Then we place the chips in the smoker, put the salmon on the grill. We light the fire. We smoke salmon until they acquire a beautiful golden color.

You can serve such fish on the table immediately after cooking. Or cool to room temperature, wrap tightly in foil, store in the refrigerator for 3 days. Smoked salmon can also be frozen in an airtight bag for longer storage.