Recipe: Maple Cured Hot Smoked Salmon

Maple Cured Hot Smoked Salmon

4 salmon filets, 5 to 6 ounces each
1 cup maple syrup for every 1 pound/ 450 g of salmon
1/2 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon butter

Note: You will need approximately 4 cups of wood chips (preferably maple) and a "home smoker".

Remove any skin from the salmon fillets and trim so the filets are roughly equal in size. Pour the maple syrup into a shallow baking dish that the fish just barely fit in. Lay the salmon filets in the mixture. Lightly salt the fish, turn to coat, and season other side. Chill covered for 24 hours.

Set up "home smoker" according to manufacturer's instructions. When chips are hot and smoking, place filets on the rack and cover. When the smoke subsides, remove the filets.

Heat butter in a fry pan over high heat. Fry fillets briefly on both sides until uniform in colour and just heated through, five to six minutes in total.