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Candied salmon

Name: Candied salmon
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients: 1000 g skinless wild salmon fillet; 200 g dark brown sugar; 80 g coarse salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp smoked salt or a few drops liquid smoke; 80 ml maple syrup or honey; 2 tbsp brown sugar

British Columbia brown-sugar cured, slow-smoked salmon strips

Features:

High protein Dairy free Make ahead

Cuisine:

Canadian

Candied salmon, sometimes called salmon candy, comes from the First Nations smokehouses of British Columbia's coast, where strips of wild salmon are cured in salt and brown sugar, then slowly smoked and glazed until sticky, chewy and deep red. It is a snack for the trail, the fishing boat and the lunchbox. This home version cures the fish in the fridge and then cooks it low in the oven with a little smoked salt or liquid smoke, so it is fully cooked rather than cold-smoked. A common mistake is skipping the drying stage; the pellicle (a tacky skin) is what lets the glaze cling. Chef's tip: keep the oven low and steady; too hot and the fish weeps white albumen.

Total time: 210 min
Difficulty: hard
Serves: 8

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Ingredients

Serves8

For the cure

2 ¼ lb skinless wild salmon filletpin-boned, cut into 2 cm strips
7 oz dark brown sugar
2 ⅞ oz coarse salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked salt or a few drops liquid smoke (optional)

For the glaze

¼ cup maple syrup or honey
2 tbsp brown sugar

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Spices & pantry

Fresh ingredients (1)

skinless wild salmon fillet

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Method

0/7 done

Step 1: Mix 7 oz dark brown sugar, 2 ⅞ oz coarse salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp smoked salt or a few drops liquid smoke. Scatter a layer in a glass or plastic dish, lay in the 2 ¼ lb skinless wild salmon fillet strips and cover with the rest, making sure every strip is coated.
10 min
Step 2: Cover and cure in the fridge for 8–12 hours. The fish will release liquid and firm up.
720 min
Step 3: Rinse the strips quickly under cold water and pat completely dry with kitchen paper.
10 min
Step 4: Lay them on a rack over a tray and leave uncovered in the fridge for 1–2 hours, until the surface feels tacky and slightly glossy.
60 min
Step 5: Heat the oven to 80–194°F (no fan if possible). Mix ¼ cup maple syrup or honey and 2 tbsp brown sugar and brush over the strips.
5 min
Step 6: Dry-cook for 2½–3 hours, brushing with glaze every 45 minutes, until the strips are firm, dark, sticky and fully cooked; they should reach at least 145°F inside and flake when bent.
180 min
Step 7: Cool on the rack. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze.
30 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 220 kcal
Protein: 22 g
Carbs: 18 g
Fat: 7 g
Fibre: 0 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does candied salmon take?: About 210 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it gluten free?: Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Can I make it ahead?: Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of skinless wild salmon fillet?: Trout or any firm white fish, same weight (check white fish a little sooner).
What can I use instead of dark brown sugar?: White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.

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