Smoked Salmon with Mustard and Dill

I tried this recipe back in September when I had the smoker fired up for our Labor Day barbecue. It was delicious; I'm thinking about trying it on the grill in the next week or so. It's a different texture than the cold-cured smoked salmon you buy for your bagel, but still flavorful enough to spread on that bagel or some crackers. Try it and see what you think. (It's also a great start to the world of smoking...you'll love the additional layers of flavor that technique can bring to your food.)


Smoked Salmon with Mustard and Dill
From Cooking Light magazine.
Makes four servings.


2 cups wood chips (maybe a more "delicate" wood like cherry or alderwood)
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons sweet-hot mustard (such as Inglehoffer)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (1 1/2-pound) salmon fillet
Cooking spray

Soak wood chips in water 30 minutes; drain.

Combine dill, lemon juice, mustard, and salt, stirring well. Place salmon, skin side down, in a shallow baking dish; brush mustard mixture over salmon. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
Prepare the grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to low and leaving one side with no heat.


Maintain temperature at 200° to 225°.

Place wood chips on hot coals. (Use aluminum foil to protect burners if you're using a gas grill.) Place a disposable aluminum foil pan on unheated side of grill. Pour 2 cups water in pan.


Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill. Place salmon, skin side down, on grill rack over foil pan on unheated side. Close lid; cook 35 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.