Smoked Salmon Yuzu
A fresh and elegant smoked salmon where the exotic-floral citrus note of Japanese yuzu fruit takes center stage. The cure with yuzu zest and juice creates a bright, aromatic profile that is wonderfully enhanced by the gentle alder wood smoke aroma. This salmon is excellent as a sushi topping or on a baguette with crème fraîche.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparing the Cure
10 minutesFinely zest the yuzu and freshly squeeze the juice. Combine salt, sugar, white pepper, yuzu zest, yuzu juice, and mirin in a bowl until the salt and sugar have partially dissolved, forming a creamy mixture.
Curing
12 hoursPlace the salmon skin-side down in a shallow dish. Spread the curing mixture on the flesh side and cover with plastic wrap. Cure in the refrigerator. Spoon the forming brine liquid over the salmon every 3–4 hours.
Drying
3-4 hoursGently rinse the salmon with cold water, remove all residue, and dry very thoroughly with paper towels. Place on a rack in the refrigerator uncovered for 3–4 hours until a clear, sticky pellicle has formed.
Cold Smoking and Maturing
8-10 hours + 12 hours restingMix alder wood chips with a small proportion of lemon wood chips (approx. 10%). Keep the smoker very carefully below 20 °C and smoke the salmon for 8–10 hours. Then wrap in parchment paper and mature in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Pro Tip
Fresh yuzu has limited seasonal availability – high-quality bottled yuzu juice or yuzu kosho (Japanese paste) are good alternatives. Lemon wood in the smoker should only be used as a supplement, as it is very intense and can easily overpower the salmon.
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