Pellet Fan

Here's How I.... => Cook Fish and Seafood => Topic started by: MikeMcQ on October 01, 2019, 02:07:08 AM

Title: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: MikeMcQ on October 01, 2019, 02:07:08 AM
We first had a version of this for lunch at a restaurant in Mt. Angel, OR cooked on Traeger pellet smoker/grills 1990s. We LOVED it! Most everything on the menu was cooked on Traegers. We were on our way to select and buy my first pellet grill right at the Traeger production barn! Shortly after this was one of the dishes I began work on and it has become one of our hands down favorites. Made 'em way over a hundred times over the years.

Have made them with many different kinds of salmon including the King (Chinook) and Copper River. I ONLY buy wild caught salmon. The past decade or so for these I usually use Alaska wild caught Chum salmon I get a 10lb box of 6oz vac'd frozen boneless skinless portions for ~$45. While it's not the "top end" of salmon, it is pretty good AND @ ~$4.50/lb makes it very affordable to have salmon more often. It's also the salmon I use for Indian Candy.

2 6oz portions for 2 sandwiches for the 2 of us.
Going on the smoker seasoned with Lemon Pepper ~180f.
(https://i.imgur.com/MqEazJQ.jpg)

IT about 2 hours later time to come off. Raise smoker to 250f for second smoke finish coming up later.
(https://i.imgur.com/7BlKFvP.jpg)

I use sourdough hoagies. Faces grilled first in EVOO, butter and minced garlic.
(https://i.imgur.com/tCtrbvs.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XgcQ5X3.jpg)

The salmon salad is made with mayo, chopped dill pickle and green onion, some basil and bit of lemon juice.
(https://i.imgur.com/SXZ0AYd.jpg)

Spread out on the grilled hoagies
(https://i.imgur.com/BFkKkBU.jpg)

Then topped with Tillamook Sharp cheddar
(https://i.imgur.com/BxdXRzO.jpg)

Onto the 250f smoker they go!
(https://i.imgur.com/ouVICTz.jpg)

10 minutes or so later the cheese is melting and off they come. Note this also toasts the crust a bit. :)
(https://i.imgur.com/WIEtI1k.jpg)

Enjoy!
(https://i.imgur.com/qqFzCuT.jpg)
Title: Re: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: MikeMcQ on October 01, 2019, 01:34:25 PM
A very good...here is How.  Just an FYI, viewed from my laptop, the photos are so large, all I see is the upper left corner of each photo, they are that large.
Hmmm I've resized them all to 40% of what they were, reuploaded to my server and they show the smaller size in the directory but still display large. So I deleted all the img links here, saved, put them back in and saved, and grrrr still showing large! Grrr. Tested downloaded file from the server and is the smaller size. Guess may take time to repropagate the new sizes to the web.
Title: Re: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: MikeMcQ on October 01, 2019, 05:24:34 PM
And I am not savvy enough in IT to even help you.  If it was being done from a phone, there are a couple of threads I could tell you to search for to help, but I believe this is a size issue and I believe you have addressed that.  I am gonna copy one and see how it comes out on imgur.
Thanks for the imgur tip. I like how you can auto resize an image when you upload it! Much better now.  :clap:
Title: Re: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: jdmessner on October 13, 2019, 12:33:02 AM
That looks really good. I will be experimenting with that! I have been looking for a good salmon recipe for a large dinner my wife ad I do around Christmas. If it the sandwich was cut in small slices I think it would make an excellent appitizer. I am assuming you could do the inital cook a day ahead of time and finish it off just before serving. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: MikeMcQ on October 13, 2019, 02:49:50 AM
That looks really good. I will be experimenting with that! I have been looking for a good salmon recipe for a large dinner my wife ad I do around Christmas. If it the sandwich was cut in small slices I think it would make an excellent appitizer. I am assuming you could do the inital cook a day ahead of time and finish it off just before serving. Thanks for sharing.
Indeed made them night before last with vac' sealed smoked salmon from the freezer.
Title: Re: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: ofelles on October 13, 2019, 12:00:06 PM
That goes on my must do list.  Thanks.
Title: Re: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: Bentley on October 13, 2019, 04:36:32 PM
May not matter to you or you may not like the technique.  If you brine the salmon, even for as little as 20 minutes in a 6% solution, it should keep the fat from purging form the meat.  I dont eat salmon, but I am gonna assume it is just like beef and fat is flavor in the meat.


(https://i.imgur.com/7BlKFvP.jpg)

Title: Re: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: jdmessner on October 13, 2019, 08:02:58 PM
My not matter to you or you may not like the technique.  If you brine the salmon, even for as little as 20 minutes in a 6% solution, it should keep the fat from purging form the meat.  I dont eat salmon, but I am gonna assume it is just like beef and fat is flavor in the meat.



Great tip! Just my luck I read it 15 min. AFTER I put the salmon on the grill!! :-[ This is just a test batch will try a brine next time.
Title: Re: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: jdmessner on October 17, 2019, 05:01:39 PM
The open face sandwiches turned out great. It is going on the holiday menu. However, I will try the brine for my next trial run.

I did learn a couple of things along the way. The first thing was that hot dog buns don't work to well. S :-[omething a little more substantial is needed.

The second thing was that after 28+ years of marriage, I discovered my wife does not like cheddar cheese! Since I don't eat cheese much any more, I asked her if we had any cheddar to top the sandwich off with. She informed me that the only reason she ever bought cheddar was because I liked it. I was quite surprised, but also touched that she would do that for me. However, when I think of all the things I've made for her through the years, I wouldn't have been offended if she had mentioned it earlier!!
Title: Re: Twice smoked salmon salad and cheddar open face sandwiches
Post by: MikeMcQ on April 30, 2023, 03:38:34 AM
I did learn a couple of things along the way. The first thing was that hot dog buns don't work to well. S :-[omething a little more substantial is needed.
My post I noted sourdough hoagies. Both for the more substantial base but also part of the flavor profile.