I never thought of myself as a smoker – but I suppose that I am. Not in the sense of a manly man that rides up on his horse with a cigarette in his mouth, but a backyard dude with a brew in hand who smokes food on his barbecue. With that said, let’s get smoking!

As with any smoking process, first is the barbecue set up. That is easily done – simply refer to my post Smoking Set-Up On The Barbecue.

When I smoke salmon, I like to make a simple soy sauce and brown sugar glaze. Just mix a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar into a cup of soy sauce. Stir it well and then taste. It should taste a bit sweet, so add more sugar if needed. You can also dice up some fresh ginger and add to the glaze for added flavor.

I usually make the glaze while the wood chips are soaking.

In addition to brushing the glaze on the fish when it’s smoking, I also let it marinate in the glaze (about 30 minutes) prior to putting it on the grill.

Now that the prep work is done and the coals are ready, it’s time to put the salmon on the grill. If the fish has skin, put that side down on the grill. No need to turn the fish over while cooking. Each time you add a coal or wood chips, brush some glaze onto the fish.

I usually use about 10 to 15 coals when smoking salmon, but you will have to experiment a bit to see what works best for you. I smoke the fillet approximately 1.5 to 2.0 hours. When done, it looks like this.

I prefer the salmon to be a bit moist, but if you like it dryer, just keep smoking it.

Smoked salmon is very easy to prepare and can be eaten as is or added to other dishes. It’s wonderful in salads and pasta.

Believe me, there is nothing better than adding smoked salmon to an omelette in the morning. A great way to start your day!