Hot Smoked Salmon With Tarragon Crème Fraîche Recipes

HOT SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• The night before serving, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons salt, the peppercorns, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down on a large flat ceramic or glass dish. Spread the mixture evenly on top of the salmon. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• At least 1 1/2 hours before you plan to cook the salmon, soak the wood chips in water.
• Thirty minutes before you¿re ready to cook, heat the charcoal. Place a double layer of coals on one side of the grill, light them, and allow them to burn until the coals are gray on the outside. (I use a charcoal chimney to light the coals.) Sprinkle half the soaked wood chips on the hot coals (you will see lots of smoke). On the other side of the grill, place the foil pan and pour in 1 cup water. Place the cooking grate over the coals and the pan.
• Scrape most of the sugar mixture off the salmon and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Place the salmon skin-side down on the side of the grill directly over the foil pan. Put the lid on the grill, making sure the top and bottom vents are open. Smoke the salmon for 10 minutes. Add the remaining wood chips directly on the coals and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon, until it's firm to the touch and barely cooked. Don't overcook the salmon or it will be dry!
• Transfer the salmon to a clean platter and immediately cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the skin, if desired, and serve hot, at room temperature, or cold with the Fresh Dill Sauce.
• Place the mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese, scallions, dill, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree for a few seconds, until well mixed. Add the cucumber and puree for another few seconds, until combined. Pour into a container and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

HOT-SMOKED SALMON WITH TARRAGON CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Pat salmon dry, then generously coat skin and wire rack with nonstick spray. Place salmon, skin side down, on rack and set inside a rimmed baking sheet; season salmon flesh well with salt. Chill, uncovered, 3 hours.
• Whisk shallot, crème fraîche, tarragon, and lemon zest in a small bowl to combine; taste and season with salt. Cover and chill.
• Crumple 2 large sheets of heavy-duty foil to form two 4"-diameter balls. Heat skillet over medium-high, 6 minutes. Spread 2 cups wood chips in center of skillet and let char until partially blackened and smoking, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle coriander seeds, peppercorns, dill seeds, and celery seeds over chips. Carefully set rack with salmon in skillet over chips. Set foil balls on either side of fillet and push 3 skewers vertically into fillet along the bloodline about 1" deep and 3" apart. Loosely cover skillet with foil, using foil balls and skewers as support so there is space for smoke to circulate around the fish.
• Reduce heat to medium and smoke salmon 8 minutes, then reduce heat to lowest setting and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of fillet registers 120°F, 10-15 minutes. Transfer rack with salmon back to baking sheet and let cool 30 minutes.
• Serve salmon at room temperature with tarragon crème fraîche, bagels, capers, avocados, cucumbers, watercress, and scallions alongside.

SMOKED SALMON WITH HORSERADISH CRèME FRAîCHE & BEETROOT

Steps:

• Fold the crème fraîche with the horseradish and vodka, if using, with a little seasoning. Chill.
• In a bowl, mix the vinegar, olive oil and honey. Toss half the dressing through the beetroot and chill until ready to serve.
• Before serving, divide the slices of salmon between 8 plates, then top with a spoonful of the crème fraîche and bring up the sides of the salmon to make a 'flower'. Arrange the salad and beetroot round the salmon, scatter with the dill. Grind over some black pepper, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve with toast, if you like.

POTATO LATKES WITH SMOKED SALMON AND CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Using coarse side of box grater or food processor fitted with coarse grater blade, shred potatoes. Wrap potatoes in kitchen towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer to large bowl. Repeat process with onion; add to bowl with potatoes.
• Add eggs, flour, salt and pepper to potatoes.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees.
• Working in batches, drop potato mixture by 1/4 cupfuls into skillet; flatten to 3-inch rounds. Fry latkes until golden brown on bottom, adding more oil by tablespoonfuls as needed, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer latkes to rimmed baking sheet; keep warm in oven.
• Mix crème fraîche and chopped fresh tarragon in small bowl to blend. Divide smoked salmon among latkes. Top each latke with dollop of tarragon crème fraîche.
• Or insted of creme fraiche and tarragon you can try: creme fraiche, 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped, 2 tbsp horseradish, 1 tsp lemon zest.

POTATO LATKES WITH SMOKED SALMON, CAVIAR, AND TARRAGON CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Using coarse side of box grater or food processor fitted with coarse grater blade, shred potatoes. Working in batches, wrap potatoes in kitchen towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer to large bowl. Repeat process with onion; add to bowl with potatoes. Mix next 4 ingredients into potato mixture.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop potato mixture by 1/4 cupfuls into skillet; flatten to 3-inch rounds. Fry latkes until golden brown on bottom, adding more oil by tablespoonfuls as needed, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer latkes to rimmed baking sheet; keep warm in oven.
• Mix crème fraîche and chopped fresh tarragon in small bowl to blend. Divide smoked salmon among latkes. Top each latke with dollop of tarragon crème fraîche, then caviar.