Ginger Miso Smoked Salmon on the Grill

Alaska Smoked Salmon

I grew up in Alaska, in a small town called Eagle River. Around the same time every year, we'd haul our pop-up camper to spend a few days dip-netting for salmon. "Dip-netting" is exactly what it sounds like – my dad would wade into the river with a 4-foot net and catch the salmon that were returning to spawn. 

My childhood job title was "fish bonker." Like dip-netting, this was also precisely what it sounds like – my dad would bring the fish to shore, and I would club them on the head. It was also up to me to remove the eggs, tail, and head for easier transportation. As Alaska residents, our limit was 25 salmon per person, so from this one excursion, we would walk away with enough fish for the entire year.

When we got all the fish home, my dad would vacuum seal and freeze half. Then we would smoke the other half. I can still remember the taste of that salmon – smoky and sweet – with Alaska present in every bite.

From a very young age I was involved in every process of food preparation. It was fun and meaningful because we did it together as a family. I live in North Carolina now, and while I have outgrown my "fish bonker" title, my freezer is still stuffed to the brim with Wild Alaska Company fillets. I continue to love good food and the ritual of preparing it with loved ones.

Having mastered the basics of cooking, I love to further those preparations with a bit more creativity. As a home chef, it can be easy to settle into a comfort zone, which is one reason I started Cooking Gift Set Co. We wanted to invigorate and support imagination in the kitchen. While we won’t ask you to “bonk” fish, we love inspiring you with other ideas for new culinary adventures.

A Sophisticated Smoked Salmon Update

Alaska wild salmon is rich, fatty, and full of umami – the essence of deliciousness. It pairs well with sharp or acidic flavors. Miso is a traditional Japanese food made by mixing cooked soybeans with a starter known as koji, itself a grain which has been inoculated with a fermentation culture, aspergillus oryzae. The mix is then left to ferment for months. Miso has a sweet, rich, salty flavor and is prized for its healing, nourishing properties. It is often used as a soup base, but as a paste it makes for an excellent salmon marinade. 

Lovers of Japanese cuisine will know that miso and ginger pair beautifully with salmon. This is every bit as true when you add an element of smoke to the mix – making a more sophisticated version of the salmon from my "fish bonking" days in Alaska. 

Preparing salmon with our wood smoked barbeque kit gives it an extra dimension of flavor. The fruity, crisp notes of apple wood as a base pair really well with salmon, but you could use other wood like hickory for more intense, smokey flavor. 

Recipe for Ginger Miso Smoked Salmon

Dry-brining your salmon is really important to lend your salmon the right texture and flavor.  

Ingredients

4, 6 oz. wild salmon fillets

Dry Brine
2 ½ Tbsp. brown sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. kosher salt

‌Glaze
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. miso paste
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey

Garnish 
Fresh parsley

Equipment

Smoker box
Apple wood chips 
Meat thermometer
(all included in our kit)

1. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and salt together to create the dry brine. Sprinkle this mixture over the tops and sides of the fillets – not the skin – and place in the refrigerator uncovered for 1 hour. 

 2. Mix the ginger, miso paste, oil, vinegar, and honey to create a glaze. Brush a heavy coat onto the salmon.

3. About 25 minutes before you’re ready to start cooking, fill up your smoker box with dry apple wood chips and prep your grill: