This honey smoked salmon recipe is a "hot smoked salmon," made by smoking salmon over low heat. Smoke the salmon for around 2 hours, then brush with an apricot glaze or honey. Serve on its own, or as an appetizer with crackers and cream cheese.
Rinse and pat dry salmon fillet. Remove any pinbones and skin (if desired).
Cut salmon into serving-size steaks.
Make dry brine by mixing the sugar, salt and pepper together.
Spread dry brine on a glass casserole dish and pack in layers with the salmon pieces. Put in the refrigerator to set 4 to 8 hours.
Rinse the salmon pieces under cool running water, thoroughly removing the brine.
Let the salmon sit on a rack at room temperature for 1-2 hours. It will develop a film called pellicle that will help seal moisture inside of the salmon and create a sticky surface for the smoke to stick to.
On a smoker set to 150 F, smoke the fish roughly 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until it reaches your desired firmness.
During the last 15-30 minutes of cooking, you can brush on some melted apricot jam and/or honey.
Serve as an appetizer with cold beer and a chilled glass of chardonnay, or over crackers with some cream cheese and fresh chopped chives. Bon appetit!