Smoked Salmon Rösti

When I had my restaurant, Bar Lisa Marie in Toronto, weekend brunch was our thing. In the six years I had the restaurant, I made a lot, like a lot a lot of eggs. Brunch was always my favourite service to go out onto the floor and chat with people. There were always so many people from all different walks of life. The neighbourhood regular who would get a seat at the bar, young families with their kids and of course the late-brunchers who are recouping from going out the night before. I loved seeing people come together over my food. Enough about me though, this is about this epic brunch recipe, one that I used to serve up all the time in my restaurant, the Smoked Salmon Rosti. True to the way I made it at Lisa Marie, we’re making that smoked salmon from scratch. It is a bit of a time consuming process and you have to plan ahead, but it’s well worth it.

The smoked salmon is going to be cured and then cold-smoked. To cold smoke, your smoker fire needs to stay low and the temp needs to be below 90F for the duration of smoking. I set up my Alchemy smoker box with wood chunks and then added 1-2 hot coals and opened up both air valves to get good airflow, this creates a lot of smoke to infuse that fish with a smoke flavour. I also set the rack up inside on the highest rung to keep the fish away from the heat. Just keep an eye on that thermometer as you smoke to make sure the temp doesn’t increase to much. It’s important to mention that whatever you are cold smoking needs to be cured before going into the smoker. The curing process will essentially cook your protein so you don’t have to be concerned about raw meat sitting in a low temp smoker – you can get into a danger zone there temp-wise if you’re dealing with raw meat. So definitely don’t skip the curing step.

For this smoked salmon recipe, I cured the fish in salt, sugar and fresh dill. You want to make sure that the fish is completely coated in the salt mix and left for at least 24 hours, ideally 48. Once the fish is done curing and you’re ready to give it a smoke, rinse off the salt and pat it dry. All it needs is about 30 minutes in the smoker and then you have delicious smoked salmon. The smoked salmon is served up on two fried potato pancakes or rösti, with a homemade lemon-dill everything bagel cream cheese and pickled onions. Add poached eggs if you're feeling it, or fresh cucumber and tomato slices, there's lots of ways to dress up your smoked salmon rosti. If you want to find out how to make my Smoked Salmon Rösti, keep reading or jump to the full recipe.

In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar and chopped dill. Add in the salmon and toss to coat.

Transfer the fish to a large ziplock bag and add in some of the salt, sugar, dill mix, making sure to press onto the fish fillets. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Store in the fridge for 24-48 hours. Once cured, you’re ready to cold smoke.

Remove the salmon from the plastic bags and rinse with water. Pat dry.

To cold smoke, fill the wood box of the smoker with wood chunks. Add 1-2 hot charcoals and put the diffuser on.

Move one of the racks to the top of the smoker. Keep temperature at 85-90F. Add the salmon to the top rack and smoke for 30 minutes.

Using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the red onion. Add to a bowl and pour in the red wine vinegar. Mix and set aside to lightly pickle.

Mix the cream cheese, zest from one lemon, everything bagel season, dill. Set aside.

To melt the butter for the rosti, add it to a cast iron pan on the plancha.

Grate your potatoes, then using a sieve squeeze out the water from the potatoes.

Add the grated potato to the plancha and drizzle with the melted butter. Form into two rosti and allow to cook, drizzle with butter, flipping and rotating as needed to cook and turn golden brown.

Remove the salmon from the smoker and thinly slice.

On a plate or in a shallow bowl, stack the two rosti. Add a healthy portion of the cream cheese on top, portion on some pickled onions, pile on the sliced smoked salmon and top with more pickled onions.

To finish it off, top with lemon zest and a couple of sprigs of fresh dill.

And now for the full recipe...

Smoked Salmon Rösti

Serves 1-2 people

Prep Time: 24-48 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1-2 days, 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 4oz-6oz Wild sockeye salmon filets

½ cup salt

½ cup sugar

½ cup Dill

250g Whipped cream cheese

Zest from 1 lemon

1-2 tbsp Everything bagel seasoning

1 tbsp Dill

2 large potatoes

1/2 cup butter

¼ Red onion

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

How to Make the Smoked Salmon Rösti

In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar and chopped dill. Add in the salmon and toss to coat. Transfer the fish to a large ziplock bag and add in some of the salt, sugar, dill mix, making sure to press onto the fish fillets. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Store in the fridge for 24-48 hours. Once cured, you’re ready to cold smoke.

Remove the salmon from the plastic bags and rinse with water. Pat dry.

To cold smoke, fill the wood box of the smoker with wood chunks. Add 1-2 hot charcoals and put the diffuser on. Move one of the racks to the top of the smoker. Keep temperature at 85-90F. Add the salmon to the top rack and smoke for 30 minutes.

Using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the red onion. Add to a bowl and pour in the red wine vinegar. Mix and set aside to lightly pickle.

Mix the cream cheese, zest from one lemon, everything bagel season, dill. Set aside.

To melt the butter, add to a cast iron pan on the plancha. Grate your potatoes. Using a sieve squeeze out the water from the potatoes. Add the grated potato to the plancha and drizzle with the melted butter. Form into two rosti and allow to cook, drizzle with butter, flipping and rotating as needed to cook and turn golden brown.

Remove the salmon from the smoker and thinly slice. On a plate or in a shallow bowl, stack the two rosti. Add a healthy portion of the cream cheese on top, portion on some pickled onions, pile on the sliced smoked salmon and top with more pickled onions, lemon zest and a couple of sprigs of fresh dill.

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