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Teriyaki-Smoked Salmon

Smoked salmon prepared in a teriyaki brine with apple and alder chips.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Garlic and onion match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Teriyaki-Smoked Salmon

Time1-½ hours per pound

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the brine

  1. Combine all ingredients except salmon, mix thoroughly, and let stand 1 hour.

  2. Place salmon in brine, ensuring that all pieces are covered.

  3. Refrigerate and soak for 12 hours.

Dry and smoke

  1. Remove fish from brine and rinse thoroughly in cold running water.

  2. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and air dry in a cool place for at least 1 hour.

  3. Place salmon in smoker and smoke with apple and alder chips (equal amounts of each).

  4. Distribute fish on the racks evenly to make sure you get even smoke distribution.

  5. Smoked salmon requires approximately 1-½ hours per pound, depending on cooking temperature and desired dryness.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

342Calories
22 gProtein
13 gFat
28 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 12 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Salmon100g cooked208
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Wine2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)25
Cinnamon1 tsp ground (2.6g)6
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0
Saucenot in our table0
Macenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Cinnamon + macetop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,611 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).

  3. Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together30,779 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  4. White wine + garlictop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together3,044 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  5. White wine + oniontop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,535 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Salmon filets
The main protein, which the brine seasons and the smoke flavors and dries into a firm texture.
Dark brown sugar
Adds sweetness and helps the surface brown and form a glossy color during smoking.
Non-iodized salt
Seasons the fish and draws moisture out of it, firming the flesh during the brine.
Teriyaki sauce
Adds salty, sweet and savory flavor that penetrates the fish during the soak.
Dry white wine
Adds acidity and aromatic flavor to the brine.

The step that matters

Drying the fish before smoking. Patting the fish dry and air drying it forms a tacky surface called a pellicle, which helps smoke adhere and gives a better texture. Wet fish steams and produces a weaker, uneven smoke flavor.

Swap the mace

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (salmon, sugar, white wine, sauce, garlic, onion, cinnamon):

  1. Gingerfits better
  2. Fennelfits better
  3. Cuminfits better
  4. Macethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against salmon, sugar, white wine, sauce, garlic, onion, cinnamon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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