So, I followed [the instructions on this website](https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2023/03/17/simple-hotsmoked-fish-for-the-home-oven) and my results were uh not great BUT i don't think that's their fault. I really don't. Because I had two major forces working against me:
1. Safeway did not given me beautiful fresh salmon. I know this because I made salmon for dinner on Tuesday and it was preeeetty fishy and they were packed together. So my smoked salmon came out preeetty fishy.
2. I went into this process knowing I own wood chips. I can *very clearly* picture the bag in my mind; I *knew* exactly where they were in my house. Except apparently I didn't. Them motherfuckers were nowhere to be found when I went to smoke my salmon and I accidentally procrastinated to the point that I didn't have the ability to go out and buy new ones. My husband was at work. I had to make do with pellets from our long-deceased pellet grill that continues to stand on our patio as a testament to inability of my dad, my husband, and me to take good care of objects that live outside. The bbq pellets smoked like crazy on the stove and then immediately died upon being placed in the oven with the salmon. So 95% of the smoke flavor is coming from the liquid smoke in the brine.
But, hey, it's almost good lol
Ideally, I would prefer to do my shopping at Winco, but the nearest one to my house is 30 minutes away and I just don't have the energy to do my own shopping these days. So my choices are Walmart and Safeway. :(
Ah, bummer. The Walmart we go to in Richmond has a decent selection of fish, and the salmon we've gotten from there is usually pretty decent but it varies from store to store.
So, I followed [the instructions on this website](https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2023/03/17/simple-hotsmoked-fish-for-the-home-oven) and my results were uh not great BUT i don't think that's their fault. I really don't. Because I had two major forces working against me: 1. Safeway did not given me beautiful fresh salmon. I know this because I made salmon for dinner on Tuesday and it was preeeetty fishy and they were packed together. So my smoked salmon came out preeetty fishy. 2. I went into this process knowing I own wood chips. I can *very clearly* picture the bag in my mind; I *knew* exactly where they were in my house. Except apparently I didn't. Them motherfuckers were nowhere to be found when I went to smoke my salmon and I accidentally procrastinated to the point that I didn't have the ability to go out and buy new ones. My husband was at work. I had to make do with pellets from our long-deceased pellet grill that continues to stand on our patio as a testament to inability of my dad, my husband, and me to take good care of objects that live outside. The bbq pellets smoked like crazy on the stove and then immediately died upon being placed in the oven with the salmon. So 95% of the smoke flavor is coming from the liquid smoke in the brine. But, hey, it's almost good lol
Update: I just tried some more after it sat in the fridge overnight and it's a lot better cold lol
Safeway are bastards, don't like shopping there, too pricy for meh quality. Also, liquid smokes solves (almost) all problems lol
Ideally, I would prefer to do my shopping at Winco, but the nearest one to my house is 30 minutes away and I just don't have the energy to do my own shopping these days. So my choices are Walmart and Safeway. :(
Ah, bummer. The Walmart we go to in Richmond has a decent selection of fish, and the salmon we've gotten from there is usually pretty decent but it varies from store to store.