Maple Bourbon Salmon Burnt Ends

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These maple bourbon salmon burnt ends are off. The. Charts. I've wanted to try these flavors for a while and they did not disappoint!

Prep Time15

Cook Time4 15

Curing Time4

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

Salmon & Cure:

1 Side of Salmon skinned & cubed
1.5 cups of Brown Sugar
¼ cup of Kosher Salt
¼ cup Maple Bourbon Seasoning
2 tbsp of Maple Syrup
2 oz of Bourbon

Maple Bourbon Glaze:

2.5 tbsp of Melted Butter
2 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Maple Bourbon Seasoning

Garnish:

Sesame Seeds
Chopped Scallions

Instructions

Cube and skin your salmon first. Next, add it to a bowl or food safe bag. In a separate bowl, mix together your brown sugar, kosher salt, bourbon and Maple Bourbon Seasoning. Add the mixture to your salmon along with the maple syrup. Mix together and place the salmon into the fridge. Let cure for at least 8 hours but ideally 12-24 hours. Make sure to mix the salmon every 4 hours so that it gets evenly cured.
When the curing is done, pull the salmon out and gently wash with cold water to release any excess cure. Place the salmon cubes on a baking sheet, and place in the fridge uncovered for 1-2 hours until the outside has developed a tacky texture.
Preheat your smoke for 185F. Add some wood chips or wood chunks for added smoke flavor.
Pull your salmon out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Place the salmon into the smoker and cook for about 2 hours until they have become browned and caramelized all over. Make sure to keep the temperature within 185F as the white protein inside the salmon will leak out if hotter.
About 1 hour before the salmon is done, mix together the maple bourbon glaze. Glaze the salmon all over and let sit in the smoker until done. Once done, pull the salmon out and let cool for 5 minutes.
As the salmon cools, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

How to Skin Salmon

You can typically buy salmon already skinned at the grocery store. But, if you come home with skin-on salmon fillets, it's easy to take the skin off at home. First, place the salmon skin side down on a cutting board. Make sure you've patted the fish dry for this step. Then, grab the tail end (the narrower end of the side of salmon). Using a sharp knife, make a small cut between the fish flesh and the skin. This will separate a small bit of skin from the meat. Hold that piece nice and tight and stick your knife blade between the skin and the meat. Make sure you're angling the blade a little bit downward, toward the skin. Wiggle the skin back and forth (don't saw) while holding the knife steady, sliding the knife down the filet until you full separate the flesh and skin.

You could also try this method with just your hand?! If you do, let me know how it turns out!

Nutrition