Step 1

Rinse thawed fish under cold water. Paper towel pat dry to remove any excess water.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, combine: 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 brown sugar and 1 tablespoon crushed peppercorns. Give a good whisk.

Step 3

Spread extra-wide aluminum foil a little longer than the length of the fish onto the baking sheet and top with an equally long layer of plastic wrap. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the rub onto the plastic. Lay the salmon skin down onto the rub. Use the remaining rub to cover the skin and sides of salmon. Gently pressing, rub it all over the fish. Use more rub on thicker parts of the fish and less on the thinner. If using 2 smaller salmon sides, use half of rub per fish.

Step 4

Fold plastic or aluminum over to cover then close edges of foil together and crimp tightly. Some juice will leak out during the curing process, so make sure there is a place for the runoff to gather – you don’t want it leaking into your fridge. We don’t weigh the fish with anything heavy, but you can if you want to.

Step 5

Refrigerate fish for 18-24 hours. (We do 18-20 hours).

Step 6

Unwrap salmon and rinse off the cure with cold water. Pat salmon with paper towels to remove excess water. Using a sharp thin knife, pre-slice fish to about 3/4-inch thick slices, but do not slice the skin. This will make a lot easier to slice salmon once smoked without mushing it. It will make serving so much easier and delicate.

Step 7

Preheat smoker to 120°F and smoke salmon for 2-2 1/2 hours, keeping the temperature inside the smoker between 100°F and 120°F, until the thickest part of salmon reaches internal temperature of 100-120°F. Since salmon fillets can vary in size, keep an eye on the salmon towards the end since a thinner fillet will cook faster and a thicker fillet such as wild King salmon fillet may take longer to smoke. Because each smoker works differently, the best way to know if fish is fully cooked is when the fat starts dripping from the fish, it's a sign that it's ready to take out (or about to).

Step 8

Serve salmon once cooled to room temperature or refrigerate for 10-12 hours before serving. It tastes better and not as fatty after it had a chance to fully set in refrigerator. (Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the skin to separate the slices). Smoked salmon stays good for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.