Trouble with Smoked Salmon deviled eggs

[gfweb]

After checking various recipes which are all pretty much mayo + mustard + yolk + onion + smoked salmon, I made several variations, all minimizing the mustard. All of them ended up pretty much like deviled eggs without much salmon taste.

The salmon I used was of two types one labeled Nova Lox and the other was similar, but labeled only Smoked Salmon. They seemed nearly identical and tasted right on a bagel.

Are there any more strongly salmon-y/smokey varieties? Perhaps smoked but not cured salmon?

[Kerry Beal]

Can you get ahold of Indian Candy? Much drier smoked salmon than the lox type. It's cured then hot smoked. Lox as I understand it is cured but not actually smoked - even though it's referred to as smoked salmon.

[Mjx]

Have you tried cutting back on the mayo? The way it coats things can really mute flavours.

[David Ross]

My tip is that I don't include the salmon in the egg mixture. Stuff the eggs then top each with a bit of lox-style salmon. That way the salmon flavor isn't as muted as it would be if it was mixed into the egg mix.

[gfweb]

Thanks all.

I did cut back on mayo...and then yolk, with not much effect. I also tried topping with lox instead of mixing...minimal effect. Likewise adding lemon.

[Kerry Beal]

Do you have a smoker of your own? I can give you a recipe for smoked salmon that will give you a nice strong smoky product. I use it to make a smoked salmon pate that is quite addictive.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Kerry Beal (log)

[slkinsey]

The answer, in my experience, is to use (a) a lot more smoked salmon, and (b) turn the smoked salmon into a paste. This is affordable if you can buy a container of smoked salmon scraps from someplace that does a fair amount of business in smoked salmon. Process the scraps into a paste in the food processor, then add the yolks and continue to process that, then add as much of any additional ingredients are are needed to get the texture you want. Folding in bits of smoked salmon will never give the result you want, because the yolks and the mayonnaise and the mustard and everything else will coat the palate and interfere with tasting the salmon. This is the same reason that little chunks of smoked salmon stirred into cream cheese isn't nearly as tasty as salmon paste whipped into cream cheese. So, if the salmon is made into a paste and combined with the yolks and other ingredients into a uniform mass, the salmon flavor will infuse into everything and be easier to taste.

Or... yanno... use a different kind of fish. In my experience smoked trout deviled eggs are better than smoked salmon deviled eggs, and the smokey fishy flavor has more cut (you could even crisp, dice and fold in the smoked trout skin for an extra fishy smokey punch).

[gfweb]

Do you have a smoker of your own? I can give you a recipe for smoked salmon that will give you a nice strong smoky product. I use it to make a smoked salmon pate that is quite addictive.

Yes please!

The answer, in my experience, is to use (a) a lot more smoked salmon, and (b) turn the smoked salmon into a paste. This is affordable if you can buy a container of smoked salmon scraps from someplace that does a fair amount of business in smoked salmon. Process the scraps into a paste in the food processor, then add the yolks and continue to process that, then add as much of any additional ingredients are are needed to get the texture you want. Folding in bits of smoked salmon will never give the result you want, because the yolks and the mayonnaise and the mustard and everything else will coat the palate and interfere with tasting the salmon. This is the same reason that little chunks of smoked salmon stirred into cream cheese isn't nearly as tasty as salmon paste whipped into cream cheese. So, if the salmon is made into a paste and combined with the yolks and other ingredients into a uniform mass, the salmon flavor will infuse into everything and be easier to taste.

Or... yanno... use a different kind of fish. In my experience smoked trout deviled eggs are better than smoked salmon deviled eggs, and the smokey fishy flavor has more cut (you could even crisp, dice and fold in the smoked trout skin for an extra fishy smokey punch).

Good thoughts. Thanks. I will report back.

[Kerry Beal]

Brine for Smoked Salmon

• 4 cups water, 1 kg
  
• ½ cup coarse salt, 120 grams
  
• ½ cup brown sugar, 100 grams
  
• ⅓ cup molasses, 120 grams
  

Brine for 10 hours, smoke with three pans of hickory.

Egg - Smoke at 225º F dome until internal temp 140 F - couple of hours. Took 1.5 hours Decemer 2010. Used large apple chunks.

[Kouign Aman]

Try cutting back on the mustard too. Maybe add a tiny bit of dill. I always have problems with dill - the flavor keeps extracting from the herb and gets stronger as it sits. So hard to adjust properly up front.

I'd go with a combination - lots more fish, minced or pureed, topped with fish, no mustard.

Please feel free to invite me over to help QC.

[judiu]

Top eggs with golden caviar, or salmon caviar, maybe?

[gfweb]

Great advice all around. I love the idea of caviar...maybe flying fish roe for the color.

So I eliminated mustard altogether and made a mousse in the mini-prep with 1/2 oz cream cheese, 1 Tbsp Mayo, and about 2 oz nova lox, dash of salt, a few drops of lemon juice and a drop of liquid smoke (I know its cheating). Yolk, chopped onions and paprika on top.

Tasted cleanly salmon-y and lightly smoky. Nice!

Photo could be better, but all I had handy was my phone. Color is off, it was much pinker.

Thanks all!

[gfweb]

I redid the eggs with smoked trout. 1 filet, flaked + small amount chopped red onion + 2 tsp mayo + 2 tsp cream cheese + dusting of pimenton. I tried trout roe on top, but it was too big and looked wierd and added nothing to the flavor; which was great! Only thing I'd change is adding a drop or three of lemon juice.

Edited September 9, 2012 by gfweb (log)