NO MESS, JUST TASTY SALMON

By Tiffany Haugen

Ever crave the robust flavor of smoky fish but don’t have the time to slow-smoke your catch? Less messy than grilling, smoke-cooking over chips is an easy, tasty solution. Smoke-cooking can be accomplished in many ways. A smoker, gas or charcoal grill or camp fire will all get the job done. But for a super-simple presentation, just
place fish, skin side down, right on top of your chips. In no time, those chips will be smoking and the fish will be cooking.
When smoke-cooking, I like to use an internal thermometer to ensure perfect doneness and keep cooking worry-free.
Suggested woods for smoke-cooking fish include maple, alder, apple or cherry.

SMOKER CHIP SALMON
½-pound salmon fillet, skin on
2 tablespoons sour cream
or Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or

1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
¼ teaspoon granulated onion
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Lemon slices

In a small bowl, mix sour cream or Greek yogurt, dill, zest, sugar, onion, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. On a large double layer of foil,place about 2 cups smoker chips/chunks. Poke five
holes with a sharp knife under chips/chunks. Place salmon, skin side down, on chips/chunks. Spread creamy mixture on salmon and top with lemon slices. Close foil around fish and place in a hot grill or on a rack over an open fire. Cook fish 10 to 15 minutes or until fish is no longer opaque and reaches an internal temperature of at least 135 degrees. This is a great preparation while camping.
Any fish can be used as well as any seasonings. The key is making sure the skin is on the chips/chunks to prevent them from getting
on the meat.