Not Lox

There's more than one way to smoke salmon. We're all familiar with lox, sometimes called Nova Scotia salmon or Nova lox. Salty and delicately smoky, its texture is dense, silky, and moist – a lot like raw salmon. Lox is cured in a salty-sweet brine, air-dried, and then cold-smoked for days or weeks using very little heat – usually around 70 to 80 degrees. It is a process most home cooks leave to the pros.

Hot-smoking, on the other hand, is a breeze to pull off at home. True to its name, this method involves more heat, so the smoking time is shorter, the smoke flavor is more pronounced, and the fish cooks through. Just throw some water-soaked smoking wood over the fire in your grill, choose a thick fillet, and take care not to overcook the fish. Technically, salmon for hot-smoking should be brine-cured, but I skip that step to save time. If you cook the fish just until it firms up, it will be beautifully moist and tender. So put that in your grill and smoke it.

HOT-SMOKED SALMON ON THE GRILL
SERVES 6 TO 8
1 large (about 4 by 4 inches) wood chunk, for charcoal grill, or 1 1/2 cups wood chips, for gas grill
4 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
1 whole side fillet of salmon (about 3 pounds), pin bones removed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons sweet paprika

One hour before cooking, soak the wood chunk or chips in water. Meanwhile, tear off a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil that is 6 inches longer on both ends than the salmon fillet. Fold the foil in half lengthwise and poke holes in it with the tip of a knife (this will allow the smoke to get through). Lay the foil flat, rub with 2 teaspoons of oil, and place the salmon, skin side down, on the foil. Rub the fish with remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, and sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Prepare a charcoal grill. When the coals are covered with gray ash, push them to one side of the grill. Place the soaked wood chunk directly on the charcoal, set the grate in place, cover, and let the grill heat for 5 minutes. For a gas grill, use a small aluminum tray or fashion one from heavy-duty aluminum foil. Put the soaked wood chips in the tray and place it on the primary burner (directly over the flames). Turn all burners to high, close the lid, and let heat for 15 minutes. Turn off all the burners except the primary burner and adjust the flame to maintain a grill temperature of about 300 degrees.

Place the foil with the salmon on the cool side of the grill (opposite the fire or burner), close the cover (for charcoal grill, make sure cover vents are halfway open and positioned over salmon), and roast until the salmon flesh feels firm when pressed gently with your finger and beads of white appear on the surface, about 30 minutes (more or less, depending on the size of the fillet.)

Using oven mitts, grasp the ends of the foil sheet, lift the salmon off the grill and set it on a platter . Using a spatula, gently ease the salmon off the foil (the skin should stick to the foil). Serve warm or at room temperature.

TOASTED TOMATILLO AND TOMATO SALSA
MAKES ABOUT 1 1/2 CUPS

Use canned chipotle chilies packed in adobo for this recipe.

3/4 pound tomatillos (about 8 large), husked, washed, and halved
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 chipotle chili with 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large nonstick skillet place the tomatillos, cut side down in a single layer, with the garlic and cook over medium-high heat, turning the tomatillos just once (do not move them around in the pan), until they soften and are slightly browned on both sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos and garlic to a blender or food processor, add chipotle and adobo sauce, lime juice, and tomatoes, and process to preferred texture, from chunky to smooth. When cool, stir in salt and cilantro. Serve with hot smoked salmon.

GRILLED ONION DIP
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

If you don't have fresh thyme, omit the herb rather than using a dried version.

5 medium onions, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Pepper, to taste
6 slices bacon (about 6 ounces), cut crosswise into thin strips, cooked until crisp, then drained
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup), 1 tablespoon reserved

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. When the coals are covered with gray ash, push them to one side of the grill, cover, and let the grill heat for 5 minutes. For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, close the lid, and let heat for 15 minutes. Turn off all the burners except the primary burner.

Meanwhile, thread onion slices onto bamboo or metal skewers, brush both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Grill onions directly over heat until well browned on both sides, 12 to 16 minutes. Move onions to the cool side of the grill, close the cover (for charcoal grill, make sure cover vents are halfway open and positioned over the onions), and cook until the onions are fully tender, about 15 minutes.

Finely chop the onions and place them in a large bowl. Add bacon strips, sour cream, Worcestershire, mustard, thyme, celery seed, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and the larger portion of scallions. Mix to combine. Sprinkle with the reserved scallions and serve at once with fresh veggies, chips, or crackers.

KITCHEN AIDE

Tart, Green Tomatillos

Common in Mexican and Latin American cooking, tomatillos are available north of the border, too. They resemble small, green-to-yellow tomatoes within a greenish-tan, papery husk that's easy to peel off. Tomatillos are used before they are fully ripe, and their bright, lemony flavor adds freshness and tang to sauces and salsas. Cooking them, either in a pan on the stove or under the broiler, deepens their flavor. Both roasted and fresh, tomatillos are a great counterpoint to rich meat and fish. — A.R.