Hot-Smoked Salmon and Chipotle Crema

Ingredients

Salmon:

• Mesquite chips
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seed
• 2 teaspoons whole cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skin on
• Special Equipment: stovetop smoker

Chipotle Crema:

• 1/4 cup creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• For serving: Corn tortillas, black bread, or cucumber slices, as desired

Directions

Salmon: Soak wood chips in a large bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes. Toast the whole spices in a small skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about 1 minute. Cool and grind in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder. Add the salt and set aside. Rub the salmon thoroughly with 3/4 teaspoon of the rub and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Save extra spice rub in a sealed container for up to 3 months.)

Drain the chips and scatter in the bottom of the stovetop smoker. Heat the chips over medium-low heat until smoky, about 10 minutes. Cook the salmon, covered and skin side down, on a rack in the smoker, until just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set aside on a rack to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate if not serving right away.

Crema: Stir all the the ingredients together to make a smooth sauce.

Cut or flake the salmon into even portions. Serve salmon with warmed corn tortillas, or on black bread or sliced cucumbers with a drizzle of the chipotle crema.

Copyright 2006 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.