I lived with my
parents in
Alaska for about ten years. My
father is an avid
fisherman and would often bring home salmon. I loved the way he
cooked it, but my favorite was when he
smoked it. He tends to smoke it differently than you can get from a store. He uses more heat than I believe is
traditional.
The result is almost like
jerky in that it is mostly cooked, but unlike jerky the meat remains
moist and tender. This type of smoking is widely used by people who smoke their own salmon. I don't really care for the type of smoked salmon you find in stores.
I prefer my smoked salmon on
crackers with
cheese. Occasionally I like to mix it with some mayo and pickles for spreading on
bread. Once I made a devilish
cheese ball with some of my fathers smoked salmon.
When I moved to the
Lower 48 I was surprised at how tremendously
expensive salmon was, and at the generally appalling quality of the
fish. I have never bought salmon.
For the record, while I like
bagels, I have never had salmon on a bagel. I don't really like the sound of it, as I usually associate bagels as a
breakfast food. Salmon is not a breakfast food. I don't think that makes me anti-Semitic; it makes
opinionated.