Homemade Sockeye Salmon Candy
October 13th, 2021A Sweet and Savory Seafood Treat
Our recipe for wild sockeye salmon candy transforms savory, wild-caught seafood into an addictively sweet treat. Making salmon candy is a festive, culinary project for the holidays or any long weekend — and even though the brining and baking process technically should extend the shelf life of the salmon, you might not be able to keep out of the salmon candy jar for that long.
Salmon candy is easy to make, but it does require an investment of time, as both brining and baking need several hours. Since you’re checking in on your sockeye salmon candy at a few different points in the process of making it, save this recipe for a leisurely day when you’re lounging around at home.
Homemade Sockeye Salmon Candy
By Wild Alaskan Company
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook Time
240 minutes
Total time
400 minutes
Yield
Approx. 30 pieces
Ingredients
- 4 (6 oz.) portions wild sockeye salmon, skin removed if desired
- 1 cup semi-coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- Approximately ½ cup of honey or maple syrup, for glazing
- A big pinch of cayenne (optional)
Instructions
1. Combine half of sea salt and half of brown sugar in a wide, shallow baking dish or tray.
2. Cut salmon fillet into strips, about ¼ inch thick, then lay in a single layer into dish of salt-sugar brine. Coat salmon strips with remaining salt and sugar, then cover the dish and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 90 minutes or up to 3 hours. The longer you leave it, the saltier it gets.
3. Remove salmon from brine and rinse well with cold water, then pat dry. Lightly grease a baking rack, then arrange salmon strips in a single layer, leaving space in between for air and heat to circulate. Let rest 30 minutes uncovered in a well ventilated area to air dry. Discard used salt-sugar mixture.
4. Preheat oven to 200F or set your dehydrator to 165F. Meanwhile, add honey or maple syrup (with cayenne pepper, if using) to a small bowl. Then, place baking rack with salmon over a rimmed sheet and glaze top of salmon strips with a light coat of honey/syrup. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from oven, flip the strips, then glaze with another light coat. Bake for another 30 minutes.
5. Continue flipping and glazing for a total of 2 to 4 hours, allowing the salmon strips to become candied to your desired chewiness. The longer the salmon bakes, the harder it becomes. At the 2-hour mark, the salmon will begin to have a drier texture and become pleasantly chewy. At 3 hours, the strips start to become more like jerky. And at 4 hours and beyond, the pieces will start to become harder around the edges. Taste along the way to get an idea of when you want to pull the salmon candy from the oven.
6. Store salmon candy pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.
