Welcome to The Karney Family Recipe Site!

I have many vivid and wonderful memories of family and friends gathering around the table to celebrate holidays, special events, and just the companionship of one another. Meals were always a special event whether eaten at a table with cloth napkins, holiday decorations and the good china, or on a picnic table with a red checkered tablecloth on a balmy summer day.

Throughout history, meals have always occupied a special place in the world's great religions. As we gather for sustenance and companionship, we are in our most vulnerable human condition, and that's where the Divine enters. This is precisely why mealtime is sacred and shouldn't be subservient to television, texting, or other interruptions. We need each other's companionship and the opportunity to be fully human so much that we can't let distractions overwhelm us.

My wife, Natalie, and I have always enjoyed cooking. As our sons, Jared, Jeff, and Kevin got older they all became good cooks. I had been working on putting together a book of both traditional family recipes and favorite newer recipes, but how do you ever say such a thing is done? So, I decided that the best solution would be to put the recipes online where they would be available to friends and family and now, of course, to anyone else who is interested. Now we have added Izabella, Amie, and Katy, three wonderful daughters-in-law. With their extended families, I'm sure they will be contributing some wonderful recipes.

So! Make some great food, gather around the table with your loved ones and strangers as well, give thanks to God, share your stories, and celebrate life.

Bon appetit! - Mark Karney

Smoked Salmon Spread

Appetizers, Dips and Spreads, Seafood Comments Off

Sep 012015

Smoked salmon is a staple of our diet and is the primary food that I make in my smoker. This is a quick recipe for a delicious spread that can be used on crackers or thinly sliced french bread or probably even as a vegetable dip. I used smoked chunk salmon in this recipe as opposed to the thinly sliced Lox that you would put on a bagel, but that would probably work, too. I just haven’t tried it.

Smoked Salmon Spread

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Category: Appetizers, Dips and Spreads, Seafood

Author: Mark Karney

Ingredients

8 oz. Smoked Salmon (Chopped fine)
8 oz. Whipped Cream Cheese
1 Large Jalapeno pepper (Chopped Fine)
1 bunch of green onions (Slit and chopped fine) or equal amount chopped chives
2 tsp. granulated garlic (to taste)
1 tsp. sweet paprika (to taste)

Instructions

Blend all ingredients thoroughly with a spoon.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Chill to let flavors blend.
Serve on crackers or thin slices of baguette.

Notes

You can use mayonnaise instead of cream cheese in case you are avoiding dairy, or happen to like that flavor profile better. Add enough to hold the spread together, probably about 4 oz.

https://karneyfamilyrecipes.com/2015/09/01/smoked-salmon-spread/

Smoked Salmon

Appetizers, Barbecue, Main Entrees, Rubs & Marinades, Seafood Comments Off

Dec 092011

When I got my first smoker, probably in the late 1990’s, I went over to see my backyard neighbor, Dudley Welch who had been smoking fish for quite a while. Dudley had a marinade recipe that he swore by, from his son-in-law, Dan Janssen. Dan is a trained Chef and now owner of a Barbecue restaurant in Kansas City, so I figured the recipe must be good. It is. I get lots of requests for my smoked salmon even from people who don’t like salmon.

Smoked Salmon

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2 ratings

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Category: Appetizers, Barbecue, Main Entrees, Rubs & Marinades, Seafood

Author: Mark Karney

Servings: Whatever you can fit in your smoker.

Ingredients

3 or 4 lbs. Fresh Salmon
3 c Water
½ c Sugar
¼ c Salt
4 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
1 tsp Nutmeg
Black Pepper

Instructions

Marinate the Salmon for an hour or so and soak your wood chips in water for about the same time.
Rinse well and dry with a paper towel and cut into 4 to 6 inch pieces.
Spray your rack with cooking spray or oil and arrange the salmon on each rack leaving space between the pieces for the smoke to get through.
Sprinkle the salmon heavily with fresh coarse ground black pepper and let the salmon air dry for 20 minutes or so. A sticky coating will form on the salmon that helps absorb the smoke flavor.
Get your smoker going and put the soaked chips on the hot coals or in the wood chip basket.
When the chips start producing good smoke, put the fish into the smoker. I typically smoke the salmon for 2 hours at a temperature of 200 degrees.

Notes

All smokers work differently and you'll need to experiment for optimum results. The smoking time is less in the summer when it's hot out than in the winter.

I get my best results with hickory chips, but again you'll need to experiment.

I've smoked White Bass in this same manner and the results were excellent, although the smoking time was less as the filets were thinner.

https://karneyfamilyrecipes.com/2011/12/09/smoked-salmon/