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1
In a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan, bring 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, salt, ginger, bay leaves, and allspice to a boil. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
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2
Rinse salmon fillet, pat dry, and lay flat with skin down in a rimmed 12- by 15-inch pan. Pour sugar-salt mixture over salmon. Cover pan tightly and chill fish at least 4 or up to 24 hours, occasionally spooning brine over the fish.
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3
Mound 16 charcoal briquets on the firegrate of a barbecue with a lid and ignite briquets. Or turn gas grill to high heat and close lid.
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4
Meanwhile, add peppercorns to enough hot water to make them float; soak at least 15 minutes. Also add wood chips to enough warm water to make them float; soak at least 15 minutes.
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5
Drain fish and discard brine. Rinse fish with cool water and pat dry. Set fish, skin side down, on a large sheet of foil; cut foil to fit outline of fish.
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6
Rub honey over top of fish. Drain peppercorns and pat evenly onto fish to set them lightly in place.
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7
When coals are dotted with gray ash, in about 20 minutes, push half to each side of firegrate.
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8
Drain wood chips and scatter 2 tablespoons on each mound of coals. For gas grill, put 1/4 cup chips in a foil pan and set over heat. Cover barbecue, and heat until chips start to smolder, about 10 minutes.
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9
Set grill 4 to 6 inches above the firegrate.
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10
Place salmon on foil in center of grill (not directly over coals); if using gas, turn to lowest setting and adjust for indirect heat (parallel to sides of salmon, not beneath the fish).
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11
Set an oven thermometer on top of the center of the fish. Cover barbecue. For charcoal, open vents 1/4 inch, and after 30 minutes add 3 briquets to each mound of coals; repeat every 30 minutes of cooking.
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12
Check thermometer often to be sure temperature stays about 160u00b0. If temperature drops, open vents for charcoal slightly, or turn up heat on gas grill. If temperature rises, close 1 or 2 of the vents, or open lid of gas grill, then prop open slightly. Add wood chips as needed to produce a faint, steady stream of smoke. Moisture that accumulates on fish will evaporate. Cook salmon until a thermometer inserted in center of thickest part reads 140u00b0, from 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
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13
Using wide spatulas, slide fillet with foil onto a rimless baking sheet, then slide fish from sheet onto a platter. Serve salmon warm, cool, or chilled.
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14
Garnish with onion and dill. Cut fish across grain into wide slices or bite-size chunks; lift fish off skin.
