Ultimate Smoked Fish Brine Food

SMOKED FISH ( BRINE RECIPE AND SMOKING DIRECTIONS)

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients very well until sugar is disolved.
• Split the fish into halves and soak them for about 12 hours (more or less) in the refrigerator.
• Prepare your fire using charcoal and a mix of old birch (with bark removed) or apple wood or you can use just charcoal.
• Place fish in smoker and allow to smoke for about 6-8 hours for smoking, depending on the outside temperature and how hot your smoker gets of course.

FISH BRINE

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Submerge the fish in the brine, weighting it down with a plate if need be, and brine according to these guidelines: • Trout, shrimp, sardines, and other delicate seafood: 15 minutes • Bass, barramundi, sablefish, and other flaky fillets: 20 minutes • Halibut, mahimahi, bluefish, and other flaky, meaty fillets: 30 minutes • Salmon, mackerel, Arctic char, and other meaty, full-flavored fish: 35 minutes • Amberjack, cobia, swordfish, and other dense, steak-like fish: 40 minutes

ULTIMATE SMOKED FISH BRINE

Steps:

• Mix sugar and all dry ingredients in large microwavable bowl. Add Water and heat in microwave for 2-3 minutes only until sugar dissolves. The solution does not need to be hot, just lukewarm to allow the sugar to dissolve.
• Add remaining ingredients, mix, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
• Add fish to a large zip lock bag or a large enough vacuum bag to hold all the fish and liquid. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal. If using a vacuum sealer, ensure you seal with no Vacuum OFF.
• In the refrigerator brine for 8 hours if using whole fish (skin, bones) or 4-5 hours for filet's. If filet's are thicker than 1" brine for up to 8 hours.
• Remove fish from brine and smoke according to the directions on your smoker.
• DO-NOT reuse brine! Throw away used brine and and make another batch if you need more brine for another recipe.

SMOKED FISH

Steps:

• Mix all brine ingredients thoroughly.
• Cut fish in 1-2" pieces, leaving skin on.
• If fish is fresh, soak for 1-1/2 hours; if it has been frozen, soak for 45-60 minutes.
• Remove fish from marinade and place on smoker-racks skin-side down.
• Allow to glaze at room temperature for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight.
• I usually set a fan to blow across the fish and help them get dry to the touch and look very glazed.
• Cold-smoke (at 120-140 degrees F) for 8-12 hours to obtain desired flavor.
• Then hot smoke (at 180-200 degrees F) for 1-2 hours or finish in a 300 degree F oven for 30-45 minutes to get desired texture.
• I do not like a mushy fish, so I cook it until it firms up, though it's hard to tell, though, until after it has cooled down.
• Cool to room temperature, freeze on cookie sheets, package, and store in freezer.
• Best with stronger flavored, oily fish such as salmon, tuna, or swordfish; in general, mild fish smoke poorly.
• Notes: I use a Brinkmann Smok’n Pit water-smoker.
• The water helps to keep the temperature low, and the steam in the smoke keeps meat more moist during long cooking.
• My smoker is intended for charcoal smoking, but for fish, I place soaked wood chips in a metal (not foil, foil will burn through, use real metal) sitting on top of a cheap hot plate (with a rheostat control, not just an on-off switch), which sits on a brick so the pan is up under the bottom of the smoker, where the charcoal pan normally sets.
• Adjust temperature by adjusting hot plate up or down (usually somewhere between low and medium), and throw another handful of wet wood chips into the pie plate every 30-40 minutes, when the smoke stops generating.
• Depending on my mood, and what kind of wood chips are available, I usually smoke fish with alder, cherry, oak, maple, orange or lemon wood (on the rare occasion I can find orange or lemon) Alder and cherry are usually the easiest to find, and they both work beautifully for fish.
• Do not use hickory or mesquite; they are just too strong and completely overwhelm fish!
• I usually double or triple this recipe; I have rigged my double-size smoker to take up to 4 racks to handle the larger amounts.
• Since this whole process takes a lot of time, the little extra effort is worth while, and the smoked fish freezes well, lasting a couple years with only a little deterioration in flavor or texture.
• SAFETY NOTE: Needless to say, DO THIS OUTDOORS!
• Cabon monoxide KILLS!

BRINE FOR SMOKED FISH

Steps:

• I bring this to a simmer over medium heat until all sugars are melted and combined with the salt and water.
• Cool and pour over salmon pieces. ( I do not use all the brine and will have to tweak further ).
• Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
• Drain fish and pat dry.
• Place on racks for about 1 hour, blotting with paper towel occasionally.
• Place in smoker for 5 hours, checking and adding smoking chips.