Recipe: Dry Brine recipe for Lewis

Dry Brine Recipe
(This recipe explains how to prepare a smoked fish using dry brine. I will copy all the process because it is quite interesting and useful)

I. Preparing the Fish:

Fish should be definned, filleted, skinned, and deboned (ie rib cage). Cut fish into approx. 3 inch wide/long pieces. Place a layer of dry brine down in the bottom of a deep rectangular cake pan. Sprinkle a layer of lemon pepper and place fish on this granular layer. Sprinkle fish with lemon pepper and cover with another layer of dry brine. Lemon pepper, fish, lemon pepper, brine, lemon pepper...... and repeat until the fish is gone. The last layer will be dry brine on the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. The dry brine will suck out a lot of the moisture from the fish so it will hold up to the smoking process without falling apart. The brine should become a slurry before starting to smoke the fish. If not let it stay in the refrigerator for another day.

Brine Recipe:
(You will most likely have to double this recipe at least).

2 lbs (yes pounds) of Brown Sugar
1/8 cup Salt
1/4 cup Granulated Garlic

II. Preparing the smoker

Start soaking the wood chips in a bucket of hot water. I have found that about 1/2 a bag (purchased at Safeway) of the hickory or mesquite or a mixture of both work well. The best wood for smoking fish is apple wood if you can find it. The wood should soak for at least 1/2 hour. The cellophane around the smoker is made of strips of Turkey roasting bags which you can find at most grocery stores. Gently roll it up to the top of the smoker which you have suspended from a ladder, tree branch or clothes line pole etc. Once the wood has soaked drain off the water. Start filling the inner fire box with charcoal. I place the charcoal on its edge in the fire box. It takes a while but I have never run out of charcoal during a smoke using this method. Layer the wood on top of the charcoal leaving a small 2" diameter bare charcoal spot in the center. Put the fire box in the bottom of the smoker so as to be balanced and level +/-. Place the round pie tin or old frying pan with the handle removed upside down on the modified barbecue rack. This is necessary to prevent drips from the meat putting out the fire. Start about 10 pieces of charcoal in an old coffee can that has been punctured around the bottom edge for ventilation or in one of those charcoal starter cylinders.

III Back to the Fish:

Remove the fish from the refrigerator and get a box of LARGE paper clips. Bend the paper clips open so they form a S shape. Place them in a baggie and put in some corn/veg. oil to coat them. This is critical if you do not want the fish to stick to them. Remove the fish from the brine which by now is thick liquid. DO NOT RINSE OFF THE BRINE WHICH IS STUCK TO THE FISH as it will melt off during smoking. Hook the fish with the paper clips. You must be careful to avoid hooking the fish in the center line of the muscle. The fish will get soft during smoking and if not supported properly it may fall to the bottom of the smoker. Hang the Hooked fish from the racks in the smoker. Start at the top and work down while unfolding the outer wrapping cellophane stuff.

IV The Fire:

Place 5 to 10 red hot coals in the center of the fire box which you prepared earlier. Roll down the cellophane stuff the rest of the way and seal it around the bottom of the smoker using the spring clip.

V. The Cook:

Allow the smoker to come up to about 250 deg as measured at the top with an oven thermometer. If the temp continues to increase it can be controlled by covering up the air holes in the bottom of the smoker. Ideally you want to cook the fish all the way through by cooking at 180 to 250 for about an hour. Then bring the temp down and keep it down to around 150 to 200 for the next 4 to 6 hours depending upon how soft you want the final product. On Salmon which is about 3/4" thick I usually smoke at least 6 hours. On the trout usually about 4 is good enough. The big thing to be careful about is not letting the cellophane come in contact with the fire box. If it is centered in the smoker tray it isn't a problem. You will find that the cellophane will last about 4 to 6 smokes. Maybe more if you are careful. It is easy to replace. Usually the turkey bags come in a box of 2 and I have found that it usually takes about 3 to cover the smoker easily.