The brine recipe I have been using came form list member Don Kelly a few years ago and has worked really well
1 1/2 cups non-iodized salt 2 cups brown sugar 1 tbsp onion powder 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp paprika 1tsp black pepper 1 tsp cayenne pepper This is a DRY mix that you layer over the fish, adding another layer of brine, another of fish, etc. I let thick fillets like Chinook that areover an inch sit for 18-20 hours, the thinner ones like coho for 14-16 hrs. Then rinse, pat dry and let them glaze for 12 hours. I have a Bradley smoker that feeds biscuit's of chips automatically so you don't have to keep an eye on the process and refill the pan of chips. It also has a thermometer and you can control the temperature. I have found that a temperature of 125 works best and I smoke the fillets for 3-5 hours depending on the thickness. Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar on the fillets while they are smoking. I think the best result is that they are BARELY 'done' (cooked) and still flakey and moist. MUCH better tasting than smoking/cooking 'em to death and having them dry and thready. Another recipe that I haven't tried yet but sounds good is: 2 oz coarse ground pepper 2 sprigs of fresh oregano 4 fl oz of molasses 4 fl oz of gin 1 tsp worchestershire sauce 1 medium onion shaved thin 1 oz fresh crushed ginger juice 1 oz coarse salt. If anyone else has a recipe they have used and like, let me know.l I am also interested in beef jerky brines. I have used the one from Don and it turned out pretty well but I don't think the brown sugar is all that necessary Kent Lufkin wrote: > I don't eat trout as a rule and release all I catch. I find that > eating salmon more than once or twice a month is too much. But with 40 > - 50 pounds of Alaskan coho fillets in the freezer, I thought I'd try > smoking some up. The first batch is in the smoker this morning, made > with my brother-in-law's recipe. > > Being new to smoking fish (I know, the hardest part is keeping the > darned things lit ;-), I thought this might be a good time to ask if > any of you have a favorite brine/smoking recipe you'd be willing to > share? > > Thanks in advance, > > Kent Lufkin >
