BASIC CURED & HOT SMOKED FISH

One of the keys to success with smoked fish is a light cure with salt. This firms the flesh and allows the smoke to stick. A little white sugar for white fish or brown sugar for salmon will help with the flavouring and you ultimately get a savoury, sweet and aromatic flavour.

Ingredients

Wet brine smoke

• 600ml water

• ¼ cup sea salt

• 2 tablespoons white sugar

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 3kg fish fillets skin

• 1 cup fine wood chips

Dry brine smoke

• 1kg large fish fillets

• ½ cup sea salt

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 cup fine smoking chips

For the wet brine: Mix the water, salt, sugar and zest, and submerge the fish for at least 1 hour (refrigerate overnight if pieces are thick). Remove from the brine. Pat dry. Place on a smoking rack and smoke over medium high heat for 15-20 minutes or until cooked. For a longer slow smoke, use bigger wood chips.

For the dry brine: Mix salt, sugar and pepper together. Spread on the flesh of the fish. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours, then rinse the fish and pat dry. Leave in a cool place with good air flow for 30 minutes to allow the flesh to dry out. Place on the smoker rack and smoke over a medium heat for 15-25 minutes or until the flesh is cooked and flakes easily with a fork.