Most smoked fish recipes call for soaking fillets in brine prior to smoking on charcoal smokers or grill-smoker combinations. However, if treated with dry-rub seasonings shortly after catching and cleaning, the time-consuming process of brining becomes unnecessary. Dry rubs, like brine soakings, create a salty layer on the outside of fish that forces moisture inside, keeping the fish from drying out during the long smoking process. The dry rub also adds flavor to the fish to complement the smoky flavor imparted during charcoal and wood smoking.
Instructions
Advance Prep for Fish and Wood Chips
1. Mix dry-rub seasonings thoroughly in small mixing bowl.
2. Coat all fillets, top and bottom, with the seasoning mix, rubbing it into the fish to create an outer crust.
3. Place seasoned fillets on a clean plate or platter, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours.
4. Dump the wood-chip blend into a larger plastic mixing bowl and add enough water to completely cover the chips. Soak the mixture for at least an hour before smoking.
Starting the Coals and Smoking
5. Build a small charcoal fire in the side firebox or on the smoker charcoal grate using about four handfuls of lump charcoal. This fire size should be maintained throughout the smoking process.
6. Adjust vents and/or chimneys to maintain a grilling chamber temperature between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Place the seasoned fish on the cooking grate of the grill or smoking chamber--ensuring none of the individual fillets are touching--and close the lid. A tightly sealed lid ensures more even, stable temperatures inside the smoking chamber.
8. Add a handful of wet wood chips to the hot coals at the beginning of the smoking process and every 30 minutes thereafter to slow-season the fish with alder and cherry smoke.
9. Add a handful of every hour to maintain the heat source.
Tags: , , lump charcoal, mixing bowl, Place seasoned