smoking trout or salmon

[smokenjim]

dear smokers
can anyone tell me how long to smoke a whole fish or fish steaks such as salmon or trout?
any ideas on types of rubs or timber to use.
thankyou and regards
jim

[dweir]

This what I've done in the past for smoking salmon, before I got the Smokenator. I brine my fillets using kosher or sea salt, 3 tablesthingys to a cup of warm water. Stir the salt till it dissolved, then add to 4 quarts of water. Add the fillets or steaks, and let stand for about 45 min. Remove, since with cold water, pat dry with a paper towel and let air dry for about 2 hrs. A slicky texture will form on the fillets, this is normal, there is a name for the film but the name escapes me.

While the fillets are drying fire up your kettle getting the temp between 210-225. Place the fillets in foil, skin side down to the foil. At this point I squirt the juice of two lemons on the fillets, add a dash of salt, pepper , drizzle some olive oil over them. Place in the kettle. The temp at the thickest part of the fillet should be 140 degrees. As for woods, any type will do, i prefer apple as it gives the fish a sweeter flavor.

Once the temp has reached 140, remove the fillets, remember as with any type of meat, it will continue to cook, and you dont want a dried out fillet, unless you like it that way. Serve with lemon slices. Enjoy.

[gumby]

I do salmon about once a week and it's usually when I get home from work so I don't have time to do it too slow with the water pan etc. I just cook normally and use the Smokenator as a baffle against direct heat without using the water pan.

I fill the Smokenator about half full with small lump charcoal already fully lit from the chimney.

It's probably around 300-350 degrees at the dome. The fish is rubbed with good quality olive oil, rubbed with salt and goes in for about 15-20 minutes with some nice hickory chunks making lots of smoke.

It's bloody deeeelishious !!! Salom really sucks up thne smoke flavour. I've tried white fish like Rockling and it's nice but nowhere near as smokey.

I actually use my 'nator quite a bit like that. I did it tonight with a Greek style boned leg of lamb. It gives so much more room on the grill for the meat than you have using the standard Weber holders (particularly for a butterfly leg which is a large section) and also makes plenty of extra space for the potatoes.

[garth]

Interesting tips from Gumby! I've just acquired a S'nator, so I think I'll try it without the water-pan and as a substitute for the weber coal baskets. I do a lot of whole chickens, and I find if I stuff the cavity with herbs and lemon chunks, maybe slip a bit of fresh tarragon under the breast skin, and have water in the drip pan, it works well. The chicken doesn't dry out, but the sides sometimes get scorched if I'm too heavy-handed with the coals. The S'nator might help me avoid that problem. We'll see.

[delapaco]

I followed a recipe on craigs amazingribs-site. Indirect smoking. Took about 1,5 hours. Perfect.

[dave]

I did some catfish a few weeks ago. Found a recipe for a brine with salt, soy sauce, brown sugar, etc... did that for 4 hours

I had a dome temp of around 200

For smoking, the instructions were to smoke until the meat would flake apart.

The results were OK, good flavor, but next time, I'll smoke a little longer