Title: Cold smoked salmon
 Categories: None
      Yield: 1 Servings
 
MMMMM----------------------BASIC FISH BRINE---------------------------
      4    U.S gallons water
      5 lb (8 cups) salt
      1 lb Dark brown sugar
  1 1/2 c  Lemon juice
      2 tb Liquid garlic
      2 tb Liquid onion
 
  Prepare the fish by cleaning, gutting and, if desired, by cutting into
  fillets or chunks. Then emerse the fish in basic fish brine for a time
  proportional to the weight. Remove from the brine and rinse briefly
  in cold water. Hang in a cool airy place for 3 hours or longer if
  necessary, until the surface is completely dry. Hang the fish or
  place on racks, in the smoke oven. Keep the temperature between 70
  and 85 deg. F. and use a fairly light smoke. In prolonged cold
  smoking it is not necessary that smoke be generated all the time. At
  night, for example, it does not matterif the hardwood is all
  consumed, or if the fire goes out. Simply compensate for the lost
  time when calculating the total smoking period. The time required for
  cold smoking depends upon the time that the fish is to be kept. The
  following table will give a rough guide.
  
  :  SMOKING TIME                                  KEEPING TIME
  :  -------------------------               ------------------------
  :  24hours                                               2 weeks
  :  2 days                                                 4 weeks
  :  3 days                                                 2 months
  :  4 days                                                 4 months
  :  5 days                                                 6 months
  :  1 week                                                 1 year
  :  2 weeks                                               3 years
  
  These times assume a steady of smoke and uniform oven temperatures.
  Well smoked fish will for some time at room temperature, but for best
  preservation, each fish or piece should be seperately wrapped in waxed
  paper or aluminun foil and refrigerated at 35 deg. f.
  
  BASIC FISH BRINE: If liquid garlic and liquid onion are not available,
  garlic and onion powder may be subsituted although they do not readily
  dissolve in water. Alternatively, garlic cloves and onions may be
  crushed, but peel them first. If a stronger flavor is desired, add a
  little tabasco sauce to the brine. Dill may be added to the brine,
  for those who like it. Two tablespoons of dill salt will be about
  right. Alternatively, crushed or broken dill plants may be put in the
  brine as they are for dill pickles. The dill flavored brine is
  particulary good for making smoked or kippered Salmon. For a subtle
  variation of flavor, honey or blackstrap molasses may be subsituted
  for the brown sugar.
  
  Above excerpted