The brine is a PITA to make vs. a traditional brown sugar/salt brine but it's worth it. Use a light flavored wood, Alder, Apple, etc.
Citrus Salmon and Trout Brine
1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Lemon pepper to taste
1 (3 ounce) package dry crab and shrimp seasoning mix (Old Bay)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, crushed or to taste
4 lemons, sliced and crushed
2 oranges, sliced and crushed
1 lime, sliced and crushed
Boil 1 qt. water. Add spices and then the rest of the ingredients. Let cool to below 40°F before adding salmon or trout.
Use leftover brine in the water tray.
To smoke salmon: Pat fillets dry with paper towels; do not rinse. Place on smoking rack skin-side down. Place in fridge to form pellicle for 4 hr. Add your favorite wood to the smoker First choice is Apple, followed by Alder, Pecan, Cherry or Hickory. Smoke at 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) for 5 to 6 hours. For thinner fillets, 175°F for 4-5 hours.
Cut recipe in half for smaller batches, this will brine up to 10 pounds of salmon, Can (should) leave salmon in brine 36 hr.
Try cutting down the salt by half, and added a half cup of Teriyaki Marinade, and added some Chinese chili paste. Both are excellent both are unique. You can taste the citrus flavors right off the grill, but the longer it sits in the refrigerator the better smoked salmon flavor it gets! (Brine it for a full 36 hours if you can.)
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