What if I don't brine my Atlantic Salmon before smoking ?

[red sled]

Last week we brined and smoked some Halibut and Tilapia. The brine recipe was this from Bear's post :
Put 1/2 quart of apple juice in a pot on the stove, bringing to low boil & then down to simmer.
Add to this;
6 ounces of soy sauce
1/2 cup of non-iodized salt
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 tsp of Garlic powder
1/2 tsp of Onion powder

We soaked the fish in the brine for four hours then smoked for a little over an hour at 220 degrees with apple wood chips. The Halibut turned out great, light smoky flavor and light salty flavor. The Tilapia was really salty even for me and I like salty.

So I was in Des Moines today and brought home some fresh Atlantic Salmon and Rainbow Trout from our favorite seafood store and restaurant " The Waterfront " . I like the taste of salmon so I'm considering not using a brine and just smoking the fish this time and not risk getting it too salty. Would it be a mistake to not brine the salmon and trout ?

Did I do something wrong in getting the Tilapia too salty last time ?

Thanks.

 

[wild west]

There is no real need to brine. The texture will be a little softer if you dont brine though. The most important thing is to not over cook fish. When i brine I usually give the fish a rinse under cold water to remove excess salt and then pat dry. The reason i brine is to improve the texture. The salt pulls moisture from the fish.

 

[daveomak]

Different fish types, absorb salt differently... Salmon NEEDS salt to bring out it's full flavor.... Tillapia, being a white fish, low in fat, doesn't have much flavor...
May I suggest, if you have a grams scale, add 2% kosher salt to each filet.. that way you know how much salt is being absorbed... You might also add 1% sugar to offset any saltiness.. The salt and sugar are hygroscopic and will suck moisture from each and firm it up... both fish will need that... after 12-24 hours, lightly rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels... form a pellicle in front of a fan for an hour or 2... then smoke...
If there are any spices or herbs that you really like with either fish, add it with the salt... make sure it is salt free...

 

[cmayna]

To the OP, is the amount of time to brine an issue? Depending on the size of the fish pieces, my brining time can get as low as 3+ hours. Also, what temp were you considering smoking the fish at? If high enough, you could almost call it grilling while adding smoke.

 

[SonnyE]

I use to never brine my fish.
But since hanging out here, I got interested in it.
Then I ran onto old fashioned 1 cup of salt, 4 cups Brown Sugar, dry brine. Just put the salmon in a glass baking dish and cover with the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Next day, almost all of the salt/sugar had liquefied by drawing the moisture out of the Salmon. What little hadn't, I rinsed off with cold water quickly. Then patted dry, and let it air until the surface was dry.
Then cold smoked it for about 6 hours with Alder. I really like it that way.
That dry brine method works for fresh, or previously frozen Salmon. My fishin hole is at Costco, so mine's always been froze.
But wet brining puts moisture into the Salmon, I believe. And it has to be taken back out.

 

[murraysmokin]

This is my go to with salmon & lake trout nothing but compliments.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/122931/mr-ts-smoked-salmon-from-go-to-show-w-q-view

 

[red sled]

Thank you all for your input ! I appreciate it.

To the OP, is the amount of time to brine an issue? Depending on the size of the fish pieces, my brining time can get as low as 3+ hours. Also, what temp were you considering smoking the fish at? If high enough, you could almost call it grilling while adding smoke.

Normally time is not an issue, and so far I've smoked fish at 220 degrees (but I'm new to this MES 30" smoker).

 

[SmokinAl]

I don't brine my salmon, just a coat of EVOO & dust with Cajun seasoning.
Wrap in plastic wrap for a couple of hours & smoke at 250 degrees, with a pat of butter on top, until flaky.
Usually about 1/2 hour to 3/4 hour depending on the thickness.
Since it's such a short smoke I use mesquite for the wood.
Al

 

[red sled]

Thank you Al and all who replied. I dug around the cupboards and made a quick marinade with what I could find. 2 12-ounce bottles of 7UP, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion salt. I heated the mixture while stirring until warm, then soaked the fish for two hours. Rinsed in cold water and patted dry, then put back in the fridge for 90 minutes.

I wanted to try half and half so I only marinated one piece of salmon and one trout. Tried smoking at 150 degrees (MES 30") but the chips wouldn't smoke so I had to turn it up to 200 degrees which made for quick cooking time and not enough smoking time. Removed the fish at 145-150 degrees and it was done nicely. The fish that was soaked in the brine is very tasty, the other is good but plain, partly due to the very brief smoking time. Is there anything I can do now to help the flavor of the fish that wasn't in the brine ? Besides adding salt and pepper when serving ?

 

[SonnyE]

Thank you Al and all who replied. I dug around the cupboards and made a quick marinade with what I could find. 2 12-ounce bottles of 7UP, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion salt. I heated the mixture while stirring until warm, then soaked the fish for two hours. Rinsed in cold water and patted dry, then put back in the fridge for 90 minutes.

I wanted to try half and half so I only marinated one piece of salmon and one trout. Tried smoking at 150 degrees (MES 30") but the chips wouldn't smoke so I had to turn it up to 200 degrees which made for quick cooking time and not enough smoking time. Removed the fish at 145-150 degrees and it was done nicely. The fish that was soaked in the brine is very tasty, the other is good but plain, partly due to the very brief smoking time. Is there anything I can do now to help the flavor of the fish that wasn't in the brine ? Besides adding salt and pepper when serving ?

You could try brushing a little hot honey on. Or a touch of Maple Syrup. Take a small amount for taste testing.
If you like one of those, you know what to do... :D

 

[red sled]

Thanks SonnyE, the maple syrup sounds tasty !