Start with cold smoke for fish, then bring to temp for moist fish

[oscuba]

When I smoke fish I apply cold smoke. Then I can bring the fish up to temp without over drying it. All it takes is a pellet smoker like the A-Maze-N tube and a kettle grill or any smoker etc. Such smoke delivery devices do not generate enough heat to cook and dry the fish. You can bring the fish up to temp in foil to better preserve the moisture and texture.

I smoked salmon for salmon Mi Cuit (yeah, some French chef may slap me). I just want a hint of smoke on the Mi Cuit prepared salmon. It can not be smoked in a temp above 80 degrees. In fact, the fish is placed on a completely clean grill (I use cooling racks) and the fish is ice water cold and never gets warm at all. Salmon Mi Cuit is finished to a temp of 104 degrees.

No more dry smoked fish. The difference will set you apart.

Cheers!

Scoobs

 

[abitibi]

How long do you smoke it?

 

[oscuba]

That's the art. The variables are type of fish, type of wood your smoker and your taste. Very delicate smoke, mainly a compliment depth of flavor, can take 15 minutes. A big slab of salmon with cherry wood can take 2-4 hours, maybey more if the smoke delivery is very low like a true cold smoker should be; most of us can't replicate that. My A-Maz-N tube delivers a decent amount of smoke so the longest for me is 3 hours. Remember, it's raw fish at 80 degrees: it's technically starting to rot.

You can add more smoke when bringing to temp to finish. Careful with that.

Sorry, not a good answer but it's honest. The key is to keep a log of every variable: temp, wood type, time and any other including brine variables. Then note the outcome and what you'd like different the next time. I hate it when it think "I'll remember" and then I don't. Especially when I pull out a package of frozen fish months later and go "Too smokey, what did I do?".