I used to smoke quite a lot of bluefish (soaked in a plain brine overnight and then smoked in a Luhr-Jenson L'ill Chief over apple chips for several hours) The results were delicious with the thinner part of the fillet having a little more chewey texture and the thicker flesh being richer and moister, but all with a delightfully fishey lightly smoked flavor.
Well, things have changed, my ex got the smoker, the boat and the Long Island Sound (my source for bluefish) in the settlement. Ten years later, I've gotten a Smokette and a hankering for duplicating the smoked fish of my past. My question has to do with the moister smoking conditions of the Smokette. I also suspect that there is more cooking going on in the Smokette than ever took place in the L'ill Chief. I plan on trying some catfish fillets before stepping up to salmon, figuring that cheap experiments are better tolerated if they fail.
1) Should I do the same overnight brine soak and then a monitored several hour cook over apple or should I dry the fillets out a little before cooking? (Brining and then drying seems counterintuitive or even working at cross purposes)
2) What about a dry salt rub overnight and then a quick rinse before smoking? I don't want to end up with either fish jerky or poached catfish. Can I control the meat texture in the Smokette?
3) Since I am planning on using a milder fish to start, will that increase or decrease the time needed to impart a good smokey flavor?
Any and all help will be appreciated! Thanks in advance.
