Things You'll Need:
- Salmon fillets
- Dark brown sugar
- Canning or kosher salt
- Garlic cloves
- Measuring cups
- Garlic press
- Large bowl
- Non-metallic pot and cover
- Refrigerator
- Drying rack
- Wood chips
- Match
- Smoker
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Step 1
Have the salmon fillets you plan to smoke.
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Step 2
Prepare a dry brine using 4 cups dark brown sugar, 1 cup canning or kosher salt and 10 to 15 peeled garlic cloves, depending on your taste. Run the cloves through a garlic press. Mix the three ingredients together.
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Step 3
Use your hands to apply the dry brine mixture liberally to your fish. If you run out of mixture, make some more.
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Step 4
Put some brine mixture in the bottom of a non-metal pot. Layer your brined fish in the non-metal pot, starting with the first layer, skin down. The second layer should be flesh down; the third layer skin down. The fish should be layered skin to skin, flesh to flesh.
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Step 5
Cover your pot and put it in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
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Step 6
After 6 hours, take the fish out of the pot and rinse each piece in cold water. Rinse off all the brine mixture.
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Step 7
Dry the fish on a rack at room temperature for three to four hours.
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Step 8
Put wood chips in your smoker, light them and preheat your smoker for 15 minutes.
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Step 9
Put the fish in your smoker, the thicker pieces at the bottom, the thinner pieces at the top. Smoke your fish for about six hours. Check on the fish periodically, as smoking time will depend on the wind and the weather.
