Cooking With Smoke

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Try smoking non-meats, such as teriyaki tofu, portibello mushrooms, potatoes, and heads of garlic. As long as you have room in the smoker, you might as well rub oil on a few potatoes and put them on the top rack. Wrap a garlic head drizzled with olive oil in foil and stab with a fork to make vents.

Remember that at 225°F, it will take at least two hours for potatoes and garlic. We don't smoke vegetables because it takes so long that they shrivel up and dry out. Grill or roast your vegetables instead.

Smoked Fish

Here's your chance to use up that huge fish you caught at Lake Gitchygoomy last summer. Don't forget to thaw the packaged fish in cold water first. Plan ahead; the brining process takes two days.* Start with about two pounds of fish fillets (fresh or previously frozen), cut into three- to four-inch squares

Paul's Fish Brine

1/2 cup each: white vinegar, brown sugar, salt (I used1/3 cup salt, making the fish not quite as salty, which I prefer) 1 quart water (4 cups)

Two nights before smoking: Whisk the marinade together in a large glass bowl or casserole. Place the fish fillets in the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. The next day: Remove the fish from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and lay the fish, skin-side-down, on the sheet(s). Refrigerate overnight.

The second day: Prepare the smoker. When the coals are ready, lay the fillets, skin-side-down, on the grills. The middle grill usually cooks food faster, so place the larger fillets there. Smoke the fish for about two hours at the "ideal" temperature, which is 225°F to 250°F, then check it. Thicker fish will take about three hours. The fish is done when it has a caramelized-brown color and feels firm to the touch. If you smoke the fish too long, it will get too dry, chewy, and salty, since most of the juices will have been smoked away. I prefer my smoked fish still moist, but it won't keep quite as long this way.

Storing smoked fish: Cool the fish thoroughly.

Never wrap smoked fish in plastic because it will develop a strange taste. Put a few pieces of fish in a paper lunch bag, a few more in another bag, and so on. If you have more then one variety of fish, label the bags with a marking pen. Leave the bags open and place them on plates in your refrigerator for up to one week. The paper bags will get greasy-looking as they absorb the fish oil.

*You'll notice very little difference if you skip the overnight drying-out-the-fish step. If you're in a hurry, take the fish out of the brine after 24 hours, pat dry, and smoke.

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