Stove Top Smoker Beer-brined Smoked Catfish

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 (12 ounce) cans cold beer (such as budweiser)
• 1 tablespoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 6 bay leaves, crumbled
• 4 large catfish fillets, about 3/4 pound each
• olive oil
• 1 tablespoon hickory or alder wood chips

Recipe

• 1 dissolve salt and sugar in hot water.
• 2 add cold beer, pepper and bay leaves to make brine.
• 3 whisk well to remove carbonation.
• 4 add two medium-size bowls of ice cubes to cool brine and add more volume to the brine.
• 5 add more cold water if more liquid is necessary to cover all the fillets.
• 6 place fish in brine when the brine is cool to the touch.
• 7 brine fish 2-4 hours covered, in the refrigerator.
• 8 remove fish from brine, rinse in cold water and air dry for 10 minutes before smoking.
• 9 when ready to smoke, set stovetop smoker up with 2 tablespoons of chips between the smoker and the drip pan.
• 10 replace cooking grate.
• 11 brush fish lightly with oil, place skin-side down on the cooking grate with about an inch between each fillet.
• 12 slide top of smoker into place.
• 13 place smoker on the stovetop and center it over the burner.
• 14 turn the burner on high.
• 15 smoke for 20-30 minutes.
• 16 the fish will be a dark caramel color.
• 17 (alternatively you may smoke cook on an outdoor grill for 1 hour or until fish is cooked through, caramel colored and smoked.).
• 18 serve at warm or room temperature or make into a smoked catfish “pateâ€? by adding cream cheese, sour cream, shallots, capers, garlic, tabasco and a dash of pepper to taste.