Brine formula (per quart/litre)

1quart (950 mL) water

1/2 cup canning/pickling salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

3 tablespoons rice vinegar of white wine vinegar

1 tablespoons mixed pickling spice

Whole dressed fish (3/4 to 3 pounds), or skin-on fillets

6 cups smoking sawdust of fine chips

In nonreactive bowl, combine ingredients, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve.  Place fish in glass baking dish or other nonreactive container.  Pour brine over fish there should be enough brine to cover fish completely (make additional brine as needed).  Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, turning once or twice if possible.

The next day, drain fish, discarding brine.  Pat fish dry with paper towels.  Arrange in a single layer on smoking racks that have been coated with nonstick spray.  Air-dry with the aid of a table fan until a firm sheen appears on the exposed flesh, 30 minutes to 1 hour; it should look glossy rather than wet, and should not be sticky (if you prefer, refrigerate fish on rack, uncovered, for several hours or until skin forms).  While fish is drying, preheat smoker to 140°F.

When fish is dry, place rack into smoker.  Fill wood pan with smoking wood.  Smoke at 110°F-140°F, adding more wood about once per hour, or as needed to maintain light smoke.  Fish is done when it feels firm to the touch and appears opaque throughout; don't smoke for too long or it will dry out and be too strongly flavored.  Small whole fish and thin fillets will take about 6 hours, larger fish and thicker fillets could take as long as 10 hours.  If fish is not done after 8-10 hours, finish cooking in 150°F oven.

Great spread idea Jimmy loves to it eat with crackers

Beat some cream cheese to soften, add some of the smoked fish (finely chopped) to taste.  Super easy and is much better than anything you can buy in the store.  Great hit at parties.