Brine for smoking fish

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 8 liters of water
• 500 g salt
• 20 g peppercorns, black
• 10 g juniper berries
• 1 tsp savory, dried
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• 8 bay leaves
• 2 onions
• 4 garlic cloves

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

First of all: To make a 5 to 8% brine, use 60 g of regular salt per liter of water. It’s best to use a container large enough to hold both the full amount of water and, later, the desired amount of fish. First, pour 6 liters of water directly into the container and mix with the salt. For the spiced broth, pour the remaining 2 liters into a pot. Roughly chop the onions and garlic (with the skin on) and add them. Then crush the remaining ingredients in a mortar and pestle and add them to the pot. Bring everything to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, then let it cool completely. Add the spiced broth to the brine. Directions: Place the prepared fish in the brine and let it rest in a cool, dark place (e.g., cellar, ideally a refrigerator) for about 12-15 hours. Then hang the fish up to dry (e.g., in a smoker) for about 2 hours, until they feel sticky. Then cook the fish for about 20 – 25 minutes without smoke at 100 °C, then smoke for about 2 – 4 hours, depending on the size and thickness.