Kokanee Brine
A basic brine recipe that can be used or modified to bring out the best flavor in kokanee salmon. Good for smoking, baking, or grilling kokanee.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot or Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Gallon Water
- 1 Cup Salt I prefer Kosher Salt
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- Additional spices to taste, if desired I like garlic and rosemary as well
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot or bowl. Mix until all salt and sugar is dissolved.
- Add your kokanee to the pot or bowl, ensuring that all the fish is completely submerged. You may need to weight it down with a plate or bowl.
- Refrigerate and allow the fish to brine for 24-72 hours.
- Remove the fish from the brine and rinse. Then put the fish on a wire rack (I like to put the rack in a cookie sheet) and let the fish dry for 2 hours. This will allow more smoke and other flavor to stick to the fish when cooking. It also makes for a better crust or sear on the fish. Place the fish on the rack back the the fridge while drying.
- Smoke, bake, or grill the kokanee, as desired.