Stove Top Smoker Beer-Brined Smoked Catfish - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Brine
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

Preparation

Dissolve salt and sugar in hot water.
Add cold beer, pepper and bay leaves to make brine.
Whisk well to remove carbonation.
Add two medium-size bowls of ice cubes to cool brine and add more volume to the brine.
Add more cold water if more liquid is necessary to cover all the fillets.
Place fish in brine when the brine is cool to the touch.
Brine fish 2-4 hours covered, in the refrigerator.
Remove fish from brine, rinse in cold water and air dry for 10 minutes before smoking.
When ready to smoke, set stovetop smoker up with 2 tablespoons of chips between the smoker and the drip pan.
Replace cooking grate.
Brush fish lightly with oil, place skin-side down on the cooking grate with about an inch between each fillet.
Slide top of smoker into place.
Place smoker on the stovetop and center it over the burner.
Turn the burner on high.
Smoke for 20-30 minutes.
The fish will be a dark caramel color.
(Alternatively you may smoke cook on an outdoor grill for 1 hour or until fish is cooked through, caramel colored and smoked.).
Serve at warm or room temperature or make into a smoked catfish \"pate\" by adding cream cheese, sour cream, shallots, capers, garlic, Tabasco and a dash of pepper to taste.