I just found this recipe on an American smoking forum. This is not my recipe, and I have not tested it out. It was used for Pacific true cod. It caught my eye because it uses some very unusual ingredients. I don't know if Yoshidas sauce can be found in Canada. Yoshidas sauce is similar to soy sauce, but with a much lower salt content. Personally I would cut the salt content in half , (or half the brine time) or it would be to salty for my liking. I use 1 kilo of sugar to 7/8 cup salt for my brines at 36-48 hours. I also cold smoke, whereas this recipe is intended for hot smoking. Hot or cold smoking is really just a matter of personal preference. A lot of American smokers seem to prefer hot smoking, but that may be because higher ambient temperatures in the southern States makes cold smoking difficult. If someone is brave enough to try out this brine please report on how it works out. There are very few brine recipes posted online for cod, ling, or hali. It's hard to gauge how well they work because there is very little info and feedback online for smoking these species.
Smoked Cod Brine Recipe
Brine:
1 gallon water
1.5 cups course ground sea salt (non-iodized)
2 pounds dark brown sugar
1 capful pure vanilla
1 cup Yoshida gourmet sauce
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 DASHES tobasco
Brine 36 hours, rinse, dry with paper towels
Smoke 2 hours at 125 – 130 F
Increase temp to 175 – 180F for 2 more hours
Freeze before vacuum packing
