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Epicurious

Fish Brine

5.0

(2)

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Fish deserve some salty foreplay just as much as pork and poultry. Every type of seafood is different in terms of density of the flesh, so different brine times are needed for different fish.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes enough to brine fillets for 4 people; for whole fish, double the recipe

Ingredients

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation

  1. Mix all the ingredients and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Submerge the fish in the brine, weighting it down with a plate if need be, and brine according to these guidelines:
    • Trout, shrimp, sardines, and other delicate seafood: 15 minutes
    • Bass, barramundi, sablefish, and other flaky fillets: 20 minutes
    • Halibut, mahimahi, bluefish, and other flaky, meaty fillets: 30 minutes
    • Salmon, mackerel, Arctic char, and other meaty, full-flavored fish: 35 minutes
    • Amberjack, cobia, swordfish, and other dense, steak-like fish: 40 minutes

Reprinted with permission from Where There's Smoke: Simple, Sustainable, Delicious Grilling by Barton Seaver. Copyright © 2013 by Barton Seaver. Photography by Katie Stoop. Published by Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
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