Got myself a new toy - electric smoker. Food smoking for me was a little intimidating. I thought one had to be a professional to smoke food. Now I know it is very easy if you have a smoker. Put some meat in a smoker and forget about it for an hour or two. My smoker has two levels. I smoked two things at the same time. On top rack I put fish: salmon first, then trout. On lower rack I put two Cornish hens, it took longer time to cook through. The food turned out very good looking and tasted even better.










Soak hickory chunks for 20 minutes.




Place them on lava rocks.



Fill 2/3 of water plate with liquid (water+ beer) +aromatics(lemon slices, dill stems, fennel leaves, thyme, orange peel)








Place the food.
Plug the smoker.

Smoked cornish hens

2 Cornish hens 

Brine for hens:
2 quarts of water          
1 cup  of sea salt     
1 lemon

Stuffing:
thyme
sage
bay leaf
lemon

Brine hens in salted water for 40 minuts in a fridge.
Take them out of brine.
Rinse.
Pat dry with paper towels.
Squeeze lemon juice to the inside and on the outside of hens, let them marinate for five minutes.
Pat the hens dry thoroughly . 
Oil the hens.
Stuff with herbs and a half of a lemon.
Place on the lower rack of smoker.
Smoke for 3 hours.




Smoked salmon

salmon
dill
pepper
sea salt
bay leaf
lemon
oil

Season salmon with salt and pepper.
Squeeze 1/2 of lemon on the fish.




Mince some dill and add to the salmon.




Let it marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Place salmon on higher rack of smoker.
Smoke for 1 hour 30 minutes.




Smoked trouts

3 trouts
salt
pepper
oil

stuffing:
dill
sage
fennel leaves

Season trouts with salt and pepper.
Stuff them with herbs.
Oil the fish.
Place fish on higher rack of smoker.
Smoke for 1hour 30 minutes.