[header] How to prepare hot smoked salmon [title] Brine your fish. [step] Brining is the process of soaking meat or fish before cooking. Each person who smokes fish has their own preferences for how to formulate a brine, but it almost always includes both a salty and a sweet flavor. 
For beginners to smoking, a simple brine of kosher salt and brown sugar is a good point of departure. How much you need depends on how much fish you have.