Combine the hot water, kosher salt, and brown sugar in a large glass measuring cup or bowl then stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Place inside the fridge or freezer to chill completely.

Trim the thin white strip (belly) off the fillet if present then remove any pin bones with tweezers. Place the salmon skin-side up inside a baking dish with high sides that’s not much bigger than the fillet.

Pour the chilled brine over the salmon until it’s completely submerged then cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour per pound — generally brine for 4-8 hours for a smaller fillet, and up to 12 hours for a thicker fillet.

Place 2 cooling racks atop a half sheet pan, or 1 cooling rack atop a quarter sheet pan if the fillet is on the shorter side. Rinse the brine off the salmon under cold water then place it flesh side up on top of the cooling racks. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours, or until the surface is tacky. The longer the salmon sits uncovered in the fridge to develop what’s called a pellicle, or a thin, sticky layer of protein on the outside of the fish, the more smoke flavor it will take on in the smoker. Additionally, the pellicle will seal in moisture and help prevent albumin (a harmless yet unsightly white protein) from forming on the outside of the fish.

Season the salmon fillet with Lemon Pepper Seasoning. The brine will impart saltiness to the salmon, so don’t go overboard with Lemon Pepper Seasoning if the blend you use contains salt. Sometimes only coarsely ground pepper and dried lemon peel are used if the salmon fillet is on the thin side. Refrigerate the seasoned salmon while you prepare your smoker.

Prepare your smoker to smoke at 180 degrees F, as ready by a digital thermometer, over indirect heat. If desired, add a piece of wood or a handful of wood chips if using a charcoal smoker, or pellets if using an electric smoker. We use a hunk of cherry wood in our Green Egg. Avoid using mesquite wood chips which can overpower the flavor of the salmon.

Place the seasoned salmon fillet onto the smoker then insert an internal temperature probe into the thickest part of the fillet. Smoke the salmon until the internal temperature reaches your desired level of doneness, keeping the internal temperature of the smoker between 180 and 200 degrees F. Depending on the size of your salmon fillet, this could take anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours. The 1.75lb salmon fillet (after trimming) in these photos took 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 130 degrees F.

Transfer the smoked salmon fillet to a platter then cover it loosely with foil and let rest for at least 20 minutes. We prefer smoked salmon served warm or near room temperature, vs hot. Cut into smaller fillets then serve with plenty of fresh lemon wedges.