Smoked mullet are easy to cook. Throw a cast net and do it yourself.

Smoked fish, particularly those plentiful in this area such as mullet, make a nice addition to anyone’s repertoire, and you can cold smoke them simply enough — even in a pan on top of your stove (provided you do so well away from your smoke detector).

A Sound Off correspondent, motivated by heaven knows what, left a recipe for smoked mullet. We can’t vouch for its soundness or workability, but we’ve included it at the end.

In self-defense, we called a man who has advised us well in the past, George Rogers of Grate Grills & More in Biloxi. He offered up a smoked mullet recipe, too; we’ve listed it first.

Now all you have to do is learn how to throw a cast net and catch yourself some mullet, a thing every kid over the age of 10 in every town up and down the Mississippi Coast used to know how to do. Or visit your favorite fish market; the local ones carry mullet in season.

GEORGE’S SMOKED FISH

• 5 pounds fresh mullet butterfly fillets
• 1 gallon water
• 1 pound hickory chips soaked overnight
• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup kosher salt

Make a brine solution by combining 1 gallon of water and kosher salt. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Place the fish in the brine and let soak refrigerated for about 30 minutes.

Remove the fish from the brine; rinse thoroughly and dry.

To smoke fish, use a smoker or charcoal grill. If using a grill, smoke the mullet over indirect heat. The heat must be kept low. Cover charcoal with approximately 1/3 of the wet chips. The wet chips provide lower temperatures and create smoke which flavors the fish. The remaining chips should be added as needed throughout the cooking.

Place the butterflied fish or fish fillets, skin side down, on a well-greased grill. Close the hood on the grill and open vent slightly to keep smoke and air circulating. Smoke fish approximately 2 hours at 150 to 175 degrees. The fish is done when the cut surface is golden brown and the flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork. Makes 6 servings.

SOUND OFF SMOKED MULLET

Start with fresh mullet, remove and reserve the roe and the gizzard, eviscerate and cut off the head.

Split the fish head to tail from the belly but leave connected at the top so that it opens like a book (butterflied fillets). May as well do 10 to 20 pounds.

Prepare a brine solution of 4 cups pickling or kosher salt to 2 gallons of water at 60 degrees. Use ice or whatever is necessary to maintain 50-60 degrees.

Soak mullet for 30 minutes, remove and rinse thoroughly.

In a second brine with 2 cups salt and 1 cup brown sugar to 1 gallon water at a maximum of 60 degrees, immerse fillets for 1 hour.

Remove, rinse and hang in a cool, dry place until a shiny film forms. (Using an electric fan speeds the process.)

Season the brine with garlic, onion, lemon/lime, pickling spices, etc., whatever turns you on or sprinkle a mixture onto the fish after the last rinse.

Heat the grill to 170-180 degrees and add green wood (alder, apple, pear, white oak, citrus) to the coals. Place fillets on the grill and maintain temperature until firm, 6-8 hours.

This story was originally published May 30, 2005 at 12:00 AM.