Hot Smoked Snoek with Roasted Garlic, Lime and Coriander Mayo

For the Brine:

• 1l (4 cups) water
• 125g salt
• 125g brown sugar
• 5ml (1 tsp) juniper berries
• 5ml (1 tsp) black peppercorns
• 4 cloves

For the Snoek:

• 1kg Food Lover’s Signature Braai Snoek
• Lime wedges, to serve
• Multi-coloured cherry tomatoes, to serve
• Coriander, to serve
• Salt and pepper

For the Roasted Garlic, Lime and Coriander Mayo:

• 8 garlic cloves, roasted or smoked
• 5ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
• 2 egg yolks
• 200ml extra virgin olive oil
• 200ml vegetable oil
• Juice of 2 limes
• 10g coriander, roughly chopped
• Sea salt and pepper

For the Brine:

• Combine all the ingredients together in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Allow to cool.

For the Hot Smoked Snoek with a Smoker

• Place the snoek in the brine and leave in the fridge for 3 hrs.
• Remove the fish from the brine, pat dry with kitchen towel and place in a smoker. Season with salt and pepper and smoke over a gentle heat for approximately 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and leave to cool in the smoker.

Snoek without a Smoker:

• *If you do not have a smoker, not to worry there are 2 other ways of smoking at home.
• If you have a kettle braai you can add sawdust or wood smoking chips on your braai-ready coals and place the snoek on the grid, close the lid and smoke for 20 minutes or until cooked.
• You can place sawdust or wood smoking chips in a bain-marie or deep baking dish (must be heat resistant), place a cooling rack on top of the bain-marie leaving a gap between the cooking rack and sawdust. Place the snoek on the grid, cover with foil and place the bain-marie on a direct heat source, smoke for about 20 minutes or until cooked.

For the Roasted Garlic, Lime and Coriander Mayo:

• Crush the garlic to a paste. Add the egg yolks and the mustard.
• Whisk in the lime juice. Slowly whisk in the oils, and season to taste.
• Finish with the chopped coriander and serve with the smoked snoek.