Brined, cardboard-box hot-smoked trout

Cut two sets of holes in a cardboard box and run wooden trim through them to hold a rack; set an electric hot plate in the bottom away from the sides and run its cable out through another hole.

Set a cast iron pan on the hot plate and put a few pieces of unsoaked hardwood in it; soaking would make steam.

Dissolve the kosher salt and dark brown sugar in a gallon of sink-hot water, stirring with the fingers until completely dissolved; add the ice.

Brine the trout two to three hours, with an aquarium pump circulating the brine to speed it by convection.

Unplug the pump; after 180 minutes the brine is still well under 40F.

Rinse the fish briefly.

Refrigerate uncovered on the bottom shelf to dry the surface and form a pellicle, overnight as standard, or about two hours with a fan blowing on them, rotating halfway.

Outdoors, or under a strong vent hood, turn the hot plate to high; probe the box with a remote thermometer with its alarm at 200 degrees and keep the box from getting hotter than that.

When the fish is bone dry with good pellicle (two and a half hours here), lay them belly flaps up on the rack; optionally set a holed pie pan over the heat as a diffuser; close the box.

Smoke at 200 degrees for 90 minutes to two hours, turning the hot plate down if it goes over, turning the fish once for evenness, until the internal temperature reaches about 165F; done here at 102 minutes.

Flake the meat off the bone, watching for bones; serve with cream cheese and green onion on toast or bagels, in scrambled eggs, a salad, a dip or a sandwich with cucumbers.