Alton Brown's Cardboard Box Hack For Deliciously Smoky Fish Dinners

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Smoked salmon, mackerel, trout, and herring add decadence to any lunchtime spread, and you can actually try your hand at smoking the fish yourself with a few cheap items you probably already own. American food show presenter Alton Brown is renowned for his handy culinary tricks, and you might even know a few by heart, like adding mayo to scrambled eggs for a tangy kick, or swapping gin with whiskey for a Negroni alternative. And the chef is back again with more crafty instructions shared on the Food Network YouTube channel for how to smoke fish in a cardboard box.

Smoking salmon in cardboard is something the TV star thought he'd only do once. "But I'm still using it," he says, "...not the same box." Gesturing to the homemade gadget, he reveals an electric hotplate placed inside a roasting pan at the bottom of a large box, with a vented pie pan used as a smoke diffuser.

How you use it is simple: plug in the plate, put wood chips in the pan, and fold up the box. Although the cardboard smoker can reach up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the 62-year-old has never had one catch fire. "It's really important you put the hotplate inside the box, in the roasting pan. That's what it's there for," Brown clarifies.

Fans flooded the YouTube comments in praise for the eclectic chef. One user tried curing bacon in a box, "which came out amazing", and another added, "the smoked salmon in a box recipe is really good." But what else can you smoke? Well, tender, smoked brisket is easy to make, and ham, pork shoulder, and chicken also work well. You can also smoke fruits like peaches and pineapple, as well as vegetables like onions and carrots, and various cheeses, for that signature charred flavor.

Don't have the equipment at home? Don't worry. You can snap up a hotplate online, such as the Elite Gourmet Countertop Single Cast Iron Burner for $16.99 on Amazon. You can also purchase large, heavy-duty cardboard boxes online, but you may want to ask at your local grocery store, as they tend to have a fair few floating around.

And when it comes to choosing wood chips, don't forget this expert advice: Rich Parente, chef and owner of Clock Tower Grill in Brewster, New York, previously told Chowhound that the best chips all depend on the cooking. Red meat can withstand the intense smoky notes of mesquite and hickory, whereas applewood and cherrywood add a fruity sweetness. Hickory, alternatively, has a savory kick, and if you're in doubt, oak is a versatile wood that works across the board. Armed with a cardboard box and the right wood chip, you have all the artillery to take your smoking game to the next level.