Here is a recipe that I found on the Bradley Forum by lilharv. Of all the many pickled fish recipes I have tried I like this one best:
"Catch northerns, fillet northerns,rinse fillets thoroughly. Cut fillets into approximately 3/4" x 3/4" chunks. Put fish chunks into a large bowl, add saltwater, cover bowl, , and soak fish for 48 hours in saltwater in refrigerator. You may need a double batch of saltwater if not enough to cover fish.
Salt water recipe
1 cup canning salt
4 cups water (make sure salt is dissolved)
After 48 hours, take fish out of refrigerator and rinse fish chunks thoroughly in a colander and also rinse your large bowl. Put rinsed and drained fish back in bowl and cover fish completely with white vinegar. Cover bowl and put back in refrigerator for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, drain fish in colander. Do not rinse. Fill jars with alternate layers of fish chunks and large chunks of onion. Fill jars with brine, cover jars, and put in refrigerator. Let fish set one week before eating. Any bones will have dissolved by this point. Brine can be made earlier the same day as it needs to be cooled before putting over fish in jars.
Brine Recipe
2 cups white vinegar
1 3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon whole allspice
4 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
2 tablespoons mustard seed
Bring brine to a boil, cool, pour over fish in jars and refrigerate finished product.
Notes: 4 to 5 medium sized northerns (3-4 lbs) will take approximately a double batch of saltwater and a triple batch of brine."
One thing I would add to lilharv's recipe: I have read in various places that you can get sick from eating pickled fish due to some organism or other that can survive the pickling process, but it cannot survive freezing. For this reason I filet and cube up my fish, then freeze for a couple days at below zero temps before thawing and pickling.
