First select the bird or birds to be smoked. Whole frying chickens more than three lbs. work well, as do five- or six-pound roasting chickens. Capons and ducks are fabulous smoked, but because of their lack of fat covering, they tend to turn out a bit dry. Small turkeys are among my favorites for smoking, but they require a curing procedure thats a bit more complicated. All smoked birds must be cured before smoking. Curing gives the meat the wonderfully delicate flavor and pink color that you pay a premium for when you buy smoked meats. But the cure needs to be mild. Cures that contain large amounts- of salt and spices, such as you might use to make your own corned beef, would Mask the delicate flavor of poultry. A very acceptable salt brine for curing poultry prior to smoking consists of one gallon of water, one and one- quarter cups of pure (non-iodized) salt and one level tablespoon of salt peter, available at butcher supply stores. Highly chlorinated tap water could adversely affect the curing process. Boil tap water for five minutes to expel the excessive chlorine. Then add the salt - sugar cure mixture to the water and stir until dissolved. When the brine has cooled to room temperature, put it in the refrigerator. When it reaches 40 degrees, it is ready to use. Small chickens, game hens, pheasants, etc., can be simply soak in the brine. Put the birds in a crock, stainless steel or plastic container, pour on the brine and cover and refrigerate for about three days to allow for complete penetration of the cure. Large birds, such as turkeys or big capons, will cure better and faster if the cure is injected into the bird. For this you will need a large curing syringe, available inexpensively at any butcher supply store. To give a uniform distribution of cure to all parts of the carcass, inject the brine deeply into the thickest part of the breast, thighs and drum sticks and into the joints. Then immerse the bird in the brine solution and refrigerate for at least three days. If no curing needle is available, allow large birds eight to 10 days of soaking in the brine for adequate curing. The birds should be removed and repacked once during the curing process, to ensure an equal distribution of cure to all parts of each bird. To keep the carcasses submerged in the brine, place a plate on top of the solution and weigh it down with a water-filled jar. After removing the birds from the brine, submerge them in cold water for two or three hours to remove the excess salt. Then drain them well. They are now ready for the smoke. Depending upon the amount of heat used during the smoking process and the size of the bird, you can produce smoked poultry in a ready-to-eat form, or in a form that may require additional cooking. Hot smoking produces fully cooked smoked poultry; it can be accomplished in any covered kettle-type backyard barbecue. Build the fire on one side of the kettle with charcoal briquettes. When they have turned an ash-gray color, cover them with wood chips that have been soaked in water. Put the bird or birds on the rack, but on the opposite side of the coals. You dont want the. meat directly over the heat or it will cook too fast. When you put the lid on the kettle, make sure that the vent is above the bird so the draft will draw the smoke from the coals up and around it before escaping through the vent. Keep a good smudge going by adding more coals and chips as necessary. A humid atmosphere in the kettle can pre - vent excessive shrinkage at higher temperatures, so put a small pan of water next to the bird and add to it as needed. The time required will depend on the size of the bird. A 10- or 12-pound turkey will take six to eight hours. Smaller birds will, of course, take less time. The only way to know when the bird is cooked is to use a thermometer. Properly done, the outside skin of smoked poultry should have a lustrous pecan nut - brown color and the internal temperature should be 165 degrees. If the bird gets the right color before it is cooked through, increase the heat with more briquettes and reduce the wood chips ind thereby the smoke. If it reaches the right internal temperature before it has the color you want, cool the fire with more wood chips ind close the vent slightly to give more smoke. Low - temperature smoking ( 100 degrees to 120 degrees) is done in a portable electric smoker, like those available in sporting goods, hunting and fishing stores. But it takes longer than hot smoking. A turkey will take about 24 hours to achieve he color and smoked flavor you want, and will still require additional cooking in a 300 - degree oven to reach the 165-degree internal temperature necessary before eating. Smoked poultry can be served hot as the main dish for a summer buffet, or cold in sandwiches, salads or as appetizers. Any leftovers, along with the carcass, can be used for a pot of soup. Smoked poultry will keep longer than fresh but it still required refrigeration. chick 99