How long should I smoke the fish? What kind of wood chips should I use? Smoking fish fillets or a whole fish is up to you, just make sure to follow these guidelines. The purpose of this tutorial is to give you step by step instruction on how to smoke fish. We want you to have the best possible fish smoking experience, so we're getting very detailed.
One thing you really want to avoid is overcooking the fish! Instead, our goal for you is that you end up with a flavorful, flaky fish that practically melts in your mouth.
Let's get started! Although fish is the main ingredient, you will need to pick up a few other things at the store before your fishing trip. If you plan to purchase fish at your local market, you want fish with a pretty high fat content see suggestions from list, above so that you end up with a juicy, tender, flaky inside and crisp outside.
On the other hand, leaner fish tend to get tough and dry when smoked, so if you're unsure in your selection, ask the butcher at the meat counter. Skin-on is recommended just so that the fish holds together better translation: you don't want to lose huge hunks of delicious fish in the smoker! Also, you can smoke an entire fish if you like, but for larger fish like salmon, sea bass, etc, cutting them into fillets 2 inches is typical allows you to check temperatures individually as thickness varies throughout each piece of fish.
Combine water, salt and sugar in a pot over low heat and mix until sugar and salt are dissolved. Allow to cool before placing fish in brine. Mix up your dry rub if you're making your own. The Cajun dry rub, above, is fairly spicy but adds a nice kick to the mellow flavor of most fish. You can also buy a good quality dry rub that's good for fish such as Old Bay.
You can skip this step if you've purchased your fish. Simple steps for cleaning and preparing fresh caught fish are to first remove the scales with a knife's dull edge by scraping against the grain of the scales. Then, remove the head, fins, tail and viscera. After that, thoroughly rinse out the body cavity to remove all blood and kidney tissue.
Then, split the fish into two fillets by cutting through the ribs on one side of the backbone. For a large fish, remove the backbone and ribs, leaving 2 large fillets which you will probably want to cut into as many two inch fillets as you can. For a smaller fish, leave the backbone attached to one side and brine each half. Place the brine in a large bowl, making sure it will fit in your refrigerator. Then, totally submerge the fish in the brine for hours in the refrigerator.
Covering the bowl with plastic wrap is recommended so that raw fish juice doesn't contaminate the other food in your fridge. Pro Tip: Since fish fillets have the tendency to float to the top of the bowl, float another bowl on top of them to gently push them into the brine and keep them submerged. Easy Electric Smoker thermostat controlled smoker an oven with smoke basically — smoke anything in one of these, versatile and reasonable price which can be used for so much…turkey, ribs or salmon — indirect smoked low and slow.
Hot Smoking Tip — when salmon is done, it may ooze some white stuff, this is albumin and it is just protein — nothing to be concerned about highly likely to see this with Salmon. Of course, depends on thickness.
Trout fillets take me 15 mins for light smoking. If you want a decent gadget to make the whole smoking fish project easier, here is a page to go over the pros and cons of a few digital thermometers I can recommend. Baste with honey if you want sweet glazing, also you can use hard fresh herbs as a brush then throw it on the smoking wood. I tend to eat smoked fish immediately either on its own or in a recipe. Also, if you put in the fridge for a day or overnight -it tends to taste smokier In a container or else the fridge will smell pretty smokey.
You may find grey meat between skin and meat the of fish sometimes depending on species, this is fat deposits full of omega 3 fatty acids. This can be done but may damage the oven, it creates a lot of smoke in the kitchen. Smoke alarms can be set off by using this method. One week in the fridge. Vacuum packed it will last up to 3 weeks.
If it is not refrigerated, hot smoked fish is the same as cooked meat and will not last unless kept in a cool area. If it has been salt cured or brined it can last a few more days then non-hot smoked fish. Having been lucky enough to learn inside fine dining kitchens through to backyard smoking sessions. My insatiable appetite and passion toward classic Italian dry-cured salumi and all forms of curing and smoking are what drives this website engine.
All the best, Tom. Just purchased a second hand charcoal kettle smoker and I found your post very helpful. Just about to give it ago with a bit more confidence than I did before I read this, many thanks Elise. Planning to have the kids over next Sunday I know the smoked fish will be a big hit it will be a great addition to the table.
Many thanks Cliff. However, fattier fish will absorb more smoke flavor, so fish such as salmon and trout are perfect for smoking. You can use whole fish or parts, but fillets with the skin still on are better than other cuts. Almost any kind of wood will work, but you might wish to use woods like alder or fruit woods. Salmon is often smoked with alder, as this is a tradition that dates back to the indigenous peoples of the northwestern United States.
Of course, you can use mesquite, oak, or whatever your favorite smoke maker is. Because of the short smoke times, Mesquite will not have a chance to impart too bitter of a taste, but you may want to use it sparingly. Remember when it comes to low temperature cooking it is always better to be safe than sorry. On a final note, not only does smoked fish make a great meal or appetizer, but it also makes a great ingredient.
Try taking the meat from a smoked trout or similar fish and blend it together with some cream cheese , garlic, salt, and pepper and you suddenly have a great spread for crackers. Many recipes call for smoked fish, from soups to salads to main courses. With the knowledge of fish smoking under your belt, you will be able to make these dishes even better with home-smoked fish.
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