Fragrant smoked fish on the table is a real treat for the whole family. Many housewives prefer to cook it on their own. The main thing is to know how to smoke fish at home so that it turns out golden and juicy.

It is not difficult to pick up fish for cold and hot smoking.

A few important rules will help here:

1. The ideal option is freshly caught prey.
2. The frozen product is not suitable for smoking.
3. Copies of the same weight and size are smoked.
4. If the scales are not too dense, the appearance of the finished product will deteriorate, and the taste will deteriorate.

Fishermen advise using red fish or asp. In any case, it all depends on personal taste preferences. White fish, sockeye salmon, horse mackerel, mullet are not suitable for processing.

During the smoking process, it is important to follow safety rules. Therefore, it is advised to cook in dry weather without wind. Most men know how to smoke fish properly. However, this procedure is within the power of any woman.

How to smoke fish in a hot smoked smokehouse

Usually, fish is cooked in a smoker, which is a metal box with a lid and a grill. It can be bought at a specialized store, but many men prefer to make the device themselves. To do this, take a vessel with a lid, a grate and a tray.

For cold smoking, thin branches, sawdust and wood chips are chosen that can smolder for a long time, creating the required temperature. It is best to use 2-3 types of wood. Do not use pine needles, which give the product an unpleasant bitterness. Firewood should not be covered with mold or fungus.

Alder is the best wood for smoking. It can be shavings or chips. It is permissible to add fresh twigs and leaves.

Other trees are also suitable:

• ash;
• Apple tree;
• pear;
• juniper;
• raspberry.

Sawdust from plums and apricots is not recommended. Using different woods, you can adjust the taste of the finished product.

Let's try to cook smoked mackerel.

• 3-4 mackerel carcasses;
• salt;
• ground black pepper.

Cooking:

1. The fish is prepared before smoking. It is washed, gutted, peppered and salted. The scale does not need to be removed. The product is advised to salt 2-3 hours before smoking. You can pickle it in salty brine with pepper and spices.
2. Fish weighing less than 500 g do not need to be gutted, and larger specimens need to be butchered. Too large specimens are cut into pieces.
3. Slightly damp sawdust is poured inside the smokehouse with a layer of 2-3 cm. Dry chips can ignite.
4. The mackerel is placed on the grill so that the carcasses do not touch each other. Lay it in one layer.
5. Close the lid and place the appliance over a medium fire or barbecue.
6. After 15 minutes, lift the shutter to release the smoke. Although some anglers do not adhere to this rule and prefer not to open the lid during the entire preparation.
7. Lower the shutter again and smoke for 30 minutes. Cooking time depends on the size of the carcass.
8. Open the smokehouse after complete cooling. If the fish is dark golden and has a red tint, it is ready.

Pike, eel, trout and grayling have a pronounced aroma and flavor. They are recommended to be preserved during the smoking process. Other fish can be marinated in brine with various spices, and it is advised to put garlic arrows and green onions in the carcass.

At what temperature to smoke hot smoked fish

The smoking temperature depends on the type and weight of the product. It is recommended to cook fish at 80-150 degrees. When the fish is dried, 80-90 degrees is enough for it. Smoking requires 120 degrees.

To check the temperature inside the smokehouse, you need to drop water on the lid of the device. If the liquid evaporates without hissing, then the fish is smoking properly and will not cook. With this test, you can adjust the temperature by increasing or decreasing the fire.

What kind of fish can be smoked hot

River and sea fish species are suitable for hot smoking:

• herring;
• cod;
• mackerel;
• sturgeon;
• red mullet;
• beluga;
• herring;
• sea ​​bass.

If you can't get fresh fish, you can use frozen. It needs to be defrosted naturally.

The technology of smoking in a smokehouse in a cold way

The principle of food processing by the cold method is the constant supply of cooled smoke into a container with suspended fish. This requires a special unit with an inclined chimney. How long the process will take depends on the size of the carcass. Very large specimens can be smoked for up to 7 days. Processing takes place at a temperature of 16-40 degrees.

The following types of fish are suitable for cold smoking:

• chum salmon;
• red salmon;
• cod;
• omul;
• sturgeon;
• mullet;
• beluga;
• whitefish.

To smoke fish in a cold way, you will need the following ingredients:

• 5 kg of chum salmon;
• 1.3 kg of salt;
• spices.

Step by step recipe:

1. Prepared carcasses are washed, marinated in salt and spices for 12 hours at room temperature.
2. After salting, each fish is cut along the ridge, dried a little.
3. The fish is hung in a smoking cabinet.
4. Sawdust is poured into the furnace of the device. The smoking process will take 2 to 4 days.
5. During this time, it is necessary to maintain the desired temperature with the help of smoldering sawdust.

If the product is dried in the open air, it is necessary to enclose it from insects with gauze.

How to smoke fish with liquid smoke

The method of smoking with liquid smoke involves the following manipulations:

1. Firewood is burned in the stove.
2. The resulting smoke is passed through water.
3. Aromatic liquid is purified from harmful substances.
4. The fish is cut into pieces and salted in water with liquid smoke.
5. After 3-4 hours, the product is fried on a regular fire using a grate.

Let's try to cook mackerel at home using liquid smoke.

For this you will need the following ingredients:

• 2 fresh fish;
• 100 ml of liquid smoke;
• 2-3 handfuls of onion peel;
• 2 bay leaves;
• sugar, salt.

Cooking progress:

1. The onion peel is washed and poured with water.
2. Add salt and sugar to taste.
3. Put on fire until boiling.
4. The composition is boiled for 20 minutes.
5. Then it is filtered, liquid smoke and laurel leaves are added.
6. Leave the composition with the lid closed for 30 minutes.
7. Mackerel is thawed, the head is cut off and the insides are removed. Washed with water.
8. When the broth is infused, take out the bay leaf and put the prepared mackerel in a container.
9. The fish should stand in this marinade for 2-4 days. It is placed in the refrigerator and periodically turned over to distribute it evenly. From above it is necessary to put oppression.
10. After the time has elapsed, the fish is taken out and hung up for a day, placing a baking sheet under it for flowing fat.
11. Then the mackerel is wrapped in cling film and stored in the refrigerator.

Today, many housewives prefer to use purchased liquid smoke. However, you can cook it yourself at home. To do this, mix rice, sugar, green and black tea. Wrap them in 2 layers of foil. During frying or stewing, put the foil with the ingredients under the dish. The resulting thick smoke will smoke the product, leaving it with its aroma and taste.

Speaking about the dangers of liquid smoke, it is worth noting that harmful substances are present in it in small quantities. It is considered healthier than natural smoke. Although in some countries its use is prohibited.

Storage of smoked product

Cold-smoked fish is stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for no more than 7 days, wrapped in foil or a plastic bag. The shelf life of a hot smoked product is 2-3 days. Keep it in the refrigerator at a temperature of about 0 degrees. You can't freeze fish.

It is unacceptable to leave a smoked product in the heat, it will quickly deteriorate and acquire an unpleasant taste. Fish smoked with liquid nitrogen is wrapped in cling film and stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

The humidity level should be about 90 percent, otherwise the fish will dry out and lose its quality. It is necessary to periodically open the refrigerator compartment to change the air. Before placing the product in storage, it is recommended to defrost and rinse the shelves.

In the absence of a refrigerator, it is advised to place the fish in cloth bags and store in the attic, in small boxes with sawdust. The main thing is to prevent insects from approaching it and protect it from extraneous odors. During smoking, it is recommended to put juniper branches on the bottom of the smokehouse. They will increase the shelf life of the product.

Vladislav Paikov

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Smoked fish is an appetizing product that is an invariable attribute of the ceremonial table, but even on weekdays, hardly anyone will refuse such an appetizer. In order not to doubt the quality of the product, it is better to smoke it yourself. The problem immediately arises, which fish is better to smoke in a smokehouse?

When buying, they are guided by the criteria for freshness and fat content of fish. A fresh carcass is recognized by indicators:

• The eyes are transparent.
• The surface is intact.
• The meat is dense.
• Gills are pink or red.
• No yellowness.

It is best to purchase fresh carcasses.

If the fish is frozen, the main thing is to defrost properly. Do this by placing it in cold water. Next, gutting. Small specimens do not need to be gutted. It remains only to salt.

For salting use a dry method or brine. In order, with dry salting, it is enough to completely rub the carcass with a curing mixture consisting of salt and seasonings, keep it in this state for two hours. If salted in brine, the process lasts twice as long.

The choice of fish for smoking

Smoked in two ways: hot and. For each method, a different fish is suitable. The reason is different technology.

Hot smoked: choice of fish

The procedure involves a quick process lasting 4 hours. The smoke reaches 100 degrees. We get a pleasant product with a delicate taste and delicate pulp. What kind of fish is better to smoke in a hot smoked smokehouse?

The choice is approached thoroughly, this is due to the intricacies of smoking - the steam must be strong, the temperature must be high.

In order for the smoking process to be successful, the fish is placed on hooks or the top shelf of the smokehouse, tied and be sure to check if it has fallen on the chips.

In a unit with a horizontal grate, you need to leave a gap between the carcasses. The fish should be of only one species and equal in size: this will ensure uniform preservation.

What is the best fish to smoke hot? The main selection criteria for this technology are the strength and integrity of the skin, otherwise the fish will turn out dry under the influence of hot steam.

For hot smoking, they take any fish - both sea and river. Preference is given to the following categories:, mackerel, herring,.

Choose varieties with a high fat content - such fish is better for smoking, and the result is juicy smoked meat. Mackerel has a universal purpose - it is a budget option from marine representatives. They also use a small fish caught in the river.

Cold smoked fish

It happens differently, the process lasts longer, the temperature regime is 40 degrees maximum. The fish is denser, the taste of smoking is more pronounced. Other varieties are already suitable for this method, and they can be stored longer, up to a crescent.

What marine fish can be cold smoked? Suitable for these purposes:

• Mackerel.
• Keta.

They even smoke river water. The main thing is to salt it well. Smoke does the rest. Large fish are gutted and cut along the ridge.

The best fish for cold smoking are fatty varieties. The timing of smoking is different: to smoke a herring, a day is enough, but salmon is smoked from 2 to 3 weeks.

An important condition for successful smoking is the use of only dry carcasses. If before that it was marinated in a marinade, then it must be dried, otherwise it will turn out not smoked, but boiled.

What kind of fish is better to smoke in the country? It depends on the method of preparation, but in any case, it is better to initially choose fatty carcasses, as a result you will get a juicy and tasty product.

Priority is sawdust of alder and mountain ash, to improve the taste in the process of conservation, pear and plum are added to them, blackcurrant sawdust and other fruit-bearing shrubs are added. The fish will become fragrant if you add thyme, basil, coriander or paprika.

Red fish for smoking

Red fish has excellent taste and useful properties. Protein is well absorbed by the human body. Having prepared it, you will have a delicious dish and a healthy product on your table.

In smoked form, all useful qualities are preserved. Omega-3 acid, which is found in excess in red varieties, performs a number of functions:

1. Improves heart and brain function.
2. Reduces cholesterol and normalizes blood pressure.
3. Prevents the formation of blood clots.
4. Normalizes the functioning of the nervous system.
5. Relieves inflammation.
6. It is a preventive measure against diabetes mellitus.

Red fish contains a large amount of amino acids and fatty acids, B vitamins, vitamin A, PP, B, E, a large set of micro and macro elements. The smoked product does not lose its beneficial properties, it is recommended for the elderly, pregnant women, children during the growth period.

Important! It is digested better than pork and beef, it is a dietary product.

When choosing smoked fish, always try to be interested in how it was smoked - cold or hot. The difference in these two methods lies in the amount of salt, as well as the period of preparation of the product. Overdried and heavily salted fish is smoked in the way cold smoked. Process hot smoked but quite fast, and the product itself is very tender, fragrant and soft. Salt in such fish contains little. But for some types of fish, the cold smoking method still gives the best result. Fish in this case can be stored for a long time.

A common deception of buyers is a method of artificial smoking

Unfortunately, often unscrupulous manufacturers for smoking take not quite a fresh product that cannot be sold in another form. For smoking, they use dyes and liquid smoke. A product prepared in this way is harmful to health. If you rub a fish treated in this way with a dry cloth, the surface of the cloth will become stained.

Combined method- this is natural smoking, coupled with the processing of fish with dyes

1. When buying, pay attention to the color of the product. Quality smoked fish should not be very bright or golden. A benign product should have a uniform yellowish tint.
2. If smoked fish is vacuum sealed, then pay attention to the composition. It is always indicated on the label. Conscientious manufacturers add only table salt and water. The packaging must not be damaged.
3. The expression "the fish rots from the head" is true, although it is not deciphered in a literal sense. First of all, it is the head that deteriorates in it, so it is often cut off before smoking.
4. The consistency of the fish pulp should have a clear structure. If the fish is “loose”, then this indicates improper processing. There may be imprints from the slatted tray. Such fish is smoked on a grill, not dyed.
5. The product must be stored in the refrigerator. How long it will be stored depends on the method of smoking. A cold smoked product can keep its freshness and taste for up to three months if it is sealed in vacuum sealed packaging.
6. Look at the price, because sometimes the cost of a product can be regarded as an indicator of quality. There are other factors that make up the price: brand popularity, transportation, as well as the integrity or dishonesty of manufacturers.

Rubric -

Smoked fish is another great dish for a large company in the fresh air, which is in no way inferior to barbecue. Which fish is better to choose for smoking, what methods exist, how cold smoking differs from hot smoking, and whether it is possible to cook smoked fish in a home oven - answers to these and other questions in the material of the 360 ​​TV channel.

Cold smoked or hot?

Hot smoking is the most optimal way for home cooking. It involves heat treatment of fish at temperatures above 70 degrees. It will be ready in about 40-50 minutes, and it is better to eat it immediately or the next day.

Cold smoking is a much more laborious process: fish can be cooked from two days to a week at a temperature of 28 to 50 degrees, but the shelf life is much longer - up to several weeks.

What kind of fish is suitable for smoking

Red fish is universal. Salmon, trout, pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon are perfect for smoking. If you prefer white, choose lean or very fatty, such as eel, mackerel, greenling, cod, bream or stellate sturgeon. For a cold processing method, vobla, mullet or, for example, omul are ideal.

Helpful Hints

1. Choose fish of the same size, place them in the smoker in such a way that they do not touch each other.
2. Do not use sawdust of coniferous trees for smoking fish - this will add bitterness. The best options are alder, maple, beech, willow, juniper. Sawdust of apple, pear, oak and birch is also well suited.
3. Before smoking, rinse and clean the fish from the insides and soak in saline for several hours, and then dry it.
4. Do not open the smoker immediately after cooking the fish: let it cool down.

How to prepare and smoke fish

Before smoking, you can simply soak the fish in a saline solution, or you can pickle it: brine brine is considered a classic marinade for smoked fish:

Ingredients

• Bay leaf - 5-6 pcs.;
• Garlic - 4 cloves;
• Sage, thyme and rosemary to taste
• Sugar, cinnamon and pepper - 1 tbsp. spoon
• Lemon - 2 pcs.;
• Orange - 1 pc.;
• Onion - 3 pcs.

Recipe

1. Coarsely chop the onion, orange and lemon, put in water and bring to a boil.

2. Add spices.

3. To determine the correct amount of salt, it is believed that you can put a raw potato in a boiling brine and start pouring salt. The potatoes will float when there is enough salt.

4. Cook the marinade for another 10 minutes.

Already prepared fish should be poured with brine and left to marinate for 12 hours.

For smoking fish in nature, hot smoking is the best option, and in this case you can’t do without a smokehouse - a special apparatus or a metal box that is placed directly on the grill or fire.

First, we put sawdust in the smokehouse, then carefully place the prepared fish on the grate and close it. Then we put it on the grill or in a fire and cook for about 40-50 minutes, depending on the size of the fish, until a delicious smell appears. When ready, it is better not to open the smokehouse, but to let it cool: this will additionally allow the fish to soak in the aroma.

How to smoke fish at home

Ingredients

• Fish - 2 pieces of medium size;
• Black leaf tea - 30 gr;
• Sugar - 3 tbsp. l;
• Salt - 2 tbsp. l;
• Rice - 100 gr;
• Cinnamon - 1 tsp;
• Soy sauce.

Recipe

1. Spread the fish with salt and sugar, refrigerate overnight.

2. Rinse, dry and soy sauce for 1 hour.

3. Mix rice with tea, cinnamon and sugar.

4. Take a pan with a thick bottom and put foil on the bottom. Pour rice with tea. We put a grid on top.

5. Heat the pan over high heat for 5 minutes. Then we reduce the fire and put the fish on the grate.

4. Close the lid and smoke for 15 minutes. Then turn over and smoke for another 15 minutes.

Enjoy your meal!

360tv.ru

Selection and stages of carcass preparation

One of the most popular topics of discussion regarding the smoking process remains the question of which fish is best smoked in a smokehouse. The opinion of experts on this matter is unequivocal. In the process of choosing fish, the main criteria are its fat content and, of course, freshness. Species does not matter much.

It can be both river (carp, perch, pike perch, tench) and sea (tuna, greenling, mackerel) fish.

In order for the final product to acquire the expected taste and aroma, it must be properly prepared. This process is not particularly complicated and consists of three consecutive steps.

Stage one: processing. Modern cooking offers two possible processing options: with and without gutting. Both have their adherents and opponents. The former believe that the gutted fish is juicier, the latter are not satisfied with the slight bitterness that appears in the taste. But taste preferences are a personal matter for everyone.

The main requirement at this stage is the sorting of the product by size. Approximately equal carcasses should be present in one tab. It depends on the simultaneity of their preparation.

Only large and medium-sized fish are subject to cutting. Her gills and entrails are removed, in very large individuals - the head. In addition, especially large carcasses are cut into salmon or cut into steaks.

Stage two: salting. This operation can also be performed in two different ways: dry, which involves rubbing the fish carcasses with coarse salt, and wet, which involves soaking the fish in a water-salt solution. It is important to avoid the use of iodized salt, since its use imparts an unpleasant aftertaste to the final product. The duration of salting varies depending on the size of the blanks. So, the time spent in the brine of large fish is limited to 150 minutes, the average - 120, and the little things are enough for 60-90 minutes. And no load, as it deforms the carcass.

Stage Three: Drying. After the blanks have been sufficiently salted, they must be thoroughly washed in clean, preferably running water and dried well. Dried carcasses are generously lubricated with sunflower oil. In order to smoke fish deliciously at home, only sunflower oil is required. Any other (linseed, corn, rapeseed, etc.) impairs the taste and aroma of the final product.

How to smoke fish

Before talking about how to smoke fish in a smokehouse, you need to find out what, in fact, it should be. As a rule, this is a rectangular box with a lid, made of stainless steel, with one or more removable grates inside. The height of the smokehouse rarely exceeds 50 cm, and this guarantees the simultaneous preparation of the smoked product. The lid should close the box tightly enough, excluding the possibility of air getting inside. Otherwise, the influx of oxygen will provoke a fire and, as a result, the product will simply burn out.

The presence of comfortable handles will greatly simplify the operation of the smokehouse and prevent the possibility of household injuries in the form of burns.

The maintenance of the smokehouse is extremely simple and consists in its thorough and timely cleaning of soot and accumulation of resins.

Fuel selection

Alder is considered an ideal fuel for smoking any kind of fish, and in its absence, juniper. It is these types of wood that provide a unique taste and aroma of the finished fish product.

However, this does not mean that other types of trees are completely unsuitable for use as fuel. It is perfectly acceptable to use oak, hazel, apple or pear. There is no ban on birch, ash or young hornbeam.

The optimal condition of the wood fuel intended for the smoking process is sawdust, chips or shavings. The use of branches is allowed, but with one significant limitation: they should not have bark. The resin present in it will definitely spoil the fish. By the way, for the same reason, it is strictly forbidden to use coniferous wood in smoking. Immediately before filling the fuel into the smokehouse, it is slightly moistened.

Stacking and smoking

Prepared and oiled fish carcasses should be placed on greased grates in such a way that they do not come into contact with each other or with the walls of the smokehouse. After lighting and maintaining the fire, you need to control the beginning of the appearance of saturated white smoke from under the lid. In this mode, the carcasses are smoked for about 8-10 minutes, after which the burning intensity should be reduced. On low heat, the smoking process continues for another 40-60 minutes, depending on the quantity and size of the product. A visual sign of the readiness of the contents of the smokehouse is the golden color of the cooked delicacy.

Beginners, studying tips on how to smoke fish properly, should remember one prerequisite - never lift the lid of a heated smoker box. You can check the result only after the smokehouse has completely cooled down.

Hot smoking

The vast majority knows and distinguishes the taste characteristics of a product prepared by hot or cold smoking methods. But not everyone knows about the features of the process that occurs when the fish is smoked in a hot smoked smokehouse.

These features are a higher temperature (up to 120 C) and significantly shorter cooking times.

For comparison, the temperature of the smoke used in the cold smoking process should not exceed 30 C, and the time spent can be up to several days. That is why the shelf life of hot smoked carcasses is much less - a maximum of three days.

ribalka.guru

For those who love smoked meats created at home, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the technology ➤ of smoking river and sea fish. We will conduct a master class on cooking large and small carcasses in a hot way and dwell on each of the stages in detail.

We choose fish.

The hot smoke in the smokehouse evaporates the fat, it flows into the pan or sawdust and can burn, spoiling the taste and aroma of the finished product. In addition, too fatty fish loses its juiciness during cooking. For hot smoking, we recommend choosing low-fat varieties of fish, they can be both river and sea. Suitable pike, carp, pike perch, eel, mackerel, herring, capelin, cod, sea bass, red fish. It is important that the carcasses for smoking are approximately the same size.

We set the temperature.

Hot smoking takes place at a temperature of 80°-150°C. The level depends on the size of the fish and how it is cut. The smaller the carcass, the lower the temperature regime. Modern equipment allows you to adjust the level of intensity of heat treatment during the cooking process. For the first 30-40 minutes, let the unit run more intensively. When the product reaches the stage of semi-readiness, it is desirable to lower the temperature by several tens of degrees.

Determine the cooking time.

The fish is smoked hot from 30 minutes to 3-4 hours. If the carcasses are small or cut into pieces, and the equipment is not loaded to capacity, an hour is usually enough. We advise you to focus on the color of the smoke and the appearance of the fish. If the smoke turns white and the carcasses turn golden brown, the dish is ready.

Storage conditions.

Hot smoked fish is kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. On the table, it quickly deteriorates, after 10-12 hours, use is fraught with serious poisoning.

Carcass cutting.

Large fish must be gutted, removing all the contents of the abdominal cavity. If this is not done, the finished product will be bitter. Rinse the carcass in running water. We recommend cutting large individuals along the ridge and laying them out in one plane during salting. When the carcass is too large and the back is thick, you can make longitudinal cuts. It is not necessary to remove the gills, although many cooks get rid of them.

Salting.

Salt is better to use coarse grinding. The ideal proportion is 1 tbsp. l. per 1 kg. fish. You can cook either a brine, or just rub the chopped carcasses with salt. The first option is more preferable. Large individuals are salted for 2-3 days, small ones - from 12 to 24 hours. If the fish has been frozen, it is advisable to keep it in salt for at least 3 days. To get a pleasant aroma, a brighter and richer taste, we recommend adding spices and spices to the salt solution. Pour boiling water over them first to enhance the taste. Spices can be very different - allspice, thyme, cumin, dill, nutmeg, etc. Spices can be added to a container of vegetable oil and put it at the bottom of the smoker.

Removing excess salt.

If you see that the fish is too salty, leave it for a while in a container with low-flowing water. As soon as the carcasses begin to float, you have got rid of excess salt.

Firmware and binding.

Wipe the fish with a dry cloth, sew or tie. Depending on the design and size of the smokehouse, hang it on rails or place the carcasses on a wire rack. Close the equipment and place it on the fire.

Smoking.

Initially, set a high temperature (110°-150°C), after an hour of baking, reduce the intensity of cooking (80°-100°C) and start the actual smoking process. There is another important point that should not be forgotten: 30 minutes after the start of cooking, you need to open the smoker lid and release steam. This process is called drying. The surface of the carcass should become dry, after which the smokehouse chamber should be closed. Drying prevents the fish from softening and allows it to keep its beautiful shape.

Readiness check.

It is easy to check the readiness of the carcass with a thin wooden stick in the ridge area. The meat should be soft, without blood, freely separated from the bone, a golden brown crust will appear on the surface.

Carcass cutting.

Fish, if its weight does not exceed 300-400 grams, should not be gutted. A bitter taste will not appear during the smoking process, since the contents of the stomach will not spread and spoil the product. It is also not worth getting rid of the scales, they will protect the carcasses from soot and soot, and after readiness they can be easily removed.

Salting and removing excess salt.

The amount of salt for small and large fish is the same - 1 tbsp. l. per 1 kg. You can rub the carcasses or soak them in saline. For salting, 12-24 hours are enough, then we recommend that the fish be washed in running water.

Smoking.

Small fish are cooked at 110°C for about 40 minutes. For another 20 minutes, it is advisable to smoke carcasses with abundant smoke, you can increase its intensity by sprinkling almost burnt wood with ash. This process gives the smoked fish its rich golden color.

Readiness check.

The readiness of the product is evidenced by the fact that the meat is easily separated from the bone. Pay attention to the dorsal fin, if it is easily removed, and the meat at its base is white, the fish can be removed from the smokehouse and served.

We hope that the practical advice of Koptim.by will allow you to cook delicious hot smoked fish. Follow our recommendations and enjoy a wonderful dish with family and friends around a large table.

Enjoy your meal!

koptim.by

Cold or hot?

Even a layman who is far from the food industry knows that there are two main ways of smoking: cold and hot. In most cases, fish smoked at home in a smokehouse is processed with hot smoke at a temperature of +45°C to 150°C. There are several reasons for this choice:

1. Simple technology of preparation and preparation of the product.
2. The minimum set of equipment. You can buy a metal box in almost any hardware store, and firewood and a handful of sawdust are not a problem.
3. A short cooking process, the procedure lasts from 40 minutes to 2 hours.

From the foregoing, we summarize: for the home, processing fish products with a hot smoke-air mixture is the best option. The finished dish is best eaten immediately or the next day.

The cold method is much more labor-intensive. Fish can be cooked for up to several days at a smoke temperature of up to 50°C, which requires additional equipment. But the shelf life of such products is quite impressive - up to several weeks.

We focus: which fish will be better for hot smoking in a smokehouse on fire

Serious thermal loads with this technology can destroy the surface layer of the product if the scales are not dense enough. This situation is not only able to spoil the appearance of the fish, but also significantly worsen its taste. Therefore, it is important to choose fish products with strong scales in advance. Of the representatives of the river fauna are ideal:

• Perch.
• Zander.
• Burbot.
• Acne.
• Asp.

Now the second question: sea fish for smoking in a smokehouse and which one is better suited for hot smoke treatment? To make a tasty and high-quality product, it is enough to pay attention to the following breeds:

• Cod.
• Capelin.
• Halibut.
• Mackerel.
• Sea bass.

If you are already baked mackerel with potatoes you know the taste of this fish. It is almost universal - it has high taste qualities in any culinary recipes.

A few simple rules

Needless to say, it is worth choosing only a fresh product, any hostess knows this. Frozen fish should be with a straight body, without bends. In addition, a few more tips:

• It is worth buying a fish of about the same size.
• Before the smoking process, fish carcasses should be cleaned of entrails, washed and salted in an aqueous solution.
• Freshly frozen products are thawed in a container with water, which must be changed when it reaches a temperature of 20 ° C. As an option - defrosting in air with the same temperature.

What wood chips are used in the smoking chamber

Sawdust, without which no smoked fish can be obtained in a smokehouse at home, is an important factor and the main component of the technology. Chips are used only from dry trees, live wood material will produce a lot of carcinogenic tar and tar. Actually, finding dead wood in the suburbs is not such a problem.

The best choice, which is fully justified by practice:

• Alder.
• Pear.
• Plum.
• Cherry.
• Apple tree.

As a rule, a mixture of fruit and alder sawdust shows an excellent result. Subject to equal proportions, the fish will get a pleasant golden hue, and the aroma will have notes of high-quality aged wine. A pinch of pine nut shells or a couple of juniper branches will help add variety to the aromatic palette.

How many sawdust should be loaded into the smoke cabinet

Well, first of all, it depends on the volume of the cabinet itself and the amount of product put into it. There is a simple rule - for every three kilos of fish or for every 40 liters of smokehouse volume, one handful of wood chips is used. The exceptions are catfish and pike: for the first sawdust, you need a third less, and for the second - just as much.

Experienced chefs who know which wood chips are best suited for smoking fish recommend additionally performing one more simple operation. It consists in wetting sawdust to reduce the level of resins in the smoke-air mixture. Water can be poured directly onto the wood chips in the chamber or added to a plastic bag beforehand. Smoke from the lower layers will seep through the moistened top, and filter out harmful impurities.

For some reason, some novice "smokers" ignore proven information by using a large amount of wood chips. And in vain, because a handful is enough to produce smoke for the first 15-20 minutes. This is enough for the fish to be saturated with a specific aroma and acquire an appetizing golden color. Exceeding the norm of laying wood chips as a result turns out not only the bitterness of the product, but can also harm health.

How to make smoked fish at home in a hot smokehouse

The fish semi-finished product is preliminarily prepared for processing, while taking into account its type, variety and size. It does not hurt to pay attention to fat content and weight. For example, there is no need to gut a trifle.

gutting

A non-gutted fish may be slightly bitter after smoke treatment, so usually the insides with a dark film on the ribs and gills are removed. Here are some preparation tips:

• A trifle weighing up to 400 g does not need to be gutted. Bream or carp weighing up to 700 g are also smoked whole.
• A medium weight of 1 to 3 kg can not be cleaned from scales and leave the head. It is worth saying that it is even undesirable to remove the scales, since it will protect the meat from soot.
• Large carcasses are always gutted and flattened, for which they are separated along the back. The spine and fin are not removed.
• Pieces of the same size, cut across and vertically to the spine.

How to salt a fish

Fish products of different sizes and types should be salted separately. It is enough to rub carcasses up to 500 g on top with salt and sprinkle it on the inside. This necessary process is done 30-60 minutes before smoke treatment, ample time for salting. The workpiece is placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Important - always rub salt against the scales.

So that home-smoked fish in a hot smokehouse does not quickly disappear, salted small things are put under oppression. It will prevent the formation of gas bubbles in which putrefactive bacteria can appear.

Large specimens take longer to salt. Approximately for each kilogram you need to add 1.5-2 hours. In the refrigerator, such a fish can lie for a day or two, after which it will have to be washed. The level of salinity of the product is a matter of taste, not everyone likes too salty smoked meats.

Pickling

Soaking products in a saline solution or pickling is also practiced. Traditional marinade recipe per liter of water:

• • Bay leaf - 4-6 pcs.
  • Onion - 1 pc.
  • Salt - 2 tbsp. spoons.
  • Ground pepper - 1 teaspoon.
  • Sugar - 1 teaspoon.
  • Thyme, sage - to taste.

If you already know how to smoke a rudder, then the procedure for preparing the marinade is already familiar to you. It is almost completely identical. The water is brought to a boil, then salted and the rest of the marinade components are added. Boil for another 5-7 minutes, cool. Put the fish in liquid for 12-14 hours.

Brine

Everything is simple here - the mixture is prepared according to the 1:5 scheme. For example, 1 kg of coarse salt is used for 5 liters of water. The ambassador lasts 1.5-2 days, the duration depends on your own preferences.

Properly carried out ambassador is a guarantee of successful smoking. It should be uniform, blood should not be present in any form.

Drying

Salted and washed fish semi-finished product must be hung for an hour or two in a ventilated place for drying. Thus, a large cycle of product maturation will be fully completed, the smell of raw meat will disappear, and a pleasant aroma and taste will appear, which are characteristic of finished products.

How to smoke a fish

We learned which fish is best for hot smoking in a household smokehouse, salted it, and dried it. The last stage remains, consisting of several transitions:

• Put sawdust on the bottom of the chamber, place the fish carcasses on the grate or on the rods, close the lid tightly.
• Make a fire under the smokehouse, at the first stage the flame should be solid in order to cause a sharp smoldering of sawdust and an influx of clean smoke to the product.
• As soon as smoke pours out of the upper hole or from under the lid, the firewood must be scattered immediately so that the fire is weak. Even better results will be shown by a fire brought to the stage of coals “for barbecue”.
• After 20 minutes from the beginning of the process, open the lid and release excess steam and smoke. The aroma of fish will not suffer from this, but will only become more refined.
• Close the lid of the smoking chamber and let the smokehouse stand on low heat for an hour and a half.

After preparing the snack, she must be allowed to cool and settle. Only in this way will it be toasty, strong and fragrant. Various additives will help to expand the taste palette. For example, two slices of lemon and half a teaspoon of cognac, which must be placed in the belly of a fish, will give an amazing result. In general, don't be afraid to experiment.

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Smoking methods

There are two ways of home smoking: cold and hot. It depends on the technology which fish is better to smoke in a smokehouse and what the end result will be. Technologies differ in duration, steam temperature and taste of the resulting product.

With the hot method, the product is ready for use after 4 hours, as it is processed with smoke, the temperature of which is 90-120°C. The result is well-cooked meat, soft and tender, as if cooked.

With the cold method, the fish languishes in smoke, the temperature of which does not exceed 40 ° C. As a result, the meat turns out to be more dense, structural, not like boiled. For each type of fish, you need to select a separate smoking technology, since this product is diverse in size, pulp density, number of bones, the presence of skin or scales, and so on.

More scrupulously choose and prepare a product for hot smoking technology. There are many nuances here. Firstly, the high temperature in the smokehouse, and secondly, the strength of the steam. The fish must be tied to the top of the smokehouse and make sure that it does not fall.

If a horizontal bookmark is supposed, maintain the distance between the carcasses. If a large carcass is smoked, it is cut along the ridge and straightened, laying on a horizontal plane. For vertical smoking, a spacer is inserted between the two halves of the abdomen and a large carcass is hung from the top of the smokehouse. In one bookmark, fish of the same variety and size are usually selected. This is a guarantee that the product will smoke evenly.

For hot smoking

When choosing fish for hot smoking, two main properties of this product are taken into account: the integrity of the skin and its strength. The fact is that incised, cracked or frayed skin and scales will be further destroyed under the influence of high temperature and steam power. In this case, the product will turn out dry, since all the fat and juice will flow out of the carcass.

The following varieties of sea and river fish are best suited for hot smoking:

• sea ​​bass;
• mackerel;
• cod;
• sturgeon;
• beluga;
• herring;
• asp;
• acne;

To prevent the fish from becoming bitter, the head is cut off from the carcass or the gills are removed. On sale, you can most often find hot-smoked cod rocks. With this method, it is very important to choose fatty carcasses. During smoking, some of the fat will go away, but the meat will remain very soft and juicy. The most budget option is mackerel. Some lovers of smoked meats at home load herring, capelin and small river fish such as perch and crucian into the smokehouse.

For cold smoking

Cold smoking preserves the product well, and it can be stored for more than 2 weeks. The process of preparing fish in this way takes from 1 day to 3 weeks, depending on the breed.

Regular herring is smoked for 24-28 hours, and salmon for more than 3 weeks.

The main thing here is to pre-salt the carcasses well, the smoke will do the rest. There are many antiseptic components in the vapors that exude sawdust, therefore, during the smoking process, all microbial flora dies and the fish does not deteriorate for a long time.

Ideal for cold smoking:

• chum salmon;
• mackerel;
• beluga;
• notothenia;
• red salmon;
• whitefish;
• carp;
• silver carp;
• salmon;
• flounder.

Delicious will be those products that have not been frozen and contain enough fat. It is best to take freshly caught carcasses, thoroughly cleaned and salted. Noble breeds, such as trout and salmon, are usually chosen to be medium in size and deployed by making a longitudinal cut. Fish up to 500-700 g are not even gutted, especially for river species.

Larger carcasses are cleaned of the insides, caviar, milk and films that give bitterness are removed. It is desirable to leave the head, and cut the gills. Fish can also be smoked in strips if a large carcass weighing 2-3 kg is purchased.

For cold smoking, it is important to dry the marinated carcasses with a paper towel or let the marinade drain naturally. If the carcass is too wet, it will simply begin to boil, and not smoke.

How to buy good fish and prepare for smoking

Choosing a good fish for smoking is not easy. Here the main criterion is freshness and fat content. They should be at the top. If the fish was frozen, thaw it in cold water for 7-8 hours. The skin must not be allowed to be dry - it can crack under steam in the oil lamp.

The following characteristics indicate the freshness of carcasses:

• integrity of the skin and scales;
• meat density;
• eye transparency;
• absence of yellow areas on the abdomen;
• pink or reddish gills.

After the carcasses are gutted (small ones are left intact), they are salted in dry or wet ways. In the first case, the carcasses inside are sprinkled with salt, and outside, salt and spices are rubbed into the skin. If the specimens have hard scales, salt is rubbed against the scales into the skin. In this form, it is enough to leave the fish for a couple of hours, and then remove excess spices with a dry cloth.

In the wet method, the carcasses are placed in a 30% salt solution for 4 hours. You can add your favorite spices to the marinade. Before smoking the fish, it is washed under running water, dried with a towel and cut if necessary.

The most difficult part of the smoking process is maintaining the optimum steam temperature. It is equally important to determine the readiness of smoked meats in time. The components that make up the taste of the finished product are also taken into account.

Here are some tips for tasty fish:

• spices that are ideal for smoking - basil, coriander, rosemary, sage, paprika, curry, thyme;
• river fish turns out to be more fragrant if you put green onion and garlic feathers inside the abdomen;
• parsley, dill and fennel are not added to fish;
• the more varied the wood shavings used in the oil lamp, the more aromatic the fish is;
• it is better to use alder and mountain ash sawdust as a base, and add a little wood of pear, plum, blackcurrant, blackberry or other fruit trees and shrubs for fragrance.

Of course, the primary element in obtaining tasty fish is the quality of the raw product. The fresher, denser and fatter it is, the tastier and more tender it will turn out in the end. The great advantage of such a product is the maximum preservation of all useful components - vitamins, fats, minerals. In this, smoking is inferior to all other options for heat treatment of fish and meat.

Smoked fish is another great dish for a large company in the fresh air, which is in no way inferior. Which fish is better to choose for smoking, what methods exist, how cold smoking differs from hot smoking, and whether it is possible to cook smoked fish in a home oven - answers to these and other questions in the material of the 360 ​​TV channel.

Cold smoked or hot?

Hot smoking is the most optimal way for home cooking. It involves heat treatment of fish at temperatures above 70 degrees. It will be ready in about 40-50 minutes, and it is better to eat it immediately or the next day.

Cold smoking is a much more laborious process: fish can be cooked from two days to a week at a temperature of 28 to 50 degrees, but the shelf life is much longer - up to several weeks.

What kind of fish is suitable for smoking

Red fish is universal. Salmon, trout, pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon are perfect for smoking. If you prefer white - choose lean or very fatty, for example, eel, mackerel, greenling, cod, bream or stellate sturgeon. For a cold processing method, vobla, mullet or, for example, omul are ideal.

Helpful Hints

1. Choose fish of the same size, place them in the smoker in such a way that they do not touch each other.
2. Do not use sawdust of coniferous trees for smoking fish - this will add bitterness. The best options are alder, maple, beech, willow, juniper. Sawdust of apple, pear, oak and birch is also well suited.
3. Before smoking, rinse and clean the fish from the insides and soak in saline for several hours, and then dry it.
4. Do not open the smoker immediately after cooking the fish: let it cool down.

How to prepare and smoke fish

Before smoking, you can simply soak the fish in a saline solution, or you can pickle it: brine brine is considered a classic marinade for smoked fish:

Ingredients

• Bay leaf - 5-6 pieces;
• Garlic - 4 cloves;
• Sage, thyme and rosemary to taste
• Sugar, cinnamon and pepper - 1 tbsp. spoon
• Lemon - 2 pcs.;
• Orange - 1 pc.;
• Onion - 3 pcs.

Recipe

1. Coarsely chop the onion, orange and lemon, put in water and bring to a boil.

2. Add spices.

3. To determine the correct amount of salt, it is believed that you can put a raw potato in a boiling brine and start pouring salt. The potatoes will float when there is enough salt.

4. Cook the marinade for another 10 minutes.

Already prepared fish should be poured with brine and left to marinate for 12 hours.

For smoking fish in nature, hot smoking is the best option, and in this case you can’t do without a smokehouse - a special apparatus or a metal box that is placed directly on the grill or fire.

First, we put sawdust in the smokehouse, then carefully place the prepared fish on the grate and close it. Then we put it on the grill or in a fire and cook for about 40-50 minutes, depending on the size of the fish, until a delicious smell appears. When ready, it is better not to open the smokehouse, but to let it cool: this will additionally allow the fish to soak in the aroma.

How to smoke fish at home

Ingredients

• Fish - 2 pieces of medium size;
• Black leaf tea - 30 gr;
• Sugar - 3 tbsp. l;
• Salt - 2 tbsp. l;
• Rice - 100 gr;
• Cinnamon - 1 tsp;
• Soy sauce.

Recipe

1. Spread the fish with salt and sugar, refrigerate overnight.

2. Rinse, dry and soy sauce for 1 hour.

3. Mix rice with tea, cinnamon and sugar.

4. Take a pan with a thick bottom and put foil on the bottom. Pour rice with tea. We put a grid on top.

5. Heat the pan over high heat for 5 minutes. Then we reduce the fire and put the fish on the grate.

4. Close the lid and smoke for 15 minutes. Then turn over and smoke for another 15 minutes.

Enjoy your meal!