Cold smoked fish is a popular delicacy that can be used as a meal on its own or for preparing delicious salads, appetizers and main courses. Buying such fish in a store is not difficult, but the smoking process itself is not particularly difficult.
Taking up cold smoking of fish yourself is a completely feasible task. Armed with the theoretical information from this article, you can prepare this delicious delicacy yourself.
How to choose fish for smoking
For the cold smoking method, you can choose almost any fish.
For the cold smoking method, you can choose almost any fish, but the most delicious are silver carp, salmon, carp or mackerel. More exotic types of fish can also be selected, each of which has its own taste, characteristics and method of preparation. It is worth noting that both fresh and frozen fish, freshwater or sea, can be used.
In order to choose fresh fish, you should pay attention to the following parameters:
- The gills should have a bright red color;
- The eyes of fresh fish are always bulging and not cloudy;
- The fish does not have an unpleasant odor;
- The meat should be quite elastic and adhere well to the bones.
If any of these parameters are missing, then it is better to refuse to purchase “suspicious” products.
Carcass cutting
Cutting a carcass will consist of several stages, the sequence of which is important to follow.
- If the fish is frozen, it must first be thawed.
- Next, it is cleaned of scales if it was not a fillet or a ready-made semi-finished product that was purchased.
- Removal of entrails and cutting.
- Washing and drying.
If frozen products are used, then it is best to defrost them in water or at a temperature of no more than 20 degrees. Otherwise, the meat may become too soft and the fish itself may not taste good.
Fish varieties that have large scales must first be cleaned. Raw materials with small scales can be smoked directly. Some fish require skinning. If there are sharp fins, it is better to trim them to make it more convenient to work with the products.
Small fish may not be gutted. For the rest, you need to carefully cut the belly and carefully remove all the insides.
Next, the blood and dark film are removed. If the raw material is smoked headlong, then the gills will be removed. Lastly, the prepared future smoked meats are thoroughly washed under cold running water and blotted with dry napkins to remove excess moisture.
Shelf life
If you follow the rules for storing seafood, smoked meat can be kept in the freezer for up to three months. And they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, as the fish has an unusual aroma that is transferred to other products. Therefore, smoked products are wrapped in parchment or film.
The fish spoils from the head and the flesh near the spine. If you smell strange odors coming from there, don't risk it and throw away the seafood.
Of course, the most delicious and juicy fish is freshly cooked. If stored for no more than three days, there is a chance of retaining the original taste.
Bon appetit! Share your results and feedback in the comments.
Ambassador
To salt fish, you must use only medium-grind salt.
If the fish is too large, it will not be absorbed well into the meat of the fish, and if it is too small, a crust will begin to appear and it will not penetrate into the deeper layers. There is no need to use iodized salt, as it can cause rapid spoilage of products. For salting, only salt is usually used. If the selected type of fish has a specific smell, you can add a small amount of ground pepper, herbs or your favorite spices. For salting, you must use enamel, plastic or stainless steel containers.
Wet Ambassador
Such an ambassador can also be called brine.
It is best to use fish whose carcass weight does not exceed 0.5 kg. To prepare the brine, a certain amount of salt is poured into a container and filled with hot water. The salt should completely dissolve. The concentration will depend on the size of the carcasses. The fish is laid out in a prepared container and filled with brine so that the carcasses are completely covered with it. Raw materials should be marinated in a cool place. The duration of marinating can be up to several days.
The brine salting method is often used for salmon. In this case, additional components will be added to the solution. Another type of wet salting is sagging. Typically used for oily sea fish. The carcasses are hung in containers and then filled with prepared brine.
In hot weather, you can squirt the carcasses with the solution and only then pour them in. Due to this, the fish will not spoil.
Dry salting
This method involves treating carcasses with a salt mixture or with a small addition of ground pepper, herbs and other spices. Thanks to this, the fish will begin to secrete juice.
Small fish are sprinkled with the mixture and mixed. Then they are laid out in a container and sprinkled with another layer of salt, then pressed down with pressure. Large carcasses must be thoroughly rubbed with salt, one at a time, both outside and inside. A small amount of salt is poured into the gill covers. After this, the prepared raw materials are placed in a container and sprinkled with salt. Large fish can be wrapped in cling film and placed in the refrigerator as is. Fish should be marinated for 2 to 7 days, depending on the size. If the fillet is marinated, a few hours will be enough. Also, the length of marinating will be affected by the fat content of the product.
Combined Ambassador
Combined salting is usually used for preparing cold smoked fish, which is small in size and not pre-gutted. The fish is placed in a clean container and sprinkled with salt.
Then it is filled with a small amount of liquid. Then the oppression is laid and the raw materials are left in a cold place.
Salted products should then be thoroughly washed with water and soaked for some time at a temperature not exceeding 15 degrees. It is necessary to insert wooden spacers into the bellies of the fish. Due to this, the products will dry and smoke better.
Smoking stage
The technology of this method involves a continuous flow of smoke for many hours, or even days. Cold smoking involves the following steps:
- We hang the fish or its pieces so that they do not touch, but the smoke completely covers them. When using a homemade or electric smokehouse, place the fish on the grill after greasing it with vegetable oil;
- We light a fire with a homemade smokehouse or wood chips with a smoke generator. The temperature should not exceed 30 degrees.
- The smoke should not stop for exactly 12 hours. Afterwards you can take breaks.
- We check readiness by golden color and specific smell.
- We leave the finished product in the smokehouse, with the door or lid open. Then we take it out and ventilate it for up to three days.
Choosing wood chips
It is not advisable to use coniferous wood chips for smoking. Alder, oak, ash, apricot, cherry, aspen, chestnut and other deciduous or fruit species are considered ideal for cold-smoked fish. You can also add a small amount of juniper branches to the wood chips, which will give the finished smoked meats a unique taste and aroma. A good option would be to add fresh hay or dried meadow herbs, citrus zest, herbs, etc. Sometimes a small amount of dill is stuffed into the belly of the fish, which makes the smoked meat more flavorful.
Features of the procedure
There are three main ways to smoke foods:
- No use of smoke. When the fish is kept in a special liquid solution, which can be purchased at any supermarket. When using this recipe for cold smoking fish, the meat ends up a little watery.
- With the help of smoke from a fire, the most delicious product is obtained, which has a pleasant aroma of wood, and also preserves juicy fat and perfectly dry pulp.
- You can also find a mixed method, which includes both smoke treatment and soaking in a liquid solution.
Before you start smoking fish, it should be prepared. The carcass can be either simply salted or marinated.
Choosing a smokehouse
The choice of design for smoking should be taken as seriously as possible. It is worth noting that you can use both a factory-made device and home-made designs. Smoked fish will turn out equally tasty and aromatic. The main thing is to use the unit correctly and carefully monitor the smoke temperature.
Smoking with a smoke generator
You can smoke cold smoked fish using a smoke generator. You can purchase it ready-made or use a homemade device. The smoke generator has a huge number of advantages, the main ones of which include the following:
- There is no need to use large smokehouses that take up a lot of space.
- The devices can be used not only for cold smoking, but also for hot smoking.
- There is no need to constantly be nearby, because the design will automatically regulate the supply of smoke to the smoking cabinet.
- The smoke generator is lightweight and small in size, so you can take it with you on vacation, and not just use it at home.
- It can help you save fuel.
These devices are very easy to operate. Sawdust or wood chips should be poured into the housing, the moisture content of which will not exceed 14%. Then the structure is connected to the smoking cabinet using a tube, and the fuel is ignited. The smoke will gradually enter the smoking cabinet and process the food.
The latest models of factory-produced smoke generators additionally have special systems for smoke purification. Due to this, the finished smoked meats are not only tasty, but also very healthy.
Smokehouse for one-time smoking
Disposable smokehouses are especially popular. As a rule, they are used to prepare river fish directly during fishing. The purchased kit contains wood chips, spices and special trays. An even layer of fuel is poured into the largest tray, then a special perforated tray is installed, in which there are small holes. The prepared fish is placed there and the lid is closed on top. The disposable smoker should then be placed over the coals. In order to cook cold smoked fish, you need to increase the distance between the tray and the coals.
Electric
This type of smokehouse has recently become increasingly popular, because it has a huge number of advantages, and it is incredibly easy to cook in it. Just follow the following instructions to get delicious cold smoked fish.
The carcasses are cleaned, washed, gutted and salted using the dry salting method. The fish is left to infuse for eight hours, then hung out in the fresh air for several hours. At this time, you can start preparing the electric smokehouse. It is worth remembering that ordinary household structures consist of a smoke generator and air duct, a compartment for fuel and a smoking chamber, and racks. It is advisable to assemble the structure immediately before the smoking process. The unit operates from the simplest outlet, which has a voltage of 220 V. To prepare delicious smoked meats, it is best to use alder chips or fruit wood.
A certain amount of sawdust is poured into the fuel compartment. The prepared fish is laid out on racks or hung using hooks in the smoking cabinet. Then the temperature is set. To prepare cold smoked fish, the temperature should not exceed 28 degrees.
It is necessary to smoke the raw materials throughout the day. After this, the process will continue automatically. There is no need to constantly be near the smokehouse.
The electrical structure maintains the desired level of smoke at all times. The finished smoked meats are aromatic and tasty, quite elastic, and the skin gradually becomes a beautiful golden color.
Smokehouse for nature
You can smoke fish using the cold processing method not only at home, but also outdoors during your vacation.
To do this, you don’t need to take huge structures with you, because you can build a smokehouse yourself. At the top of a small slope a tunnel is made for the future chimney. At the very beginning, a container is installed on its surface, in which there is no bottom. It will act as a smoking cabinet. The fish prepared for smoking is carefully hung in the container using hooks. After this, you need to make a fire in the pit. The smoke from it should enter the smoking cabinet. It is worth noting that the fire should smolder and not burn, so you need to use alder branches. It is necessary to smoke fish in this way for at least seven hours. The duration of smoking will depend on the size of the fish used.
Smokehouse for home
At home, you can use a factory-made device or make the design yourself.
One of the simplest options is considered to be a smokehouse made from a gas cylinder or a metal barrel. In the second case, it is necessary to install the barrel away from buildings on the site. Next, a shallow trench is dug, which will act as a chimney. It connects the firebox and the smoking cabinet made from a barrel. At the second end of the trench, a depression is made in which the fire will be built.
The top of the trench is covered with fireproof material and additionally covered with a small layer of earth, which will allow the smoke to cool faster. The firebox can additionally be lined from the inside with iron or refractory bricks. The firebox also closes, but in such a way that it is convenient to open it and add fuel. The trench is then connected to the barrel with a medium-diameter pipe. Or you can use a container that does not have a bottom. This homemade design will allow you to prepare delicious cold smoked fish without any extra effort.
How to cook smoked fish without a smoker at home on the stove
Until I purchased a smoker, I tried many recipes for “smoked” fish. Several can be called very successful. Of course, this is not exactly the taste that is obtained on the fire in a smokehouse, but as an option - why not?
Let's take the ingredients for smoking fish:
- Mackerel or other fish – three carcasses
- Water – one liter
- Salt - three tbsp. spoons
- Sugar – 1.5 tbsp. spoons.
- Large handful of onion peels
- A small pinch of black tea.
Let's start, as always, with fish. We gut it, if necessary, and wash it. I also like to cook mackerel because this unpleasant procedure does not require much effort.
Put water on the fire. As soon as it starts to boil, add sugar, salt, tea and onion skins. Let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes.
Pour the prepared fish with cooled brine and leave for 3 days.
After which we take out the carcasses, blot the moisture and hang them in a dry place. It is necessary to lay something underneath, since the fish gives off juice quite intensively.
How to smoke with liquid smoke
In order to cook cold smoked fish, it is not necessary to use a professional or homemade smokehouse.
To do this, you can use ordinary liquid smoke, which is sold in almost every store. Prepared, pickled and slightly dried carcasses are dipped in a solution of water and liquid smoke. You can also sprinkle the raw materials with a small amount of undiluted substance. Next, the fish is wrapped in foil and sent to the oven. Products must be smoked in this way at a minimum temperature. Of course, the finished smoked meats will not be as tasty as when using natural smoke and not as healthy, but you can still cook this way from time to time.
Removing the entrails
The process for removing the internal parts of the fish is as follows:
- an incision is made in the neck area between the fins (using a high-quality knife, the length of the cut is no more than 3 cm);
- the internal parts of the fish are removed (it is important to hold the carcass to avoid tears);
- the gill entrails are removed (it is best to remove them entirely in order to simultaneously remove the shoulder girdle);
By following this method of removing the entrails, you can well prepare the fish for the further smoking process and give it a marketable appearance.
We recommend: Hot and cold smoked capelin
Cold smoked fish recipes
Many people believe that salmon is considered the most delicious smoked fish. Therefore, let's look at the recipe for making this incredibly tasty and aromatic delicacy.
- Fresh or thawed salmon is soaked in 20% brine for 12 hours.
- Then the carcass must be cut along the ridge, rinsed under cold running water and dried.
- You can also add a small amount of spices, which will make the smoked taste even more intense and the smell bright.
- It takes two to four days to smoke salmon, depending on the size of the product.
Cold smoked halibut is also considered quite tasty.
- Prepared halibut fillet pieces should be salted and sprinkled with a small amount of ground black pepper.
- The fish is left to marinate for twelve hours.
- Next, each piece is thoroughly washed and peeled and placed on a sieve to drain excess moisture.
Halibut needs to be smoked in two stages. The duration of the first stage is 4 hours. Before proceeding to the second stage, it is necessary to moisten the fillets with a cloth that is soaked in a small amount of vodka. Then the future smoked meats are sprinkled with a mixture of black and white ground pepper. The duration of the second stage of halibut smoking is 18 hours.
Materials for production
First of all, you will need a grinder and a welding machine. In addition to a 200-liter barrel, you will also need fittings with an approximate diameter of eight millimeters, sheets for the chamber four millimeters thick, corners and legs on which the smokehouse will stand. For the chimney you will need a pipe with a diameter of about ten centimeters. Inside there will be gratings made of wire.
The barrel is thoroughly washed, after which they begin filling. In order to quickly remove ash from the firebox, longitudinal holes should be made at a height of about fifteen centimeters from the floor. It should be taken into account that the height of the pipe should not be too high, otherwise the temperature inside the barrel will increase noticeably. There is a door at the bottom for storing firewood. You should also make a lid that will cover the barrel.
Properties and composition of cold smoked fish
It is generally accepted that cold smoked fish is colder than hot smoked fish. Properties, as well as composition, will depend on the type of fish, fat content and other indicators.
Regardless of this, the composition contains a huge amount of useful substances and vitamins that will have a positive effect on human health. The only condition is that you should not overuse smoked meats, because this can greatly harm the body.
Calorie content
The calorie content of cold smoked fish depends on the type and amount of fat in the composition. Therefore, if a person is watching his figure, then preference should be given to less fatty varieties, which will, accordingly, have less calories.
Storing cold smoked fish
Cold smoked fish prepared independently can be stored in a cool place for no more than ten days.
Due to the fact that finished smoked meats have a very rich aroma, which can be absorbed into other products that are in the refrigerator, they are first wrapped in fairly thick paper. You can also use vacuum packaging or cling film. For storing smoked fish, the ideal temperature is one that does not exceed 3 degrees. If necessary, smoked meats placed in vacuum packaging can be frozen and stored for three months. Cold smoked fish, cooked at home, is an excellent delicacy that suits any table.
Incredibly tasty and aromatic, it will complement any dish and will delight all relatives and friends.
Useful tips
- When cold smoking, you should definitely add chopped cherry and apple branches, which add a special aroma to the delicacies.
- Recently slaughtered game should be kept in the cold for 3 days, and only then begin cold smoking.
- It is best to start smoking in the morning on a clear and windless day. It is also recommended to find out the weather forecast for the next 3 to 4 days in advance. You should not start smoking in inclement weather.
- In the smoking process, you definitely need trays that are installed at the bottom of the chamber. They will protect fallen pieces or carcasses from contamination, and also prevent drops of fat from falling on smoldering wood chips (sawdust).
