Smoked silver carp (hot and cold smoked) - recipes for how to smoke at home

Hot smoking of silver carp

Classic smoking of fish is done on fruit chips laid out along the bottom of the smokehouse. Experts advise cooking it on grates, having previously greased them with oil, and placing a tray under the fish into which the fat will drip. Before smoking, the carcass is tied with twine to prevent the meat from falling apart. It turns out very tender, literally falling off the bones without any extra effort.

Traditional method

The classic technology for smoking silver carp using the hot method begins with salting. You can use any of the options presented above. After the fish has been marinated and aired, start cooking:

They make a fire. The fire must burn well for the wood to produce heat. You can make it in the grill.
Place 2-3 handfuls of pre-soaked wood chips on the bottom. A pallet is placed on top.
Install the grates over the tray and place the silver carp at a distance of 1-2 cm between them.
Place the smokehouse on the grill and cover it. If there is a water seal, pour water into it.
When white smoke comes out of the hole, the cooking time is noted, which should not be less than 25-30 minutes for medium-sized carcasses.

You need to smoke fish at a temperature of 120 degrees, gradually reducing it to 100 and 80 towards the end of cooking.

We smoke silver carp in a barrel

The fish is cleaned, all the insides are removed, and washed. It is salted dry so that it is not fresh. The carcasses are rubbed inside and out. Send to a cool place for 3-4 hours.

Before tying the fish, it must be washed under running water. The strapping is necessary to ensure that the carcass does not fall apart on the hooks at high temperatures.

Wood chips are poured into an aluminum container at the bottom of the smokehouse. Smoke until done at a temperature of 100-120 degrees. Every 20-30 minutes you need to add wood chips.

Smoking the Scandinavian way

Using a fish scaler, remove the scales. It is not recommended to process the carcass with a regular knife, as there is a risk of damaging the fish. Before filleting, the gills and fins must be removed.

Generously rub the fillet with seasoning on both sides. Place in a saucepan and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

It is recommended to use coniferous boards; they are sold in specialized stores. You can use regular kitchen cutting boards. The fillets are nailed along the entire perimeter.

During smoking, the boards must be constantly moved towards the direction of the smoke.

It is important that the flame does not touch the fish, otherwise it will be dry.

At the end of cooking, when the firewood has burned out, you need to place moistened pine branches in their place and wait 20 minutes until the fish absorbs the aroma.

Smoked silver carp Odessa style

An original recipe using a special mixture of spices. For 1.3 kg of silver carp take:

50-100 g salt;
120 g garlic;
several bay leaves;
a mixture of black, white, red, green peppers;
fresh dill, parsley;
lemon zest.

The carcass is gutted and the gills are cut out. Mix the spices and squeeze out the garlic. Rub the fish inside and outside with the prepared mixture.

Citrus zest and chopped herbs are placed in the gill slits and abdomen. Marinate the silver carp for 3-4 hours in a cool place, remove and wipe with napkins.

Next, they begin smoking by placing pear branches on the bottom of the smokehouse and covering them with foil.

The fish is laid out on racks. Cook for 40-50 minutes, maintaining a temperature of 90-110 degrees. Ventilate for 1 hour.

Quick smoking

Another way to prepare smoked silver carp is using a mixture of branches from berry and fruit bushes. Required:

sprigs of raspberries, currants, apple trees;
a few spoons of black tea leaves;
1-2 tbsp. l. salt and sugar.

The branches are cut into small chips or young shoots of trees are used. Mix the shavings with tea leaves and sugar. Place the prepared mixture 1-2 cm thick on the bottom of the unit.

A tray for collecting fat and a grill with prepared fish are installed on top. Carcasses must be dry. Place the smokehouse on the fire when the wood burns a little and gives off heat. When white smoke starts to appear, wait for 20-30 minutes, then remove the dish from the heat.

Smoking in the oven

You can cook silver carp at home without using a smokehouse. After placing the marinated fish on the grill, place it over a baking sheet in which there are wood chips. The oven should be preheated to 100-120 degrees. Cook for 30-40 minutes.

There is another way to cook in the oven using foil. To do this, after marinating with liquid smoke, the carcasses are placed in a foil pocket and closed tightly. Cook for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees.

This is interesting: Carp cutlets - homemade recipes, with bones, from caviar

Hot method

If you decide to cook hot smoked silver carp, then you just need to know all the nuances of its preparation. So, we buy a medium-sized silver carp (about 40 centimeters long). We clean the fish from scales, take out all the insides and wash the carcass in cool water. We cut off the head with a knife, and cut out the gills (if we leave the head) and fins with scissors. The carcasses are ready - you can start cooking.

We wash the fish again, take salt, garlic, bay leaf, black pepper or a mixture of peppers. Place in a bowl and leave the fish to marinate. Crumble the bay leaf, rubbing it between your palms. Sprinkle with seasonings to taste. We crush the garlic and rub it on the fish. We make sure that it is well marinated, add salt and spread spices on the back. We not only sprinkle the fish with salt, but rub each carcass well. Be sure to pour salt into the belly of each silver carp. Now you need to put it in a cool place for 4 hours so that the fish marinates.

Video on how to smoke silver carp:

At this time, we prepare sawdust from the trees. Before smoking, lubricate the grate with oil - this fact will affect the presentation of the fish. Place the silver carp on a wire rack set at a height of 15 centimeters from the bottom. This way we will get smoked fish and not burnt fish. It takes about 40 minutes for the fish to cook (the exact time depends on the size of the carcasses). You can also reduce the time if you choose a small fish - about 15–20 centimeters.

Silver carp smoked with one of the above options is very tasty and quick to prepare. Of course, these methods differ from each other both in taste and in cooking time. Try both and choose the best for yourself and your loved ones.

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Selection and preparation of fish

You need to start smoking flounder with the right carcass selection.

And for this it is important to know their healthy condition:

the sides of the body differ in color: the light, yellowish or cream side faces the bottom of the reservoir, it is softer and more delicate than the dark side, with which the fish “looks” upward;
the eyes are asymmetrical, located on the dark side;
individuals weighing from 300 to 500 g and whose length does not exceed 40 cm are more suitable for smoking. Large carcasses can become tough after processing;
there is no mucus on the skin, the eyes are shiny, they are not white or cloudy;
the flesh and skin of high-quality fresh-frozen or chilled fish must be without damage;
the color of both sides is bright, not faded;
pulp consistency – elastic, color – white;
The shelf life stamp on packages of frozen carcasses is clear, not smeared, not sealed.

In the store you can buy already cut fish - this is convenient if the cook does not want or does not know how to gut the carcasses.

If you choose frozen flounder, you need to make sure that it has not been frozen again. In this case, there will be an uneven accumulation of ice on the carcasses. A well-frozen product is usually covered with a uniform, very thin layer.

Preparing fish for smoking, principles of salting and marinating

Working with fish as a material for cooking is very difficult. Only intensive temperature treatment can eliminate the processes of bacterial growth, spoilage and rotting. Almost every nationality has its own secrets that allow you to turn your favorite dishes into national cuisine. Over time, the secrets passed down from generation to generation began to be revealed, and fish processing skills developed into separate recipes.

Fish smoked on sawdust has become a favorite dish in different countries. The recipe for its preparation is simplified to the minimum, so there is talk about smoking it yourself at home.

In this case, proper preparation of the fish, starting with selection and ending with salting, plays an important role. And if the process in the smokehouse itself is considered purely technical, then to carry out the preparatory stage it is necessary to have at least minimal knowledge.

The easiest way in this regard is for a fisherman who is planning to smoke his catch. In the absence of an alternative, he will be content with what he has. If a person goes to a store with the goal of buying fish, then he will have to solve the difficult task of choosing. There are no restrictions on the type of fish to be smoked. Both fatty and fibrous fish make an excellent dish. There are two goals here: satisfy your need taking into account your preferences and choose the freshest option.

Fish can be bought live, chilled and frozen.

If there are no additional requirements, then it is advisable to take only live fish for smoking, as it will be the freshest. But for freshness of the first degree you will have to pay a generous sum.
Next, the chilled version has priority, since when frozen, beneficial properties, as well as taste, are lost. Considering the fact that the fish can only stay refrigerated for a few days, it’s worth wondering how it got on the display case. Fraud on the part of suppliers or the seller cannot be ruled out.
Frozen fish remains the most reliable and inexpensive option.

Any normal store will be happy to provide a wide selection. If you have no experience, then you can use the basic rules.

River fish is smaller, but has a specific taste and smell. Marine representatives reach large sizes. The presence of odor is a controversial issue. For some, it additionally reminds of unity with nature and is a guarantee of the naturalness of the product. Others try to get rid of this smell as quickly as possible. Perhaps it would be better to choose marine representatives then?
Fish differs in fat content. Mackerel, tuna, pink salmon, chum salmon have fatty meat, it is tender in texture and nutritious in taste. But these representatives usually have a corresponding price. Fibrous species: pike, bream, carp, crucian carp. If properly marinated, the meat can be tenderized.

The first step is to sort the fish so that the carcasses that will soon be marinated are the same size. In this case, they will be salted and cooked at the same time. If the fish is small, then you can simply wash and salt it.

Experts say that leaving the insides adds additional flavor to the meat. But there are also those who feel nothing other than characteristic bitterness. They strongly recommend gutting the fish. When removing the insides, pay attention to the film, usually black, covering the cavity. It also contains bitterness.

The heads are left on small and even medium-sized carcasses, but the gills will have to be cut out. Large fish are decapitated. By the way, large carcasses rarely remain intact. If you cut them into pieces, they will be salted faster and will also become smoky faster. They are cut crosswise to get steaks, or along the ridge to get fillets.

Cold and hot smoked silver carp

There are many recipes for how to cook smoked fish with seasonings and without silver carp. But they are based on the basic principles of this dish.

Hot smoking

Hot smoked silver carp cooks quite quickly. First, the scales are removed from the fish, the entrails are removed, and then it is thoroughly washed. For hot smoking, it is recommended to cut off the head, or, as a last resort, remove the gills with scissors. Now the carcass is almost ready and you can start cooking.

For smoking, either oak sawdust or alder chips are used.

Cold smoking

Cold smoked silver carp is a dish that requires a lot of labor and time. Let's look at the cooking process step by step:

First, the fish is cut, washed, and its gills are removed;
Next, you should prepare a brine from water, salt and spices to taste;
the fish is immersed in brine and placed in the refrigerator, where it will marinate for 2 days at a temperature of 4 to 5 degrees C under load;
then the load is removed from the fish, and marinating continues further (the carcasses must be completely covered with brine);
marinating can last up to 7 days;
Now you can proceed directly to smoking silver carp; for this, the product is moved to a smokehouse at a temperature of 30 degrees C to 35 for up to 4 days.

Useful material

Silver carp, whether cold smoked or hot processed, is a very appetizing fish in appearance, as you can see in the photo. Many lovers of smoked meats note the amazing and original taste, but in addition to culinary advantages, this fish contains a lot of useful substances:

the product contains large quantities of polyunsaturated acids “Omega-6” and “Omega-3”, which are in ideal balance with amino acids;
vitamins of groups: PP, A, B1, B2, B6, B9, C, H;
micro- and macroelements: copper, zinc, iodine, sodium, magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, chlorine and many others;
fat volumes depend on weight and vary from 3% to 16%;
high quality protein.

The product reduces cancer risks and helps strengthen the immune system. Mental activity is stabilized and mental abilities are activated, blood pressure is normalized.

This type of fish has an antioxidant effect, slows down aging and improves the quality of nails, hair and skin.

Read Cooking cold and hot smoked flounder

Cold smoked silver carp can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days at an average temperature of 3 degrees C;
It is not recommended to store hot smoked fish under the same conditions for more than 3 days;
You can store fish in the freezer for up to three months, the duration depends on the level of negative temperatures;
if you are outside the civilizational infrastructure, wrap the fish in paper and place the package in the shade so that the product is well ventilated.

If you have experience in smoking silver carp, or you know some unique secrets and rules, share your experience in the comments section.

Cold smoking

The delicate taste, impeccable consistency and aroma of cold-smoked asp are valued by gourmets much more highly than hot-cooked asp. However, this process requires a certain skill, experience and patience. Many cooks start smoking with hot methods, and then gradually switch to cold technology

It is important to remember that the smokehouse for cold smoking must be different

Wood selection

To prepare smoked asp, you should take slivers or sawdust from alder, which will give the product a beautiful color.

When using sawdust, it is important to remember that they should not burn; a slight smoke from smoldering is the correct condition

Branches of heather and juniper can be used to change the aroma of fish. The taste will be more piquant if you add rowan, grapevine or barberry, and spicy herbs. You can add sprigs of raspberries or blackberries. To reveal the taste of asp: basil, wormwood, sage, but pine needles and other resinous species cannot be used.

Cold smoking recipe (dry salting method)

To smoke an asp using dry salting, you need to take: 0.5 tbsp. l. sugar, 2 tbsp. l. salt, 1 kg of fish and any spices to taste.

Next, start cooking:

The carcasses are cut up, the gills are removed, washed well, and rubbed with a mixture of salt and spices.
Be sure to put a little salt directly into the asp’s belly. Keep for 24 hours in an enamel container.
Wash and hang out to dry for at least 1-2 days. When the carcasses are smooth and non-sticky, you can start smoking.
Light a fire and put wood chips in the smoke generator. The fish is placed on a grill or hung.
The asp is smoked for at least 3 days, maintaining the temperature within 25-30 degrees.

After cooking, the product must be ventilated again in a room protected from flies, but with excellent ventilation.

Cold smoking recipe (double salting)

Cold smoked asp soaked in marinade is prepared in the same way as with dry salting.

When preparing the recipe you need to consider the following:

For the brine you need to take: 2 liters of water, ½ cup of salt, bay leaf, allspice or other spices to taste;
Before the main salting, the carcasses are rolled in salt, placed in a container, and stored in the refrigerator for a day;
A decoction is prepared from the ingredients, brought to a boil, then cooled and poured into the fish;
Place pressure on top and keep it this way for 6 hours to 2-3 days.

After liquid marinating, the carcasses need to be washed and left in cool, clean water for 2 hours, changing the brine every 30-60 minutes. Then they are aired for 10 hours until the back becomes smooth. After this, they begin smoking.

Tasty and healthy fish

Some interesting facts about chum salmon will allow us to appreciate this gift of fate when it appears on our table. The fact is that popularity is counterbalanced by its inaccessibility. It’s not that it can’t be found on the shelves, but the death of individuals after spawning and the underdeveloped domestic fishery dictate their pricing policy.

Fish going to spawn are valued the least, since they cover enormous distances during this period. In this case, there is a decrease in weight, an increase in the size of the teeth, and a change in color. Chum salmon caviar is also valuable, but it comes at too high a price, and given the share of poaching, the high cost is not surprising.

If we consider fish as a food product in the prism of energy value and calorie content, then here it has a clear advantage in its favor compared to other foods of animal origin. Almost 75%, that is, ¾ of the total mass, is water. The remainder consists of protein and fat.

When recalculating the relative proportion, it becomes clear that chum salmon contains a lot of proteins, but this does not have any negative effect on the figure. In addition, fish contains amino acids that are not found in either pork or beef. The body is also unable to synthesize them. In a word, fish must be present in the diet of any person.

Moving on to microelements, it should be noted that modern means allow for a thorough analysis of the components of the product. It turns out that chum salmon meat contains phosphorus, calcium, potassium, fluorine, zinc, iron and vitamins of absolutely all groups. This allows nutritionists to use the dishes as a means of strengthening blood vessels and maintaining the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Recently, there have been popular opinions that chum salmon meat can reduce the risk of developing cancer.

A substance such as methionine has a positive effect on intestinal functions. Restorative effects on the gastric mucosa, treatment of ulcers or erosion are observed. Eating this fish improves the emotional state, since it contains substances that are antidepressants. And it is also necessary to remember the role of vitamin A in strengthening vision.

How to quickly salt and marinate fish for smoking

Smoked fish is an excellent appetizer and decoration for any holiday table. It is sold in most stores, but the store-bought version is not as tasty as the home-cooked version. There is nothing difficult about making salt and smoking yourself. You don’t even need to buy a special smokehouse for this. Instead, you can use improvised devices, for example, a metal bucket or box. It is important to properly prepare the ingredients before smoking. You need to marinate for the hot or cold method so that the resulting dish turns out more aromatic, spicy and appetizing. If desired, you can add salt without adding brine. To prepare, you can use the recipe you like, which tells you what ingredients you need to take and how much you need.

It is not recommended to salt unprepared fish, since an unprocessed product can ruin the entire dish. It is important to thoroughly rinse and remove scales from carcasses intended for hot or cold smoking before cooking. If the fish is fresh, then it is allowed to cook it along with the entrails. However, it would be better to gut it before you start salting. It won’t take much time, but it will turn out tastier.

Small fish do not need to be cleaned or gutted

If you select a large fish that does not fit in the smokehouse, it should be cut into medium-sized pieces. But, for example, mackerel or perch can be salted whole. They themselves are small, and even a few pieces can fit on the grill.

Whether to marinate with your head or not, everyone can decide for themselves. The recipe allows for both options. As a rule, if you salt the fish along with the head, it will not be any worse.

The recipe for salting fish will be useful to everyone who loves smoked meats. You can implement it at home, without any special equipment. The process can take several hours or a couple of days. It is believed that it is best to pickle for at least a day to get a great taste. But if you need to cook it urgently, you can reduce the salting time for hot or cold smoking.

For the simplest salting, only table salt and the fish itself are required. They take the carcasses, washed and prepared before smoking, and cover them with salt. It is up to the cook to decide how much food additive to add. The main thing is that it gets on the carcasses from all sides, otherwise the salting will be uneven. After this, the fish is placed in a container and covered with a lid. Leave in a dark place for a day (can be kept at temperatures up to +15 C°). After the specified time, when the salting is complete, the carcasses are sent to the smokehouse for hot or cold smoking.

How should you prepare food for smoking?

In 100 g of raw smoked sausage, the amount of salt exceeds the daily requirement. This is simply a forced necessity. The content of smoking substances in the middle part of the smoked product, even after 2 weeks of drying, is 10–15 times lower than in the surface layer and several times less than the concentration at which the bactericidal effect of active smoke fractions is noted. Thus, during cold smoking, the main preservative is salt, and the bactericidal effect of smoke affects only a thin outer layer. The same remarks fully apply to fish.

For cold smoking

Seasonings (including vodka) for brines and marinades are chosen according to preference, but the salt concentration should be such that raw potatoes float. Here it is better to literally over-salt, otherwise the fish may spoil before cooking. The salt content, even according to the strict requirements of GOST, can be up to 10%, and a coating of salt is allowed on the gill covers.

Salting fish, depending on its variety and size, takes from 2 to 15 days. Then it is soaked (large fish for about a day) and dried for 2 to 5 days, and wooden spacers are inserted into the abdomen of large fish. A protruding shiny crust of salt indicates its excess. This can be corrected by additional soaking.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ua_mzwcvM4A

For hot smoking

When they are going to smoke in this way, they usually use dry salting: the fish is simply rubbed with coarse salt, and longitudinal cuts are made on the back of large specimens. The fish, sprinkled with salt, is placed in a valet (head to tail) in a wooden box, in which a clean canvas cloth is laid and pressed down with pressure. In about a week it is salted out: if the fish becomes hard, then the process can be considered complete.

Many fans also use garlic and spices when grating salt. Fatty fish, to avoid oxidation of fats, is wrapped in parchment or kept in strong brine. Balyk (backs) from fatty fish are sprinkled with coarse salt and saltpeter and each piece is wrapped in gauze so that they do not come into contact with each other. After about a week, the backs are soaked in water to remove excess salt and dried first in the sun and then in the shade.

In the good old balyk, dried under an open shed (after approximately 1 - 1.5 months), mold should have appeared, which was a sign of ripening; if this did not happen, then the balyk was considered over-salted. It was difficult even for experienced cooks to walk such a fine line between over-salted balyk and second-fresh sturgeon. So modern lovers, as a rule, limit themselves to cold-smoked halibut, which is also not bad at all.

For smoking, you need to buy only fresh fish and prepare it yourself.

You should avoid buying fresh fish if it has:

cloudy, deeply sunken eyes;
the gills are gray or brown in color;
gill covers raised;
swollen abdomen;
dents remain after pressing the backrest;
The meat flakes and falls away from the bones.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=M0ThF-up8rQ

Features of hot smoking

Next to the question of how to smoke silver carp yourself at home. This can be done cold or hot.

It’s worth starting with how hot-smoked silver carp is prepared. You can achieve the desired result at home, but it is better to do it outdoors using a smokehouse.

Classic method

Although there are various recipes that allow you to smoke delicious silver carp using the hot smoking method, the classic method remains the most popular and popular.

Silver carp prepared by hot smoking

You can make a smokehouse yourself or buy ready-made equipment in a store. You need to choose a design based on the volume of smoking and the size of the products. A whole silver carp requires a fairly large unit.

In a smokehouse, it is quite easy to smoke silver carp by processing it with hot smoke. Here you need to do the following:

Clean, rinse and salt or marinate the fish in any way you like;
After salting, rinse the fish, pat it dry with paper towels and leave for several hours to air.
Now you need to light the fire and let the wood burn well to create powerful heat.
When only hot coal remains, the previously soaked wood chips are laid out on the bottom of the grill.
A pallet is placed on top. Above the tray there is a grate where the fish itself is laid out. There should be a gap of about 1-2 cm between the pieces. This will allow the smoke to pass through better.
The smokehouse is placed on the grill and covered with a lid. If there is a water seal, water is poured into it.
After a while, thick white smoke will begin to come out of the holes. Let the fish sit for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and release the first smoke.
Close again and set aside for 15-20 minutes.

In total, it takes 25-30 minutes to cook a medium-sized silver carp.

At the beginning of smoking, the temperature should be about 120 degrees. But then it gradually decreases to 100, and then to 80 degrees.

Once cooking is complete, let the fish cool completely and ventilate for a couple of hours. This will allow the taste and aroma to fully develop.

Smoking in a barrel

A good alternative for a smokehouse. You will need a metal barrel.

A fire is lit below until coals form. A bowl made of foil or aluminum is placed on top of the coal, into which fruit chips, previously soaked in water, are poured.

The fish are hung on hooks or wire, placing crossbars or grates. The top of the barrel is closed with a lid so that the smoke is concentrated inside and does not escape outside.

As it burns out, you need to add new portions of wood chips. It is optimal to maintain the temperature at 100-120 degrees.

Barrel smoking process

There are many recipes for preparing silver carp using the hot smoking method. They differ in the technology of the smokehouse itself, as well as in the fact that it produces aromatic smoke.

The Scandinavian method involves smoking fish, which is nailed to wooden boards. A fire is built between 2 boards, and then pine branches are laid on top. The smoke released hits the fish, and thus smoking occurs.

There is also an Odessa recipe. Use a regular smoker here. But instead of wood chips, pear branches are used. Foil is placed on top of the branches, and the fish is already placed on it.

Oven capabilities

You can smoke fish such as silver carp in a regular home oven. But in this case, you will need a good and powerful hood. Otherwise, due to the smoke generated, neighbors may think that you have a fire.

The point is to preheat the oven to 100-120 degrees. A baking sheet is placed down, which is covered with foil, and pre-soaked wood chips are poured on top. The fish itself is placed on the grill on the top tier. The oven closes and the wood chips begin to emit smoke. After 5-10 minutes, it is better to open the oven to release the condensation. But don’t forget to open the window and turn on the hood before doing this.

To minimize the amount of smoke, instead of wood chips, the fish is coated with liquid smoke and simply baked. This is not exactly smoking, but such a recipe has a right to exist.

How to select and cut fish

To prepare cold or hot smoked trout, both fresh and frozen fish are suitable. However, with the cold processing method, it is recommended to pre-freeze the trout. If you plan to cook the whole fish, then carcasses weighing up to 800–900 g are suitable. Larger fish are cut into fillets or layers.

You need to defrost fish in the refrigerator. It must reach room temperature before smoking.

Next, they begin cutting, making sure to remove the insides and black film. Some gourmets recommend smoking trout only without the head. However, other smokers do not agree that its presence adds bitterness to the meat. However, this rule necessarily applies to large trout, weighing more than 2–3 kg.

Note Vladimir Kuznetsov Professional smoker

You need to gut the fish with a very sharp and thin knife; it is easier for them to penetrate inside and carefully cut out the organs without damaging them, as well as cut off the tail and fins. This knife makes it easier to separate the backbone and rib bones when forming fillets and steaks.

As for the choice of smoking form, preference is usually given to whole, medium-sized carcasses. For cold smoking, it can be cut into balyk and tesha.

Trout cutting methods

The easiest way is to remove the entrails through the abdomen. In this case, the head is either left with only the gills cut out, or completely cut off along the gill line. Use scissors to remove fins and tail if the recipe requires it. The insides are also removed, thoroughly washing the fish.

Cutting into balyk and tesha usually happens at the same time, here's why:

In the classic way, the entrails and fins are removed from the fish, and the tail and head are cut off.
Then, along the white line of the abdomen, where there is very little meat and a lot of fat, the meat is cut off. These long layers are smoked along with other parts of the fish and used as an appetizer for beer.
2-3 pieces of tesha are tied with twine to make smoking more convenient.

The trout is not cut up for butterfly, but neat layers are formed from large carcasses:

Gut the fish in the classic way, removing the head, but you can leave the tail.
Holding the tail area, cut off the meat on both sides along the rib bones.
The remaining bones are then removed with tweezers, resulting in a skin-on fillet.

To form steaks, proceed as follows:

Gut the fish, remove the head and tail.
Cut the carcass along the ridge into two halves - the spine should remain on one of them.
Then, using a very sharp knife, cut off the ridge along with the rib bones, capturing a 1 mm layer of meat.
Cut off the ribs on the other half and cut both layers into portioned pieces.

To form neat steaks without skin, after the final stage, take each piece and, turning it perpendicular to you, pass the knife between the skin and meat away from you at an angle of about 20 degrees.

To prepare yukola, the layers of fillet along with the skin are divided lengthwise in half again.

Cold smoking method

There are some nuances to how to properly smoke silver carp using the cold processing method.

Appearance of silver carp smoked in a cold way

Many admit that this method has its advantages. The fish turns out tastier and more aromatic. Although this is more a matter of taste and personal preference.

But cold smoked silver carp has a major problem when cooked at home. This is a big time investment.

First, you need to leave the fish to salt for at least a day. Then another day is spent on airing and drying.

In order for the recipe to be successful, and for your smoked silver carp to pleasantly please with its taste and aroma, you will need to use a special installation. This is a container in which the fish is placed, and a smoke generator connected to it through a pipe.

This generator gradually burns dry wood chips, and a pump transfers the resulting smoke to a tank. There, the fish, prepared by pre-salting and drying, is kept in cold smoke for several days.

At a temperature of 25 degrees, the fish is smoked for 1 to 4 days. In this case, every 6-8 hours the smoke generator is stopped for 30 minutes and excess smoke is released. This makes the taste better. Although you don't have to do this.

The process of cold smoking silver carp in a smokehouse

After cooking for another 12 hours, the fish is ventilated. This is how you get the right and most delicious silver carp.

Recipe for hot smoked silver carp at home

Silver carp is a freshwater fish that loves salt very much, therefore, before immersing the prepared carcasses in the smokehouse, they must be salted. Light salting is exactly what this type of fish needs. To salt silver carp before smoking at home, you need to take 1 kg of salt per 15 kg of fish.

Small specimens are salted whole, along with scales, entrails and gills, so it will be more juicy and tender. But with large silver carps you will have to tinker. The entrails and gills must be removed; if desired, you can fillet the fish, but the skin and scales should not be removed: when smoked, the scales retain moisture, making the meat softer.

Salting hot smoked silver carp occurs as follows: salt must be poured onto a table or cutting surface and thoroughly rubbed into the carcass, pressing lightly on it. Next, rub the silver carp's belly from the inside. This is done by hand. If the fish has a very thick back, you need to make a small cut on it and also rub the meat with salt.

Depending on the size of the carcass, it should be in salt for 1 to 3 days, after which it must be wrapped with twine or wire, since the fish may fall apart during hot smoking. If you smoke not freshly caught, but frozen silver carp, then the salting time will be longer - 4-5 days. Such a product can be eaten without heat treatment, since the salt reacts, the proteins in the silver carp meat coagulate, and it becomes denser, ready for consumption. In addition, pathogenic microorganisms die.

After the fish has been well salted, it is necessary to wash off the remaining salt from it (larger fish should be soaked in water for about an hour), dry it, tie it with twine and let it “rest” in a cold place for an hour or two.

Next comes the actual smoking process. Ideally, silver carp is smoked on a grill with a fine and fine mesh. This method of cooking will allow the fish to cook more evenly than if left hanging. It should be placed loosely on the grill so that the carcasses do not touch each other or the walls of the smokehouse.

The temperature inside the smokehouse should not exceed 120 degrees Celsius at the initial stage. The silver carp is kept at this temperature for about an hour, after which it is necessary to reduce the heat first to 100, and then to 80 degrees.

This is very important because higher temperatures cause the protein to coagulate and form a golden crust, but high temperatures can cause the fish to burn on the outside without being cooked on the inside. In addition, large silver carp must be turned from side to side during smoking.

The readiness of the product is determined as follows: the color of the skin becomes tea-colored, the scales on the carcass are dry, the meat is easily separated from the bone, the consistency of it should resemble the meat of boiled fish - it should be soft and juicy.

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Hot smoking

Now the carcass is almost ready and you can start cooking. The fish is rubbed with salt, garlic, chopped bay leaf and pepper. The silver carp is placed in the shade and kept for 4 hours.

After this time, the fish can be sent to the smokehouse. It is better to hot smoke silver carp on a grill. Depending on the weight of the fish, the procedure can last from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours at a temperature of +60 degrees C.

Watch the video “Hot smoking silver carp” so you can see the process in action.

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Hot and cold methods of smoking silver carp

Smoked dishes will always delight people sitting at the table with their bright aroma and excellent taste. Smoking silver carp at home is a simple process and even a novice housewife can cope with the preparation of this dish. And although smoking silver carp is a specific procedure, nevertheless, both cold and hot smoking will give the desired result. Modern housewives use both of these methods to prepare smoked silver carp. Hot smoked silver carp and the process of its preparation are simpler and shorter, in contrast to the cold cooking method. Talented housewives and professional craftsmen always have a recipe that can be used to prepare a delicious dish.

Smoking silver carp is no more difficult than other fish

Features of smoking silver carp

Smoking silver carp is a simple process. To make the dish appetizing, you must comply with the following conditions and sequence:

Light a fire. Let the wood burn to get a good heat. To make it more convenient, you can do all this in the grill.
For smoking, you need to prepare wood chips from fruit trees, such as pear, apple or cherry, in advance; alder or oak are also suitable. The finished wood chips are laid out on the bottom of the smoking apparatus in an even layer. Do not overdo it, two or three small handfuls will be enough, otherwise the fish will become bitter and burnt.
A tray is placed over the chips so that all the juices and fat that will be released from the carcasses do not fall on the chips.
Next, grates are installed for the fish itself, and the carcasses are laid out on it at a distance from each other. It is best to grease the grates with any vegetable oil so that the meat does not stick to them.
Place the smokehouse on the grill and cover it with a lid.
As soon as smoke starts coming from the smokehouse, note the time and smoke the fish for 40 minutes. If the carcasses are small, then the cooking time is 30 minutes.

As you can see, anyone can smoke silver carp at home. To give your fish a richer taste and richer aroma, leave it in the smoker until it cools completely.

We recommend: How to properly pickle perch

Hot smoking

There is more than one recipe for preparing hot smoked silver carp. We have already described the process itself above, but there are still a lot of nuances and small differences in the hot method. As a rule, they consist in the choice of marinating options, the amount and type of spices, as well as the amount of fish.

Also, it is worth considering the fact that with the hot smoking method, the fish undergoes minimal processing. If it was not freshly caught, but was bought frozen, then it is necessary to increase the salting time. Otherwise, there is a risk of food poisoning.

Cold smoking

Cooking fish by cold smoking is a serious and time-consuming matter. But the taste of the fish will be simply indescribable. Before smoking silver carp, it must be well prepared:

choose fresh fish, preferably the same size;
remove scales, remove gills and entrails, rinse well with cold water;
Sprinkle salt on each carcass where the gills were located;
Add a layer of coarse salt to the bottom of the vessel where the fish will be marinated, and place the silver carp on top. Sprinkle everything with salt again. If you have a lot of fish, then salt should be poured between all layers. Leave to marinate for 48 hours;
After the fish is salted, it is soaked in a marinade with spices and herbs. For the marinade, boil water with peppercorns, bay leaves and Provencal herbs, cool;
Remove the fish, wash off the remaining salt and place in a cold marinade. Soak for three to four hours;
each fish must be greased with sunflower oil before sending it to the smokehouse;
prepare grates or hooks; place the carcasses in such a way that the fish is exposed to smoke during the entire smoking process.

It is necessary to smoke cold-smoked silver carp at a low temperature - 25-26C for three to four days. Experienced smokers advise taking a break every six hours. It is best to use firewood from fruit trees, as well as oak or alder, for these purposes.

We recommend: Smoking cod at home

The finished fish will have a beautiful golden color and a pleasant rich aroma. After smoking is completed, the carcasses must be ventilated in the open air for 12 hours.

Cooking time

The cooking time for silver carp directly depends on the smoking method, the amount of fish, its freshness and the size of the fish themselves. The fastest and least labor-intensive method is hot. Marinating will take from 24 hours to 3 days, another day will be spent drying the fish. The smoking process itself takes no more than an hour.

Cold smoking will take much longer. Salted fish is marinated for two days, but no more than eight. Then the fish is soaked for another 5-6 hours. The fish is smoked in cool smoke for two to four days.

Nutritional value and benefits of greenling

The composition contains a large amount of healthy fats, including Omega 3 and 6, as well as essential minerals: phosphorus, calcium, potassium, zinc, vitamins B, A, D, E. Sea fish is rich in iodine, a substance necessary for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland . It contains a lot of useful and nutritious protein necessary for the renewal of all cells. With regular consumption of green grass, essential microelements provide improvement in many body functions:

condition of bones and teeth. Phosphorus protects against caries and stimulates metabolic processes;
the sulfur contained in the composition supports immune functions, restores normal blood consistency;
amino acids help fight harmful substances in the liver and activate wound healing;
polyunsaturated fatty acids protect the heart and blood vessels from blood clots and cholesterol plaques;
iron normalizes hemoglobin levels, improves oxygen supply to the blood;
a tandem of microelements improves the condition of hair, skin, nails;
nutrients and vitamins stimulate mental activity;
zinc helps fight bad cholesterol.

What method do you use to smoke greenlings?

HotCold

All these benefits come against the background of the low calorie content of smoked greenling. However, people on a diet should remember that smoked meats should not be present in the diet constantly.

BJU and calorie content per 100 grams of greenling
Hot smoked	Cold smoked
Calories	102 kcal	148 kcal
Squirrels	17.8 g	18 g
Fats	3.4 g	8.4 g
Carbohydrates	0 g	0 g

Possible harm from processed fish

A healthy person can consume this product a maximum of 1-2 times a week, so as not to harm the digestive organs. But there are diseases for which it is better not to eat greenling or consume no more than 100-150 g a couple of times a month:

thyroid diseases;
acute pathologies of the kidneys and liver;
history of seafood allergy;
stomach ulcer or high acidity, gastritis.

It is not recommended to consume smoked greenling for women during breastfeeding, especially at the beginning.

Fish poisoning occurs much more often than intoxication due to consumption of other products.

It is important to process the meat well: salt and smoke the carcasses in such a way as to prevent the preservation of microorganisms and bacteria. Good salting helps remove some toxic substances

Useful material

the product contains large quantities of polyunsaturated acids “Omega-6” and “Omega-3”, which are in ideal balance with amino acids;
vitamins of groups: PP, A, B1, B2, B6, B9, C, H;
micro- and macroelements: copper, zinc, iodine, sodium, magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, chlorine and many others;
fat volumes depend on weight and vary from 3% to 16%;
high quality protein.

According to the work of scientists and medical practice, this fish is useful for patients with cardiovascular diseases; it effectively reduces the content of bad cholesterol. The product reduces cancer risks and helps strengthen the immune system. Mental activity is stabilized and mental abilities are activated, blood pressure is normalized. This type of fish has an antioxidant effect, slows down aging and improves the quality of nails, hair and skin.

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The benefits of silver carp in nature and medicine

Each organism in nature fulfills its mission. If you do not consider silver carp as a food product, then it will also have a worthy mission. Feeding on phytoplankton, it effectively cleans the body of water, especially ponds. There have been cases when this species was specifically launched for water purification.

Almost any fish contains a lot of protein, but not everyone can boast of containing omega-3 acids. Silver carp meat, in addition to the listed elements, is rich in vitamins and minerals. Vitamins of group “A”, “B” and “E” in combination with phosphorus, iron, calcium and zinc help the body fight atherosclerosis and normalize the functioning of the central nervous system. Not only nutritionists, but also other medical specialists note that fish must be present in the diet of every person, and especially the patient.

Women use various skin, nail and hair care products, and meanwhile, regular consumption of silver carp will replace all synthetic products. It is also useful for patients with diabetes, but sugar levels need to be controlled in any case.

Another piece of advice from the medical field is that fish meat normalizes acidity in case of gastritis (at low acidity values). Cosmetologists use a special substance – collagen, contained in silver carp meat; it is added to various rejuvenation and wrinkle smoothing products.

Cold smoking horse mackerel

Black Sea smoked mackerel is very tasty when cold processed. This method preserves the texture of the meat, and the small size of the fish makes it simple and relatively quick.

To do this, you will need a special smokehouse - with a separate compartment for wood chips and smoke. Making such a device yourself is very difficult. But you can buy it online in a store. The modern assortment is represented by a variety of small, medium and large-volume product models.

Traditional recipe

When preparing cold smoked horse mackerel, the main thing is to properly salt the fish. This process does not require any additional ingredients. You need to take at least 100 g of salt per 1 kg, the fish will not take excess. Further preparation looks like this:

Salting takes 1–2 days, after which the fish is thoroughly washed with cold water and dried for 3 days. It is most convenient to string the carcasses on a rope or skewers.
For smoking, the mackerel in the eye area is strung on long wooden skewers, as for kebabs. Large carcasses can be divided into 2 parts - with a weight of 1 kg.
Wood chips are placed in the smokehouse and a fire is built. Skewers with fish are hung on crossbars.
When white smoke appears, close the smokehouse and cook in several stages. The first day is 8 hours, then leave for a break. On the second day they smoke for another 8 hours.

Readiness is determined by its bright golden hue. If carcasses are larger than 300 g, then the smoking time is increased. Store cold smoked fish in the freezer.

Delicious recipe from a reader

You can prepare smoked horse mackerel with spices. The delicate aroma will add an original taste to the dish.

Ingredients

The dry ingredients are mixed and rubbed onto the horse mackerel. Salt for 8 hours in the cold. From time to time, excess liquid is drained. Before smoking, each carcass is wiped with a paper towel, hung on a thread and aired for several hours.

Then the carcasses are hung directly on a thread or placed on a grate in a smokehouse, and a smoke generator is connected. The heat treatment temperature should be between 50–60 degrees. Smoking time – up to 2 hours. After cooking, the product is ventilated for another 12 hours.

Cold smoking

When cold smoking bream, it is important to maintain an accurate temperature of 25–27 °C and not allow it to increase. The best results are achieved when using factory units - with a smoke generator, hose and smoking compartment

A worthy alternative could be a stationary smokehouse, made by hand, taking into account the cooling of the smoke going to the food. However, making such a device is much more difficult than buying it.

When using the cold smoking method, the following subtleties must be taken into account:

do not interrupt the procedure during the first 6–8 hours of fish processing - constantly opening the lid will lead to the penetration of bacteria; monitor the condition of the wood chips - it should smolder slowly and not burn; strictly monitor the cooking time - no less than indicated in the recipe, this is important not only to destroy bacteria, but also to obtain the required taste qualities; ventilate in the fresh air at the end - this is how the ripening process of bream occurs.

Even for the first time, you can achieve perfectly cooked cold smoked bream, but you shouldn’t limit yourself to just one option.

Traditional way

Bream are small and large and are salted in different ways. The recipe uses 3 options for each size.

The traditional method of preparing bream requires a minimum set of spices used for dry salting: for 1–1.5 kg, take 2 cups of salt, a glass of sugar, 1 tsp. red pepper, coriander, allspice, cloves in inflorescences. The fish is salted for 2–3 hours. After this, the resulting liquid is drained and kept under pressure for another 5–6 hours. However, dry salting is suitable if the carcasses do not exceed a weight of 900 g.

For kilograms, it is better to use brine prepared from 1 cup of the salting mixture according to the recipe above and several bay leaves. The brine is boiled for 2–3 minutes, cooled and the fish is placed. The carcasses are salted for 8 hours. Fill them only with completely cooled brine.

The cooking technology looks like this:

Fresh or frozen fish, previously defrosted in the refrigerator, is cleaned of entrails and salted. Small carcasses up to 1 kg, previously frozen, do not need to be gutted.
If bream from 1 kg are used, they need to be flattened, cut along the ridge using kitchen scissors for gutting: lay them skin side up, make an incision along the ridge, remove it, take out the insides.
Clean the layer of remaining entrails and wipe with paper napkins. It is advisable not to wash the carcasses so that the fish does not absorb the liquid.
Along the back, in the direction from the ribs, shallow cuts are made to the bone every 1–1.5 cm.
The cut fish is salted with the same mixture, with the addition of 1 tbsp. l red hot pepper, 10 g paprika.
For convenience, use a baking sheet. Rub the bream on both sides and leave to salt for no more than 4 hours. Place the baking tray at a slight angle to allow liquid to drain.
The layers are not washed, just scrape off all the excess salting mixture with a spoon.
Small carcasses are washed after salting, but medium ones after brine are not. Wooden spacers are installed in the abdomen.
While the fish is being ventilated, add a mixture of apple and alder chips to the smoke generator, turn on the compressor, and set it on fire. Apple tree gives a delicious aroma, and alder gives a beautiful color.
Smoke, laid out on racks or hung on hooks, for 8 hours, not allowing the temperature to rise above 30 °C.

Ready smoked bream is aired for at least 1 day.

With liquid smoke

You can prepare cold smoked bream at home without using the following units:

The cleaned fish is placed in a container, sprinkled with salt, then a second layer is placed and also covered.
Pour a third of a glass of liquid smoke onto 1 kg of raw material.
The carcasses are turned over every 5–7 minutes for an hour.
Place in the refrigerator and leave for 2-3 days.
After the specified time, the carcasses are taken out, wiped with towels and hung out to air for 1 day.
After drying, place the bream in the oven, preheated to 40 ° C, for 1 hour.

The bream is not as tasty as in a real smokehouse, but without any extra effort and with a bright aroma.

In a convection oven

You can prepare smoked bream in an air fryer: for 1 fish, take 100 g of salt and a special seasoning for smoking. The process looks like this:

The carcass is cleaned, gutted, pickled or salted. You can use the simplest recipe with a minimum of additional spices.
Heat the grill to 65°C and set the speed to medium.
The fish is placed on the middle grill.
Cook in this way for at least 3 hours. Carcasses weighing over 2 kg require longer heat treatment (2 times longer).

After cooking, wrap the bream in foil and cool. If you increase the temperature to 140 ° C, you will get hot smoked fish, and the cooking time will be 50–60 minutes.

Storing smoked meats

There are several ways to preserve the taste and aroma of smoked char:

wrapped in parchment and cling film - in this form, hot-smoked fish can be stored for up to 4-5 days, and cold-smoked fish - no more than 2-3 weeks;
in a vacuum bag – the shelf life increases by 2 times;
freezing (if a lot of fish is cooked) - freshness will remain for 4-6 months.

You should not store smoked char on a plate without covering it with anything. This speeds up the spoilage process and changes the smell of other foods in the refrigerator.

Smoking char has no difficulties even for a novice gourmet. After all, fish carcasses are in most cases small in size and do not require complex cutting. At the same time, the result of both hot and cold smoking of char is a real delicacy!

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How to store smoked silver carp

Cold smoked silver carp can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days at an average temperature of +3 degrees C;
It is not recommended to store hot smoked fish under the same conditions for more than 3 days;
You can store fish in the freezer for up to three months, the duration depends on the level of negative temperatures;
if you are outside the civilizational infrastructure, wrap the fish in paper and place the package in the shade so that the product is well ventilated.

The first sign of loss of freshness in fish is the appearance of mucus and “flavor.” There is no need to try to return the product to its suitability, since poisons and toxins could have accumulated in it. If you have experience in smoking silver carp, or you know some unique secrets and rules, share your experience in the comments block.

Smoking silver carp is no more difficult than other fish.

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Technology for preparing hot smoked delicacies

Wood material is loaded into the bottom of the smoking chamber (preferably on foil or in an envelope). It must be one-size so that during smoldering the uniform heating of the smoking chamber is maintained and no open flames arise. If you do not adhere to this rule, the meat or fish will become covered with soot, which will spoil the taste of the finished dish. In addition, the products will not be able to smoke evenly.

Before loading raw materials, the smokehouse warms up for approximately 30 minutes. Next, grates are installed with laid out products (meat, lard, poultry, fish, cheese, vegetables or mushrooms). The second option involves hanging meat or fish carcasses on hooks. Portioned pieces should be placed or hung with a gap of 2 - 3 cm between them. Then the processing of products with smoke and heat will be uniform.

The smoking chamber is tightly sealed. The camera lid should fit very tightly. It is necessary that smoke does not leak out through it, and, accordingly, oxygen does not get inside. As is known, combustion is activated by oxygen supplied from outside. If its volume inside the smokehouse is minimal, then the risk of an open fire is eliminated. The starting point of the smoking process is the beginning of smoke formation from smoldering wood or coals.

When hot smoking, it is not recommended to remove the lid to check the readiness of the dish, thereby interrupting the process. But a beginner cannot do without violating the instructions. Therefore, when acquiring the skills of a smoker, it is worth laying in some raw materials and testing its readiness.

If the starting products are fatty, then under the influence of temperature the melted fat begins to flow to the bottom. To avoid contamination, wood chips/charcoal are poured onto a pre-spread sheet of aluminum foil. At the end of the process, the foil is thrown away, and a minimum of traces of greasy carbon and ash will remain in the smoking chamber.