Smoking Mackerel

Bigmuz7 · 03 August 2007, 18:47

Just done another load in the smoker, yum, I think its hickory dust I used ? Any one got any smoker type variations on the theme for the next batch that tastes good ?

codprawn · 03 August 2007, 18:50

Hemp?

Limey Linda · 03 August 2007, 20:17

Do you hot smoke or cold smoke? We love smoked fish.

Bigmuz7 · 03 August 2007, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

Do you hot smoke or cold smoke? We love smoked fish.

Hi Limey

I hot smoke them, its just an ABU stainless smoker, I can only get 6 or so fillets about 10" long at a time, I wondered about putting something else in the dust, or glazing the fillets before smoking with something ?

jwalker · 03 August 2007, 22:42

I've heard apple wood is good but I've no experience of it so I'll take no blame if it tastes shite.

Limey Linda · 03 August 2007, 23:30

Apple, alder, maple, cherry, oak are all good. Find your local furniture carpenter and get offcuts or saw dust. Soak in water before using. No resinous wood. One of the tricks is to let the prepared fish dry, covered with a towel, first. for an hour or so until a shiny coating appears. This is called a pelical. I have only tried hot smoking but want to try cold smoking as it preserves(cures) the fish much better, but takes two days.

Hightower · 04 August 2007, 02:59

So how would you go about making a DIY smoker then?

Does the smoke cook the fish or just dry and cure it?

Limey Linda · 04 August 2007, 03:29

Hot smoking, temp @ 150F. cooks. lasts 3 days in fridge
Cold smoking, Temp 90F cures. Lasts for months if sealed up and kept cool.
I have seen hot smoking done in a cardboard box with a small electric hot plate in the bottom, with a bowl of soaked wood chips on top. Fish was placed on those long kebab wooden scewers punched though the side of the box about half way up.
Throw the box away as it will stink.
My $50 smoker is about 30" tall and 15" in dia. charcoal fired and has two racks. Is great for pork chops/ ribs also.
If you like fish Google " Gravalax",or poor mans Lox, so easy to do with salmon and 1/5 of the price you pay for it in the supermarket. Cooks itself in the fridge. Serve with crackers, and cream cheese and thin sliced sweet onion. YUM.

BassBoy · 21 September 2007, 09:34

From memory, brining i.e. soaking the fish in heavily salted water overnight actually does the curing bit as it ctually changes the structure of proteins in the flesh. You can add all sorts to the brine like onion salt, sugar, herbs, whisky....anything you like pretty much. Subsequent smoking adds further preservative qualities and flavour.

I bought my Luhr Jensen smoker from Harris Angling (amazing site for all things fishy). They're a bit pricey but built for the job if you're keen. It came with really useful method and recipe book. ``````also available are bags of wood chip inc Mesquite, Hickory, Cherry, Apple,Alder etc (my favourite is half/half hickory/mesquite).

I think cold smoking is a bit of a black art and great care needed to avoid serious food poisoning! Temps don't get high enough to kill harmful bacteria. The booklet mentioned above will help.

I've also home smoked cheese, chillies(-brilliant paprika) pulses,tomatoes etc etc

Trouble is, all my fish end up costing about £50/lb due to running a large thirsty outboard!!!