Smoked Fish
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:04 pm
OK I promised to post a recipe for smoked fish............
This brine works for just about any fish that can be smoked, but if you are truly hopeless as a cook you might as well just buy smoked fish and save yourself the aggravation, time, effort and expense.
BRINE:
all amounts extremely approximate since I do not measure anything, BUT it truly does not matter a whole lot.
4 litres cold water
1/2 cup salt, any kind at all, don't pay extra for kosher, it is just sodium cholride
2/3 cup white sugar, or brown sugar, or maple syrup, or molasses
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
some garlic powder, maybe 1/2 tsp, not too much
dash of Worcestershire sauce
anything else your little heart desires in the way of herbs and spices
Mix together the brine ingredients in a large steel or glass bowl. Do not use an aluminum bowl or you will poison yourself.
If you have skinned your fillets, at this point it is time to repent your sins and your penance is to drink the brine. All of it. Now go fry your fish.
BUT if you have left the skin ON the fillets you are good to go. You may put the whole fillets into the brine, SKIN side up, or you may cut the fillets into chunks and put them in the brine, SKIN side up. make sure all of the fillets are covered in the brine. If they are sticking up, put a plate or similar object into the bowl to keep them under the brine. Put the bowl into the fridge for an absolute minimum of four hours, 12 is better, 24 is about maximum.
Drain off the brine, and EITHER;
1. rinse the fillets with cold water; or
2. do not rinse the fillets with cold water.
The experts say to rinse. After hundreds of batches of smoked fish, I say do not rinse. (I have done it both ways.) Take your pick.
Lay the fillets out, skin side DOWN, on paper towels or newspaper/etc, for about an hour, or a lot less time if it is really hot (more than about 22 degrees C).
Then take the fillets and put them on oiled racks in your smoker, and follow the instructions for your smoker. EVERY smoker is different.
Enjoy!
Doug
This brine works for just about any fish that can be smoked, but if you are truly hopeless as a cook you might as well just buy smoked fish and save yourself the aggravation, time, effort and expense.
BRINE:
all amounts extremely approximate since I do not measure anything, BUT it truly does not matter a whole lot.
4 litres cold water
1/2 cup salt, any kind at all, don't pay extra for kosher, it is just sodium cholride
2/3 cup white sugar, or brown sugar, or maple syrup, or molasses
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
some garlic powder, maybe 1/2 tsp, not too much
dash of Worcestershire sauce
anything else your little heart desires in the way of herbs and spices
Mix together the brine ingredients in a large steel or glass bowl. Do not use an aluminum bowl or you will poison yourself.
If you have skinned your fillets, at this point it is time to repent your sins and your penance is to drink the brine. All of it. Now go fry your fish.
BUT if you have left the skin ON the fillets you are good to go. You may put the whole fillets into the brine, SKIN side up, or you may cut the fillets into chunks and put them in the brine, SKIN side up. make sure all of the fillets are covered in the brine. If they are sticking up, put a plate or similar object into the bowl to keep them under the brine. Put the bowl into the fridge for an absolute minimum of four hours, 12 is better, 24 is about maximum.
Drain off the brine, and EITHER;
1. rinse the fillets with cold water; or
2. do not rinse the fillets with cold water.
The experts say to rinse. After hundreds of batches of smoked fish, I say do not rinse. (I have done it both ways.) Take your pick.
Lay the fillets out, skin side DOWN, on paper towels or newspaper/etc, for about an hour, or a lot less time if it is really hot (more than about 22 degrees C).
Then take the fillets and put them on oiled racks in your smoker, and follow the instructions for your smoker. EVERY smoker is different.
Enjoy!
Doug