Large batches of fish can be smoked, refrigerated and used in a variety of tasty recipes. Photo: Keith Sutton
Large batches of fish can be smoked, refrigerated and used in a variety of tasty recipes. Photo: Keith Sutton
Smoking is one of the oldest methods of preserving fish. Long before there were refrigerators and freezers, our fishing ancestors learned to use a combination of salt and smoke to keep fish from spoiling. Today, smoking is no longer necessary, but it remains a popular method of preparation to add flavor to fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, sturgeon and catfish.
In pre-refrigeration days, smoked fish were heavily cured and smoked fairly dry for storage at room temperature or in a cellar. Today’s cures are lighter, so most forms of fish smoked at home need to be refrigerated until use. You can freeze smoked fish for even longer storage.
Today’s cook has a variety of smokers from which to choose, and all can be used to prepare excellent smoked fish. Many cooks prefer inexpensive, vertical charcoal smokers such as Bass Pro Shops Smoke’n Grill Charcoal Smoker Grill. These utilize a water pan inside for moist cooking.
Smokers that run on propane are popular for use in fishing camps and at home. The Browning Smoke Vault Cooker, for example, has convenient snap ignition and features such as nickel-plated steel cooking racks, a cast-iron wood chip plate, built-in thermometer and stainless-steel door with overlapping edge to lock heat in.
Electric smokers are great for preparing delicious fish, too, and come in many varieties, from inexpensive basic models such as Brinkmann’s Gourmet Electric Smoker/Grill to high-tech products like Bradley’s 6-Rack Digital Electric Smoker with advanced digital circuitry that allows you to precisely control the time, temperature and smoke level for succulent results every time.
If you plan to cook for a crowd, and want to invest in a smoker that will last a lifetime, you also may want to consider some of the big fabricated-steel smokers on wheels such as those available from Horizon.
Fish smoking methods vary, but all are based on a few common principles. The following are very generic steps you can use to smoke your own fish. You may want to experiment a little with some different ingredients to create your own brine. Start with the basic brine solution listed under Step 1, then add what you like to it. Additions to try include lemon juice, garlic cloves, rum, soy sauce, onion salt, garlic powder or other ingredients whose taste you like.
Step 1
Place small pan-dressed (gutted, head removed) fish, fillets of fish or pieces of boneless fish with the skin left on one side, in this basic brine solution:
- 1/2 cup non-iodized salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 quart water
Stir the ingredients together until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Then place the fish in a bowl, completely cover the pieces with the brine solution and refrigerate. Fish pieces one inch or more thick should be in brine eight to 12 hours. For thinner pieces, six to eight hours is sufficient.
Step 2
Remove the fish from the brine, and rinse each piece under cold water. Gently pat dry with paper towels, and lay the pieces on a waxed paper to air dry for about one hour.
Step 3
Smoke the fish for two hours in a smoker heated to 200 degrees. Use your favorite wood chips or chunks when smoking. You can cut and dry your own wood or buy prepackaged materials like WW Wood Smoking Chips and Cooking Chunks or Jack Daniel’s Wood Smoking Chips. Experiment to find the taste you like most. Good woods for flavoring smoked fish include hickory, alder, apple and cherry. Add more wood chips during the smoking process if necessary, depending on how much smoke taste you want.
With some types of smokers, you also can add flavor using prepared smoker ingredients such as Jim Beam Smoking Bisquettes or Bradley Smoker Flavor Bisquettes.
