Marinade for fish for smoking: how to prepare and salt fish in brine

Salting methods

Before you start smoking, you should salt the fish.
Before you start smoking, you should salt the fish. You can use the simplest method of dry salting, as well as more complex ones. If everything is done correctly, the smoked meats will turn out tasty and aromatic.

Dry

The simplest salting recipe is based on careful processing of the product with salt. Do not assume that this will result in bad smoked meats. True connoisseurs of delicacies are confident that during cooking they need to use as few ingredients as possible in order to preserve the natural taste of the fish.

To salt fish, you should use coarse salt.

A small amount of black pepper and bay leaf are added to the curing mixture. These spices will not overwhelm the taste of the fish; they combine well and make the taste richer. The amount of salt used in each case is different. The main thing is that the carcasses are well treated with the mixture. Those types of fish that have fibrous meat are simply rubbed with salt. Fattier varieties must additionally be sprinkled with a salting mixture.

Salted fish should be kept in the refrigerator for some time. Those carcasses that have dry or fibrous meat are pressed down under pressure. Due to this, liquid will be released from the fibers, which will eventually mix with the dry marinade. The marinade that forms saturates the carcasses.

Wet

You can marinate fish before smoking using liquid brine.
In this case, the marinade can be prepared both in water and in vegetable oil. The water is heated to a certain temperature. After this, salt, spices and spices are added to it to taste. Salting with spices is usually used for marinating river fish, which consume seaweed as food. These types of fish have a very unpleasant smell of mud, so it must be eliminated before cooking. On average, you should use 50 grams of salt per liter of water. All other components of the marinade are added to taste. The carcasses are marinated so that they are completely covered with brine.

On sale you can find special seasonings that can be used for smoking fish. You can improve the taste of future delicacies with the help of coriander, thyme, and ginger. Additionally, you can use garlic or lemon juice. In cases where carcasses need to be prepared as quickly as possible, more aggressive substances are added that can break down the meat fibers in a short period of time. These include lemon juice, mustard and vinegar. But you shouldn’t use too much of them, as a large amount of these components will negatively affect the taste of the finished smoked meats.

Mixed

This type of salting involves the following steps. The prepared carcasses are thoroughly rubbed with the curing mixture and left for several days in a cool place in a container that will not oxidize. Then brine is added to the fish and it is gently pressed under pressure. Depending on the composition of the brine mixture and the size of the carcasses being pickled, mixed salting can have a different duration.

Sagging

It is advisable to use this salting method only for fairly fatty varieties of fish. The carcasses are first soaked in a saline solution for some time. Then they are hung in a vertical position on the rods. It is worth noting that the density of the brine can be checked using raw potatoes, which are thoroughly washed beforehand. If it floats, then the liquid contains a sufficient amount of salt.

Balykovy

Used for marinating carcasses weighing more than one kilogram. Carcasses prepared in advance are rubbed with a special curing mixture. After this, the fish is carefully wrapped in gauze or thick fabric. Next, the carcasses are wrapped with twine or strong kitchen thread.

The fish is marinated for a week in a cool place. At the same time, future smoked meats must be regularly checked and the liquid that forms during marinating must be drained.

The benefits and harms of hot smoked peled

Eating fish is very healthy, and especially peled or, as it is also called, cheese. After all, this is not only a very tasty, but also a very healthy fish. The trace elements it contains are important for the human body:

Magnesium. Fights nervous disorders and depression. Important for health and strengthening tooth enamel. Fights the development of cancer.
Chromium. Maintains normal blood sugar levels. Strengthens bones, reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Phosphorus. Important for mental and muscle activity, maintains normal bone condition.
Potassium. Participates in the process of supplying the brain with oxygen and maintaining water-salt balance.
Calcium. Provides strong bones and healthy teeth.

Peled fish

To get the maximum benefit, it is recommended to eat smoked peled once every 2 weeks, because it reduces the risk of developing cancer.

And although fish has a beneficial composition, its excessive consumption can lead to the development of negative reactions. Side effects of overeating include nausea, headache and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. A large amount of salt in smoked products can lead to high blood pressure, edema, and kidney problems.

With a relatively low calorie content, this tasty fish contains a lot of protein and fat.

Concrete and calorie content of peled:

Universal marinades

In order to prepare delicious delicacies, you can also use special marinades that are prepared according to a specific recipe. You can choose the most suitable option that will fully suit your taste preferences.

Classic marinade

The peculiarity of this recipe is the use of a fairly large amount of salt. To prepare the marinade, you should take the following components for 1 kilogram of fish.

A liter of clean filtered water;
A couple of bay leaves;
10 black peppercorns;
100-150 grams of table salt;
A few peas of allspice.

The water is brought to a boil. The remaining components are added to it and infused for at least 15 minutes. After this, the marinade is carefully filtered and left to cool completely. If desired, this marinade can be prepared without bay leaves and pepper.

Carcasses prepared in advance are placed in a container and filled with the mixture. Then they are additionally pressed down with oppression. The fish should be marinated in this way for ten hours in a cool place. If the carcasses are large enough or the fish has dry meat, then the duration of marinating can be increased to three days. The classic marinade recipe is suitable for both cold and hot smoked fish.

Preparing wood chips

The whole theory of preparing material for smoking is the result of many practical studies. This includes not only the choice of wood species, but also the method of processing it.

It turned out that chips chopped from hardwood are best suited. Sawdust is quite small, and there is little oxygen in it, and a phenomenon such as pyrolysis of toxic gases requires the presence of air.

In simple words, the use of sawdust is fraught with the release of heavy substances and carcinogens. The chips are cut into small pieces with edges ranging from 1 to 3 centimeters. Such a structure will smolder well, maintaining the desired temperature, and pre-soaking the wood chips in water will prevent it from igniting.

As for the type of wood, much depends on your own preference. But you cannot use coniferous trees, as they contain a lot of resins. For the same reason, it is not recommended to use birch chips, and any other wood must be freed from bark before sawing. You also need to pay attention to wormholes, fungi and knots. It is better not to take material with such “surprises”.

Cold smoked fish will have dark colors if the wood chips are wet. Dry material will give a golden color. The taste of the product depends on the material. Some types of wood require the addition of a flavoring agent. Apple, pear and cherry give an excellent “bouquet” of their own. Beech chips will have to be diluted at the end of smoking with juniper branches. The most popular material is considered to be alder chips, which give excellent results and are inexpensive.

For cold smoking

Fish that will be cooked using the cold smoking method can be marinated according to special recipes. In order for the smoked meats to be tasty and aromatic, you should strictly follow the recipe. Otherwise, the taste may not be at all what it should be.

Dry pickling

This option of salting fish for smoking is considered the simplest option.
Salt is applied very carefully. It should be rubbed into the carcass both outside and inside. Particular attention should be paid to the spine area. If the carcasses will be salted together with the scales, then the salt must be rubbed against the scales. Next, the prepared fish is placed in a special container. Each layer is additionally sprinkled with salt. Small fish is poured, for example, onto the table and thoroughly mixed with plenty of salt. Then it is laid out in a container and sprinkled with more salt. This method is suitable for salting those products that will ripen over time and become quite tender and aromatic.

If the raw material will be smoked soon, then the salted fish should be kept for several hours in the refrigerator under pressure. Fatty and large carcasses need to be salted for quite a long time. If we talk about the amount of salt, then on average you need to use a tablespoon per kilogram of fish.

In brine

To prepare the brine, take 90 grams of salt and 30 grams of sugar per liter of clean water.
This amount of marinade is enough for a kilogram of fish. Next, the water is brought to a boil and mixed with salt and sugar. When the marinade has cooled to room temperature, they need to pour the carcasses laid out in the container. They are pressed down from above, carefully closed with a lid and sent to a cold place. Carcasses need to be marinated from several hours to several weeks. The duration of marinating will depend on the size of the carcasses and their degree of fat content.

Marinade with soy sauce and mustard

To prepare this marinade, you need to prepare the following components.

0.5 liters of water.
50 grams of Dijon mustard;
10 grams of “Provencal herbs”;
A couple of cloves of garlic;
40 grams of wine vinegar and granulated sugar;
50 ml soy sauce.

Water is brought to a boil, mixed with salt and sugar. After the mixture has cooled to room temperature, all other components are added. Everything is thoroughly mixed. The resulting marinade is poured over the prepared carcasses and left to marinate for 10 hours.

Spicy marinade

Smoked meats prepared using this marinade are very aromatic and have an incredibly delicate taste.
To prepare, take a liter of water and two tablespoons of salt. Half a lemon and an orange, a medium-sized onion, a couple of bay leaves, 10 grams of a mixture of sage, thyme and rosemary, a teaspoon of sugar and five grams of ground pepper. Lemon, orange and onion are cut into large pieces.
Next, the water is brought to a boil and mixed with salt and sugar. After this, all other components are added and boiled for 10 minutes. Leave the marinade for at least 15 minutes. Then the resulting mixture is carefully filtered and left to cool to room temperature. The carcasses are poured with a spicy marinade and left to marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

For hot smoking fish

To prepare smoked meats using hot smoke treatment, you can use recipes for other marinades.

The finished delicacies are very tasty and aromatic. No one can resist this dish.

Marinade with soy sauce and white wine

Due to a fairly large number of different spices in the recipe, the finished smoked meats will be very aromatic. To make the meat more tender, add a small amount of lemon juice and white wine to the marinade. For a liter of clean water, you need to prepare the following ingredients.

50 grams of salt and brown sugar;
100 ml dry white wine;
80 ml lemon juice;
50 ml soy sauce;
Ground pepper, coriander and basil;
A few cloves of garlic.

Water is brought to a boil and mixed with salt and sugar. After the mixture has cooled completely, add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. The fish is poured with the resulting marinade and left to infuse in the refrigerator for at least 10 hours.

Spicy marinade with honey

During smoking, honey allows the fish to form a very beautiful and tasty crust. At the same time, the pulp has a slightly sweet taste. To prepare the marinade you will need the following ingredients.

100 ml lemon juice;
200 ml olive oil;
A teaspoon of salt;
100 ml natural liquid honey;
A few cloves of garlic;
Some fresh herbs;
Favorite seasonings and ground black pepper to taste.

Olive oil must be mixed with the remaining ingredients and pour the resulting mixture over the prepared carcasses. The fish should marinate for 6 hours in the refrigerator.

Marinade with red wine and cloves

To prepare a fairly tasty and original marinade, you need to take 250 ml of semi-sweet red wine, 10 grams of ginger root, a sprig of rosemary, several clove flowers, a tablespoon of salt and half a liter of water.

Water is brought to a boil and mixed with salt and cloves. Cook the mixture for no longer than five minutes over low heat. When the almost finished marinade has cooled completely, add all the other ingredients and infuse for 15 minutes. Then the resulting mixture is poured over the prepared carcasses and left to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Depending on the weight and degree of fat content of semi-finished products, the marinating time can be increased to 10 hours.

Kefir marinade

This marinade will give the finished smoked meats a pleasant minty flavor. The fish will be very juicy and soft due to the fact that kefir is present in the recipe. For a glass of kefir you need to take the following components.

50 ml vegetable oil;
A tablespoon of salt;
A teaspoon of brown sugar;
A few cloves of garlic and mint sprigs;
Ground black pepper to taste.

Kefir is mixed with all prepared ingredients. The finished marinade is poured over semi-finished products and left in a cold place for six hours.

Marinade with citrus fruits

The marinade is very popular, because due to the use of citrus fruits, finished smoked meats acquire a completely different taste and rich aroma. For preparation you will need the following components.

1 orange, lime, grapefruit and lemon.
A tablespoon of salt.
A teaspoon of sugar.
2 grams each of sage, thyme, cinnamon, rosemary and basil.
A little cilantro and ground black pepper.
Medium sized bulb.

The water is brought to a boil and mixed in turn with all the ingredients. The marinade is cooked for no more than three minutes and then left to cool.

Prepared carcasses are poured with the resulting citrus marinade and marinated for at least 6 hours.

Pickling Tips

In order to properly marinate semi-finished products for further smoking, you need to listen to some simple recommendations.

The marinade should always completely cover the fish and even be a little higher, so that during absorption the upper carcasses are well marinated
When semi-finished products are marinated, they need to be turned over from time to time. Due to this, they will be soaked evenly and better.
Future smoked meats need to be marinated for at least three hours.
Before smoking, the carcasses must be dried and slightly dried.
You can add your favorite spices to the marinade or remove those you don’t like from the recipe.

In order for smoked meats to be tasty, it is very important to properly marinate the fish. Otherwise, the delicacy will have an insufficiently rich taste.

Preparing fish for marinating

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.

Per 100 g of product:
Squirrels	20 g
Fats	14.78 g
Carbohydrates	0 g
Calorie content	189.17 kcal