How to smoke sturgeon in a hot or cold smoker

Sturgeon is a genus with almost two dozen species. However, it is customary for us to call all species found in the rivers of the Caspian, Azov and Black Sea basins this way. There is an Amur sturgeon, a small population of Siberian sturgeon is found in the Yenisei and Ob, and it is also found in North America.

The fish is very ancient and has a characteristic appearance - it is impossible to confuse it with other species. It is valued for its black caviar and its juicy and tasty meat. True, it is expensive, but I want to try the incomparable taste of smoked sturgeon again and again.

Health benefits and KBZHU of hot smoked sturgeon

Any smoked meats should be consumed in moderation. As for sturgeon, abuse of the delicacy is hardly possible unless you are an oligarch. And if you eat it in moderation, then, in addition to pleasure, it will also bring benefits to your body.

Long-term heat treatment during smoking is not as destructive as cooking over an open fire, therefore, in hot smoked sturgeon, beneficial microelements, vitamins and other substances necessary for the human body are preserved in almost unchanged volume. Let's look at the benefits of cold/hot smoked sturgeon:

sturgeon meat is rich in proteins;
source of vitamins A/D/E;
polyunsaturated fatty Omega-3 acids;
minerals.

The presence of omega-3 in sturgeon
In our country, this fish is deservedly called royal, and not only for its size (caught specimens are known to weigh almost a ton), but also for its excellent taste - in Russia it was a dish available only to very wealthy nobles.

Nutritional value of smoked sturgeon:

BJU component contained in 100 g of meat	Cold-smoked sturgeon	Sturgeon hot
Calorie content, kcal	195	240
Belki, Mr.	20,5	26,3
Fats, Mr.	12,4	16,5
Carbohydrates, g.	–	–

In some cases, eating smoked fish is undesirable. And we are not talking about supporters of dietary nutrition - smoked sturgeon is contraindicated for those suffering from gallbladder diseases, with systemic pathologies of the liver and kidneys.

Why sturgeon?

Our ancestors also liked sturgeon because it can undoubtedly be called a royal fish. She has a rather imposing appearance with an upturned, elongated nose and bony rows of tubercles on her back. In addition, white sturgeon meat is very nutritious and tasty in any form. Sturgeon is rich in amino acids, easily digestible fish oil, iodine and vitamins.

By the way, a kilogram of hot smoked sturgeon in Moscow costs on average three thousand rubles. While the price for a fresh carcass will be two times lower. Therefore, it is more advisable to smoke the fish yourself. Moreover, it is not difficult to do this at home. Even novice cooks can do the task.

Selection of sturgeon, preparation for smoking

Since commercial fishing of most sturgeon species is prohibited in our country, they are not so richly represented in retail. Considering the high cost of fish, it would be a shame to purchase a carcass that is not the freshest, but you can avoid such an incident if you adhere to the following recommendations:

when choosing frozen fish, always give preference to the whole carcass rather than portioned pieces;
The rule for sturgeon is: the larger the specimen, the tastier it will be;
if you come across chilled fish, smell it; there should not be a strong smell;
unlike most river fish, the sturgeon has gills that are not red, but dark in color;
choose a carcass without skin defects, which are a place for the rapid spread of bacteria;
if the fish is fresh, pressing on the flesh does not lead to its deformation - the dent will be restored in a matter of seconds;
If you come across sliced chilled sturgeon, check how tightly the skin adheres to the body. If it lags behind easily, you have a fish that is better not to buy;
You shouldn’t focus on the color of the meat - in different species it can be pink, gray, or even creamy;
Sturgeon steaks are often on sale. A small strip of fat present on them is normal; it is located directly under the skin. Pay attention to the abdomen - in a fresh specimen it is a uniform pink shade, without spots.

Appearance of fresh sturgeon

The deadline for selling fresh sturgeon is two weeks after receipt at the retail establishment. So if you want to make sure that the product is not stale, ask the seller/store manager for a quality certificate.

If there is the slightest suspicion that the fish is stale or has been subjected to numerous frosts, you should refuse to purchase it. The presence of an unpleasant odor, mucus, spots scattered on the skin, green gills or a pronounced yellow belly are all signs of spoiled fish.

And a little about cutting sturgeon. From a purely culinary point of view, it is better to cut off the head and tail, but since the king fish is very beautiful, serving the whole carcass will help decorate any holiday table. There is no need to remove the skin; this applies to any fish that is to be smoked - it will protect the meat from drying out, preventing juice from escaping. The only exception is when the sturgeon is cooked using liquid smoke, in which case no protection is needed and the skin can be removed. Note that this is not such a simple task. Our life hack will help you cope with it: throw the fish into a bowl of boiling water for a few minutes, then drain the boiling water and quickly pour cold water over the meat. This will help remove the skin quickly and easily.

Preparing sturgeon for smoking

Selection of fish and its preparation

Smoked sturgeon is a delicious dish that will delight your family and surprise your friends. To cook fish in any way, you need to choose the right product. Carcasses should be purchased chilled, because frozen ones are not suitable in this case. Fish can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two to three days.

When choosing any carcass, you need to pay attention to the eyes. If the pupil is normal and without clouding, then the fish is fresh. If you press on any side and the dent disappears, you can safely buy the sturgeon. The size of the carcasses is not important; both small and large individuals are suitable for smoking.

Sturgeon cutting

The fish is first cleaned, gutted, and the head and growths on the ridge are removed. Although the latter can be left - this way the product will look royal on the festive table. If the fish is very large, it should be cut into pieces up to 5 cm in thickness.

Marinating sturgeon

Dry smoking is a common salting method used after cutting fish, washing and drying it. The classic recipe is to rub each carcass inside and out using coarse salt. Proper salting also involves placing the grated fish in a bowl, at the bottom of which there is also a layer of salt, and adding another layer on top. Then the sturgeon is hermetically wrapped in cling film and placed in the refrigerator. The dry marinating time depends on the size of the carcass or portioned pieces and the taste preferences of the cook; for sturgeon of decent size, this is at least 3 days. Some people practice adding other components to salt - sugar, pepper, bay leaf (chopped).

Salting using the wet method is faster; with this method, it takes a day or two to keep the fish in brine.

Preparing marinade for sturgeon

Brine recipe (per liter of water):

6 tbsp. l. salts (fraction does not matter);
1-2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
no more than 15 black peppercorns;
6-8 bay leaves.

All of these ingredients are poured into a bowl of water and stirred until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. You can speed up the process without physical intervention by placing the brine on the stove, but after this procedure the liquid must be allowed to cool to room temperature. After this, pour the solution into a container with sturgeon and put it in the refrigerator.

And yet, a more popular way to pre-prepare fish for smoking is to use a marinade, for which many recipes have been invented. We bring to your attention the most interesting in gastronomic terms.

With dry wine diluted with soy sauce

Take the same amount of wine and sauce (100 ml each), add 6-10 peppercorns and 4-6 bay leaves, a little citric acid and a teaspoon of sugar. There is no need for salt as soy sauce contains it in sufficient quantity. Spice lovers can add some herbs, basil, thyme or rosemary.

The ingredients (except herbs) are thoroughly mixed, put on fire, brought to a boil, stirring, and cooled. Now you can add chopped herbs, although for a greater effect, transverse cuts are made on the carcasses and the fish is stuffed with herbs in this way.

All that remains is to fill the sturgeon with brine and keep it in the cold for 24 hours.

The main message of any marinade: smoked fish itself has a unique aroma and taste; all that is required of spices is to emphasize them, and not kill them. So you shouldn’t go overboard with additional ingredients.

With olive oil and honey

Ingredients for honey marinade
Per 150 ml. oil, take 50-75 g. honey, add 100 ml. lemon juice, always freshly squeezed, 1 tsp. salt, ground pepper to taste, a couple of cloves of garlic and a bunch of any herbs.

Beat all the ingredients in a blender, pour the brine over the fish and put it in the refrigerator for half a day.

With lime

In this recipe, the base for the brine will also be olive oil (150 ml). Other ingredients: 2 tbsp. l. salt, two medium-sized limes, 3-4 cloves of garlic, ground pepper to taste, some favorite herbs.

The garlic and herbs are crushed, the lime is cut into portions along with the peel, everything is sent to a blender, and beaten thoroughly. The fish is coated with the marinade and sent to “finish” in the refrigerator for 10 hours.

Making marinade with butter and lime

With cherry

For the liquid, take vegetable oil and soy sauce in equal proportions. The highlight will be dry cherries, you will need 80-100 g of them. Place all this in a blender bowl, add a teaspoon of salt and ground pepper, a couple of chopped garlic cloves, sesame seeds (2 tsp). Beat, pour into a bowl with sturgeon, marinate in a cool place for 12 hours.

Sturgeon in the smokehouse

For one kilogram of sturgeon you will need the following ingredients:

A tablespoon of salt.
Half a teaspoon of sugar.
Pepper and other spices to taste. It is important not to overdo it with spices, so as not to overshadow the delicate taste of hot smoked sturgeon.
100 grams of cognac (or dry white wine).

Place the prepared fish in a saucepan or deep bowl. Add salt, sugar, spices and mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate for about a day.

When the sturgeon is salted, pour it with alcohol. Refrigerate again for one or even two days. After this, remove excess salt from the fish and let it dry.

Place some wood chips on the bottom of the smokehouse, pre-soaked in water for about half an hour. Turn on the heat and once there is enough smoke in the smoker, it is recommended to set the temperature to 80 degrees. The sturgeon will be smoked for about two hours, but check the readiness from time to time so that the dish does not dry out. When you turn off the fire, do not remove the fish immediately. Let it simmer under the lid for about half an hour.

Hot smoking sturgeon

When the fish is marinated, it’s time to start smoking. To do this, you need a smokehouse, preferably factory-made (both higher quality and broader functionality), as well as suitable wood chips. Alder is considered ideal, which can be varied with fruit (no more than 30%). If there is no alder, aspen or linden provide a good aroma.

Basic requirements for a smokehouse:

the fish container must have a tight-fitting lid;
in the same compartment there should be fastenings for hanging fish on hooks or for a grid;
you need a lower compartment for wood chips.

Hot smoked sturgeon
If desired, you can assemble such a device yourself, ensuring its tightness. The advantage of factory smokehouses is that many models are equipped with a temperature sensor that allows you to control the smoking process.

Let's look at several popular ways to smoke sturgeon hot using a smokehouse.

Smoking sturgeon in a barrel with herbs

You can use any of the marinade recipes given or prepare it according to your own recipe. For this smoking method, we offer a brine based on olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper and chopped herbs - mix the mixture in a blender, cut the sturgeon carcass into steaks, so they marinate better, dip each piece in the brine and place in the refrigerator to steam hours.

Smoking sturgeon

While the sturgeon is marinating, soak the wood chips, remove them, and squeeze them out. We string the fish onto previously prepared hooks and send it to the smokehouse. When smoke begins to emit from the wood chips, time it for 50-60 minutes. Remove the smokehouse from the heat, let the fish brew for another 30 minutes, and cool. Bon appetit!

Grill smoking

A fairly common recipe for preparing hot smoked sturgeon using a grill instead of a professional smokehouse.

It is advisable to cook only fresh fish; carcasses with visible damage to the skin should not be used for smoking.

To obtain the best result, the carcasses are cleaned of skin and ribs, the tail is removed, gutted, and thoroughly washed in running water. Cut the fish into fillets, first dividing it into two halves, and then cutting each into pieces measuring 3-4 cm. Place everything in a deep bowl.

We prepare the marinade according to the following recipe (based on carcasses weighing 2 kg):

water – 2.0 l.;
salt – 250 g;
sugar – 80-100 g;
ground pepper – 1 tsp;
dry onion powder – 1 tsp.

The ingredients are thoroughly mixed until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved, pour the marinade over the fillet, and place in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours. If the pieces are not very thick (less than 3 cm), then the marinating time can be reduced to 8 hours, provided that the pieces are not laid too tightly, otherwise the slices will be soaked unevenly.

After salting, the sturgeon is thoroughly washed, dried with paper towels and the fillets are placed on waxed paper, skin side down, for final drying. A sign of readiness will be the appearance of a shiny shell (after about 1-2 hours). If you use a fan turned on at minimum speed, the drying process will speed up by about half.

Grilled sturgeon fillet

You can use coal as a fire source; for hot smoking, two dozen small briquettes will be enough. Soak the wood chips in water for 15-20 minutes. The best results will be obtained from alder, maple, any fruit tree, beech or oak - wood chips can be bought ready-made in the store.

After the coals have burned, they are evenly distributed so that they cover the entire barbecue area. If your grill has a vent system, adjust it to maintain the desired smoking temperature.

The grill and pieces are greased with vegetable oil, the squeezed wood chips are placed on the coals in an even layer. The grill grate should be located at a height of approximately 15 cm from the coals. The fillets are placed on the grill, skin side down, and the fish is covered.

Smoking should occur at a temperature of 80-85°C. You can control it, for example, with a stove thermometer. If the temperature drops, add coals (you should have a supply of them), if it rises, remove the excess. When checking the degree of readiness of the sturgeon, do not forget to moisten the fish with a wet paper towel when opening the lid. The smoking process can be considered complete when the fillet slices in the thickened part do not become soft, which is checked using a fork or knife with a thin blade.

Smoking at home in a cauldron

Here is another recipe for preparing smoked sturgeon using the hot method without using a smokehouse.

Smoking sturgeon in a cauldron

The marinade can be made as simple as possible: water, salt, sugar, a couple of bay leaves and a little salt. We put all this on the fire, bring to a boil, cool, pour in the sturgeon carcass, add lemon juice for piquancy, and put it in the refrigerator to marinate for 14 hours.

The smoking itself is carried out according to the following algorithm:

line the bottom of the cauldron with thick foil;
Place medium sized wood chips on top;
We place a grate on top of such a diameter that it is located at a height of 12-15 cm from the bottom of the cauldron;
remove the sturgeon from the refrigerator, rinse in running water, and dry with paper towels;
place the fish on the grill, close the cauldron with a lid and place on the stove;
The fire should be low, and how long to smoke depends on whether you are preparing a sturgeon carcass or portioned pieces. In the first case, cooking will take an hour, in the second - a little less;
You need to check the readiness after at least 45 minutes; if the delicacy is ready, take it out and cool it directly on the wire rack.

The finished dish will be an excellent appetizer served with vegetables.

Sturgeon cooked in the oven

If smoking sturgeon in a smokehouse is impossible due to the lack of one, you can cook delicious fish at home in a conventional oven.

Pieces of sturgeon are smoked in the oven

To prepare 2 kg. fish will need 2 full tbsp. l. salt, four times less sugar, 120 ml. cognac

After cutting and washing, the sturgeon carcass or slices are rubbed with a sugar-salt mixture, placed in an enamel bowl and marinated in the cold for 12-15 hours. Then add cognac and let it brew again in the refrigerator for about 6 hours, turning the slices every 45 minutes. The fish is dried; if the pieces are large, they are tied with twine.

Smoking algorithm: preheat the oven to 80°C, place the fish on the grill, switch the oven to convection mode and bake for 90-100 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 45 minutes. Remove the finished delicacy and cool for at least half an hour, without separating the pieces from the wire rack. And only after this we carefully separate it from the metal and remove the string. It is advisable to serve the dish freshly prepared.

Smoking sturgeon with liquid smoke

Recently, flavorings have come into fashion, with the help of which heat treatment of fish is carried out without the use of wood chips.

Smoking whole sturgeon in the oven

When using liquid smoke, it is better to smoke the whole sturgeon, having first gutted it without removing the head and tail. Marinating is necessary; the brine can be prepared from dry white wine (70-80 g), a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. The sturgeon is rubbed with salt and sugar, the salting time is 24 hours, and the carcass must be turned over periodically. After the juices begin to release from the carcass, add wine, as well as liquid smoke at the rate of a tablespoon of flavoring per kilogram of fish. Let the carcass stand for another 6 hours.

Smoking takes place in the oven at a temperature of 80°C. It is advisable to tie the carcass with threads so that it does not fall apart during cooking. Baking time is 60 minutes, after which the carcass is turned over and cooked for another 35-45 minutes.

Sturgeon in the oven

For one kilogram of sturgeon, prepare the following products:

A tablespoon with a good heap of salt.
Half a teaspoon of granulated sugar.
70 grams of cognac.

To prepare hot smoked sturgeon at home, start by cutting the fish. After that, rub it with salt, sugar and put it in a bowl. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least ten hours, or even better, for a day. Cooks recommend turning the fish over periodically (3-4 times).

When the fish is salted, you will see liquid released. It definitely needs to be drained. Now add cognac to the sturgeon and put it in the refrigerator again for six hours. Don't forget to turn it over!

Once the fish is marinated, place it on the grill. Let it sit for an hour to dry. At this stage, you can tie the carcass with threads so that it does not fall apart. But this is not at all necessary if the fish is dense enough.

Now you can go directly to hot smoking sturgeon. Preheat the oven to 80 degrees and turn on convection. Place the fish in the cupboard for about an hour. Turn the carcass over and leave for another forty minutes. Please note that the cooking time must be adjusted depending on the size of the sturgeon. Remove the rack from the oven and leave on the counter to cool completely.

Cold smoking sturgeon

Here is a classic recipe for how to smoke sturgeon using the cold smoking method.

Marinade ingredients (per 1 kg of fish):

110 g salt;
2 pcs. bay leaf;
1 tbsp. l. Sahara;
peppercorns to taste;
dry chopped herbs (dill, basil, about 1 tbsp.);
a pinch of coriander.

To prepare the marinade, bring 1 liter of water to a boil, pour in the prepared ingredients, cook for 5 minutes, cool the brine.

Cold smoked oster

Pour marinade over the sturgeon and place it in a cold place for several days, pressing the carcass under pressure. We wash the fish, dry it with paper towels and hang it in the fresh air for 10 hours. When the sturgeon has dried a little, you can start smoking:

We cover the bottom of the smoke generator with hardwood chips and put it on fire;
as soon as the wood chips begin to emit smoke, turn the fire to minimum;
put the prepared fish on the grill (or hang it on hooks, depending on the design of the smoking compartment), connect the smokehouse to the smoke generator;
smoking should take place at a temperature of 30°C, cooking time - at least two days;
When the sturgeon is smoked, disconnect the compartment from the smoke generator and let the fish cool, after which it is removed and hung for ventilation for 12 hours.

Cold-cooked sturgeon has a more pronounced aroma and the meat does not denature as much.

Useful properties of the product

Nutritionists consider sturgeon the best source of rare vitamins, amino acids and microelements. It has virtually no contraindications and is not an allergen. It is useful for pregnant women and children to eat.

Sturgeon has beneficial properties:

Improves brain function and cardiovascular system due to the content of saturated fatty acids.
Reduces blood cholesterol levels and stabilizes blood pressure.
Speeds up metabolism.
Promotes regeneration of skin, hair, nails.
Strengthens the body's immune defense mechanisms.
Relieves nervous tension.
Prevents the formation of cancer cells.
Positively affects the functioning of the liver and pancreas.
Improves the supply of protein and oxygen to muscles.

Cold smoked fish is 98% absorbed by the body

Cold smoked sturgeon prepared at home retains all the beneficial substances. The taste of this product is much better than seafood from stores.

Calorie content and nutritional value of cold smoked sturgeon

The product cannot be called dietary. It is very nutritious and quickly makes you feel full. Due to its high calorie content, cold smoked sturgeon is recommended to be consumed in small portions instead of the first or second course.

Energy value of the product – 194 kcal per 100 g

The composition of sturgeon (100 g) includes:

proteins – 20 g;
fats – 12.5 g;
saturated acids – 2.8 g;
ash – 9.9 g;
water - about 57 g.

The mineral composition is represented by the following elements:

sodium – 3474 mg;
potassium – 240 mg;
phosphorus – 181 mg;
fluoride – 430 mg;
zinc – 0.7 mg;
magnesium – 21 mg.

How to store

Smoked sturgeon spoils quickly, even in the refrigerator. For hot-smoked fish, the storage time is no more than 3 days, and the carcasses or fillets must be wrapped in parchment or food foil so that the aromatic meat is not saturated with the odors of other products.

Storing smoked sturgeon in airtight packaging

Cold-smoked fish can be stored for up to a week in exactly the same way. You can increase this period to 20 days for hot-smoked and 2 months for cold-smoked sturgeon by placing the smoked sturgeon in the freezer, always in an airtight container. If there is a “shock freezing” mode, use it. Remember that a thawed product will lose some of its original taste and aroma. You cannot defrost it in the microwave or using hot water - the fish will become completely tasteless. Place the fish in the refrigerator for several hours and finish defrosting at room temperature.

Cooking smoked sturgeon is a fascinating process, especially if you are preparing it for the first time. You can be sure that the reward will be appropriate - sturgeon prepared in this way will delight even the most fastidious gourmets. And what is good news is that smoking is possible even without special equipment. The main thing is to follow the recipe and smoking algorithm in everything, otherwise the result may not be too impressive.

How to smoke fish correctly

On the one hand, we looked at the cooking recipe, but on the other hand, the smoking process itself affects the final result. Hot smoked sturgeon requires a high smoke temperature. An important condition for success is maintaining the temperature within 80-100°C degrees. The smoking algorithm can be presented in the form of step-by-step instructions.

Light a fire and let the wood burn so that the temperature does not increase during smoking.
Place wood chips or sawdust on the bottom of the smokehouse. Fruit trees are used, but you can buy alder chips or some other hardwoods.
Install a tray to collect liquid.
Place the fish on sieves greased with vegetable oil.
Half an hour after smoke appears from a special hole, evaluate the readiness of the smoked sturgeon.
Allow the fish to cool to ambient temperature.

Cold smoked sturgeon is prepared in a completely different way. The whole peculiarity is that the smoke temperature does not exceed 27°C degrees, so smoking lasts for several hours. If the carcasses are large, this procedure may take several days.

First you need to set the correct temperature in the smoking box. If you don't have the proper experience, you'll have to practice a little. Exceeding the permissible value will result in the sturgeon being baked.
The intensity of firewood combustion is absolutely irrelevant. The main condition is continuous smoking for the first 6-8 hours. After this, you can take short breaks.
During the cooking process, the fish will begin to become covered with a golden coating. However, the degree of readiness will have to be assessed by taste.
After completing all procedures, the fish should be ventilated in the fresh air for several hours.

Residents of apartment buildings who do not have the opportunity to cook smoked meats outdoors can imitate this process. Baking fish in the oven will break down the fibers in the same way as hot smoke. The smell of smoke can be obtained from chemical solutions, such as “liquid smoke”. But it should be remembered that the resulting product will not have the same taste, and there is no need to talk about the benefits of chemistry.

Hot smoked sturgeon will not be stored for long. It will have to be consumed within a few days. The meat is soft and juicy, with a smoky aroma. The skin is easily separated from the carcass, so it is left until serving. Cold smoked fish has elastic meat in consistency. It retains many vitamins and nutrients. This product will be stored for several weeks, but you just need to observe the temperature regime.