The carp family, represented by crucian carp, is one of the most popular types of fish caught in Russia and neighboring countries. Their meat is tasty, moderately fatty, and carcasses can reach a length of 50 cm, although less well-fed representatives are more common. Crucians have a lot of bones, but they can be smoked if you want to cook a fresh catch or recently purchased fish in a special way. And if you use the right recipes, the taste will be excellent!
Composition, calorie content and beneficial properties
Crucian carp have moderately fatty white meat with a high protein content. Raw fish contains only 88 kcal, a full range of vitamins and minerals, including phosphorus, potassium, calcium, fluorine, and saturated fatty acids. Just 300 g of crucian carp contains the full daily protein requirement for an adult.
But this fish also has other benefits:
- protein is easily digestible and does not burden the gastrointestinal tract;
- meat normalizes metabolism and intestinal motility;
- the product improves bone tissue regeneration;
- high fluorine and phosphorus content has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system;
- Iodine normalizes the functioning of the thyroid gland and increases the content of thyroid hormones in the body.
The fish contains chromium, and therefore crucian carp dishes are useful for people with diabetes. The product reduces glucose levels and increases tissue sensitivity to insulin. However, we must not forget that smoked foods for diabetes require severe restrictions.
| Calorie content and nutritional value of smoked crucian carp per 100 g | ||
| Parameter | H/c | H/c |
| Calories | 93 kcal | 139 kcal |
| Squirrels | 19 g | 28 g |
| Fats | 2 g | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g | 0 g |
What method do you use to smoke crucian carp?
HotCold
Smoked meats cause a lot of controversy among doctors. On the one hand, their harm cannot be compared with trans fats or fatty pork, but on the other hand, abuse can cause a serious blow to the body.
The note
Vladimir Kuznetsov
Professional smoker
To avoid unpleasant consequences from eating smoked fish, thoroughly soak the crucian carp after prolonged salting. Leave the scales on and release the first smoke to reduce carcinogen levels.
But even moderate consumption of smoked fish is not recommended for people with such serious diseases as liver, kidney and heart failure, chronic kidney and liver pathologies, and metabolic problems.
The harm may also be hidden in another way - in the parasites that live in river fish. To reduce risks, it is recommended to always salt crucian carp before smoking for at least 2 hours for hot-smoked and 12 hours for cold-smoked.
Secrets of hot smoking
In order to smoke crucian carp at high temperatures, a minimum of practical skills is required. All recipes are developed through trial and error. In different interpretations you can find dozens of names of dishes, the principle of preparation of which boils down to some standard manipulations.
Before you decide to smoke crucian carp in a smokehouse, you need to evaluate your capabilities (not in terms of experience, but in terms of the availability of ingredients). The list of everything you need should be in front of your eyes.
- First of all, it is the fish itself. There is no need to talk about such a component.
- Coarse salt. Coarse grinding is a must. Experts say that the effectiveness of salting with fine salt is much lower. You will need about 100 grams of salt.
- Ground pepper may be needed as an additional seasoning. This ingredient does not affect the readiness of the dish, so it can be added as desired.
As can be seen from the list, the auxiliary ingredients do not add calories to the product, which means that the dish will attract the attention of lovers of various diets. Every novice cook dreams of making his creation tasty and healthy. In the case of products smoked outdoors, there will always be a positive result.
You need to start cutting up carcasses by removing the entrails. Be sure to leave the scales behind. It will play the role of a protective shell in the smokehouse and will not allow the fish to fall apart. As the meat cooks, it releases liquid. The skin and scales hold it in place, making the meat more juicy and tender.
Some experienced summer residents claim that the insides make the meat more juicy. However, practice shows that if the carcass is hung, the belly may rupture and the fish will jump off the hook.
The finished carcass is washed in running water, and then placed in rows in a vessel so that the remaining liquid flows out of the cavity. Rub the outside of the carcass, as well as the walls of the cavity, with a mixture of salt and pepper. There is a big debate among amateurs regarding the amount of salt. One recipe states that the mass of salt is measured in grams, while another recipe states that the mass is measured in hundreds of grams. It turns out that there is no need to skimp on salt, and fish meat will absorb only a certain amount, which will not be superfluous. There is no danger of over-salting.
How to choose fish for smoking
Delicious smoked crucian carp is obtained only from properly selected fish, ideally from fresh fish. But you can also use the frozen version. In this case, carcasses must meet certain freshness parameters, and crucian carp should be chosen of the same size:
- whether it is chilled or defrosted fish, it should not have a strong unpleasant odor;
- a fresh product has shiny scales, no mucus on top, clear eyes;
- if there are bruises, tears in the flesh, and the meat itself is loose, the fibers diverge, this indicates freezing of a spoiled product or repeated defrosting.
There are no more tricks in choosing crucian carp for smoking. But the further stages of preparation are the basis for obtaining a tasty product with the right texture.
Cooking methods
Smoking of crucian carp is carried out using a cold or hot method.
Smoked products prepared using different methods differ in taste. A smokehouse built at home or purchased in stores can be used for cooking. The main thing is to strictly follow the cooking technology to achieve an ideal result.
Cold smoking
Cold smoked crucian carp has elastic, slightly dry meat that fits tightly to the bone.
This is an excellent snack for beer, which, moreover, thanks to a special preparation technology, can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time. Salted and dried fish must be placed in a smokehouse. The principle of placing crucian carp in a smokehouse depends on the size of the carcasses. It is better to place small fish on grids; large fish can be hung. The fire source must be at least a meter away from the smokehouse so that the smoke has time to cool. The optimal cooking temperature is 30°C.
Secrets of cold smoking
To make cold-smoked crucian carp tasty and aromatic, it is necessary to maintain a stable temperature. This condition is necessary for high-quality processing, which helps preserve juices in meat, remove harmful microorganisms, and preserve beneficial micro, macroelements and vitamins. Since the cooking process is long, it is better to salt and dry the fish longer. Excessive moisture and insufficient salting will lead to damage to the crucian carp during smoking.
Cutting methods
There are several ways to prepare crucian carp:
- Along the belly
. An incision is made under the head, right behind the gills, then the belly is ripped open, but not deeply. The gills and organs are removed, then the black films are cleaned out. - "Butterfly"
. An incision is made along the back, opened, and the entrails and gills are removed. Unroll the fish, forming a layer. - From the lower fin
. The carcass is cut starting from the lower fin, right under the tail, leading to the upper edge of the back. Parts of the giblets are removed from the back, and the bellies are thoroughly cleaned by cutting off the head.
For hot-smoked and cold-smoked, you can use any of the cutting methods.
Simple salting methods
Traditional methods of salting crucian carp are dry and wet, or brine. They are prepared like this:
Dry
. Take medium or coarse salt and rub thoroughly in the belly and outside. You can add a little sugar, coriander, pepper and other spices to the mixture to taste.
Brine
. For 1 kg of fish, prepare a mixture of 2 liters of water mixed with 300 g of salt, 4-5 bay leaves, and several black peppercorns. Pour completely cooled brine over the fish for 20 hours.
You can use other options for brines and marinades described in the recipes.
About salting fish
At this stage, rub the gills, as well as the inside and outside, using salt and pepper. Before smoking crucian carp, they are placed in a saline solution. To prepare it you will need 6 tablespoons of salt per 3 liters of water. The container is left for a couple of hours in a cool place. According to experts, this time is enough for the fish to soak in salt. Then the crucian carp are removed from the container and washed in running water. The main thing is to wash off all excess salt from them. Afterwards the fish should dry out slightly. To do this, hang it in the fresh air, after covering it with gauze. If you don’t do this, then most likely flies will stick tightly around your workpiece. In an hour the crucian carp will be ready to be removed.
Cold smoking crucian carp
Crucian carp is also tasty when cold smoked. You just need to be patient and prepare for long-term processing of products. And also choose a suitable smokehouse - with a smoke generator, capable of strictly maintaining a low temperature.
Traditional recipe
The crucian carp is washed and gutted in the traditional way along the belly. Then they are salted dry or wet. The simplest method for preparing cold-smoked crucian carp is dry salting. The fish is placed in a container, thoroughly salted and rubbed on the belly and back. Cover with a lid or plate on top. Place in the cold for 2.5 days. Every day, the carcasses are carefully turned over, lifting the bottom ones up and lowering the top ones down.
Then they begin to prepare for smoking:
- The crucian carp is thoroughly washed inside and out to remove excess salt.
- Soak the carcasses for another 6–7 hours, periodically changing the water.
- An important stage is the process of drying crucian carp. They are hung on hooks or fishing line so that the carcasses do not touch. Spacers are inserted into the abdomen. Dry the crucian carp in a ventilated area for at least 12 hours. Ideally, a day with sufficient heat and wind.
- Properly cured crucian carp become dense and completely dry. Now they can be smoked. They assemble the smokehouse and connect the smoke generator. You can use alder chips.
- Cook crucian carp at temperatures up to 35 degrees for 6–7 hours.
After cooking, the fish is ventilated for several hours and allowed to rest. It is best to consume the delicacy 2-3 days after preparation.
Second recipe (3 salting methods)
For each cutting method, you can use the original method of salting during cold smoking:
- Baliks, or backs
. Cut fish from tail to ridge is salted as follows: 200 g of salt, pour 1.5 liters of water, add 70 g of sugar. Add peppercorns, a few bay leaves, and a little coriander. Boil for 15 minutes, cool and pour over the bellies. - Salting butterflies
. Prepare a mixture of 2 tbsp. coarse salt, 5 g ground paprika, 5 g chili, 5 g coriander and 5 g ground black pepper. Pour over layers of fish and sprinkle a little on top. - Salting bellies
. Pour 500 ml of soy sauce into a stainless steel bowl, add the zest of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp. l. spicy mustard paste, 1 tbsp. l. honey, 1 tsp. chopped coriander.
For cold smoking you need to salt for at least 24 hours. If you have little experience in smoking, then the best choice is a concentrated salt solution. It is impossible to keep fish in it.
Smoked in a unit with a smoke generator. The first stage is 6 hours of intensive smoking at temperatures up to 35 degrees. Then it is left in the smokehouse overnight.
With liquid smoke
You can prepare cold smoked crucian carp at home using the following recipe.
Ingredients! For 1 kg you will need 25 g of salt, 5 g of sugar and the juice of 0.5–1 lemon. They also season the dish with liquid smoke and pepper, and take 1 liter of water to prepare the brine.
Step-by-step technique for preparing the recipe:
- The carcasses are gutted and cut up in a convenient way.
- Rub inside and outside with salt and pepper mixed with sugar, sprinkle with lemon juice on top.
- Place in a bag in the cold for a day.
- Liquid smoke is diluted with water 1 to 10, and the carcasses, washed from salt, are poured in for 5 seconds.
- Then the fish is dried and placed on baking sheets greased with vegetable oil.
- Cook for 30 minutes in the oven at 190 degrees.
The aroma of the dish completely replicates the smell of smoked meats, although they are slightly inferior in taste to crucian carp smoked on wood chips.
Hot smoked crucian carp
The ingredients we will need are freshly caught crucian carp (the amount of fish depends on the capacity of your smokehouse), add salt and pepper to taste. The cooking process is quite simple. There are several options for preparing fish for smoking.
Preliminary stage
The crucian carp must be rubbed with pepper and salt; you can also take your favorite seasoning or a special mixture for smoking. Rub the fish on top and cover the gills, transfer to a deep plate, which we also lightly sprinkle with salt. Place in the refrigerator for an hour and a half under pressure. During this time, the salt and pepper will be absorbed into the fish. Next, we rinse the fish from excess salt, hang it in a ventilated place for another 20–30 minutes, wait until the water drains and the crucian carp dry out a little on top.
Preparing the smokehouse
The process of preparing the device is also simple. You can cook it over a fire or coals - everyone has their own preferences. We monitor the cleanliness of the grate and the entire smokehouse: there should be no rust on them. You can use any sawdust, but it is better to give preference to fruit trees, for example, cherry or apple trees. Try to add some branches and sawdust, as the resins contained in wood are harmful to the body. It is enough to throw them a little at the bottom of the smokehouse itself. The next step is to install the grill and place the fish on it.
The actual cooking itself
We place the smokehouse on the fire or coals and leave it for 20 or 40 minutes. The length of the smoking process depends on the size of the fish. There is no need to turn it over, and there is no need to constantly touch it. When approximately 30 minutes have passed, allow both the fish and the smoker to cool slightly. Then the fish should not tear much when removed, because during the smoking process it sticks to the grate. The hot smoked crucian carp is ready - you can serve it to the table.
