Smoking is one of the most delicious and popular ways of cooking fish. The benefits of smoked meats from store shelves are a big question, but smoking in home smokehouses is another matter. Even if you don’t have the skills, you can cook fish yourself, so if you decide to get down to business, it’s important to take a responsible approach to choosing a product and follow the processing technology.
How long does smoked fish last?
Smoking is not only a way to give fish a characteristic taste and aroma, but also to preserve the product for some time. At the same time, the shelf life is directly affected by the method of preparation, packaging, conditions (humidity, temperature, air access) and the type of smoked fish.
Thus, the cold method produces a shelf-stable product, since it is well saturated with smoke and salt. You can store it for up to 10 days in the refrigerator, but certain types of fish spoil earlier and with careful processing, for example, mackerel, horse mackerel. Low temperature conditions and vacuum packaging facilitate long-term storage of up to 30 days, and at -18ﹾC fish can be stored for 60 days.
A product prepared by hot smoking is perishable and can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2-3 days; for a frozen product, the period increases to a month.
The hot smoking process – from salting to the finished product
Cooking hot smoked dishes includes several sequential steps:
- selection of raw products/semi-finished products;
- pre-salting – dry or wet;
- preparation of smoke chips, sawdust, shavings, logs, fruit branches, spices, herbs and other natural flavors;
- maintaining temperature and humidity conditions in the smoking chamber;
- smoking time delay;
- drying the finished smoked product before use.
What products are suitable for hot smoking?
For hot smoking, you can take both raw products and pre-cooked semi-finished products. This method can be used to smoke any fish, meat, game, lard, homemade sausages, poultry and vegetables.
The range of prepared delicacies depends entirely on the gastronomic preferences of the smoker. Fish is smoked whole carcasses, meat is divided into pieces, game and poultry are cooked whole, half carcasses or portions.
Preliminary preparation (salting) of raw materials
Before smoking, the products are washed, cut into portions and salted for some time. Salting is done so that the salt concentration in the smoked raw materials does not exceed 1.8 - 2.0%. Salting is done either with dry salt or brine. The amount of salt is taken in proportion to the weight of the raw product.
In dry salting, the washed products are rubbed outside and inside with salt (nitrite) and placed in layers in a metal container. Each layer is also sprinkled with salt.
Wet salting consists of placing prepared products in a salt solution (10 - 15% depending on the weight of the raw materials).
For hot smoking, products can be salted for a short time - 2 - 3 hours, after which they are dried a little before being placed in the smokehouse.
Preparation of wood chips and aromatic additives (spices, herbs)
Smoking chips are the best wood material for smoking. You can also use large shavings and wet sawdust, which create good smoke emission. Wood should be only deciduous and fruit species. Coniferous wood is not suitable for smoking due to the large amount of resins.
To give the future hot-smoked dish a special aroma, you can finely chop branches of fruit trees, grapevines, and also add juniper berries, herbs, and spices. Each recipe requires an individual set of spices and natural flavors, which the smoker must prepare in advance.
The amount of wood material for hot smoking is taken at the rate of 1 - 2 handfuls of wood chips (shavings or sawdust), regardless of the volume of the smokehouse. The approximate volume of a handful is a pile of wood chips in the palm of an adult.
It should be remembered that you should not take too much wood material. Otherwise, the finished dish will acquire a bitter, smoked taste. It is recommended to place the smoke chips in an envelope made of aluminum foil. Then, during smoking, molten fat will not fall on the smoldering combustion products, which adds a specific smell to smoked meats. In addition, at the end of the process, you won’t have to spend a long time cleaning the smoking chamber from carbon deposits.
The wood chips are ignited after loading the food into the smokehouse. This is done either by building a fire under the smoking chamber, or by using a stand placed over smoldering wood material.
Temperature conditions and smoking time
Hot smoking is carried out in a clearly defined temperature range - from 80 to 120˚С. This heat treatment of raw materials predetermines a short cooking time for smoked meats - from 40 minutes to 2 - 3 hours.
If the smoking chamber is high enough, the temperature inside will fluctuate - from a maximum at the bottom, where the raw materials are placed, to a minimum under the lid. Smoking experts note that a temperature difference inside smokehouses of up to 10˚C is absolutely acceptable. It does not have a negative effect on ready-made dishes.
To ensure that hot-smoked delicacies turn out to be of high quality and tasty, you need to constantly maintain the temperature in the smoking chamber in the specified mode. The smoker will need to constantly monitor the evenness of the fire.
To adjust the temperature, you need to increase/decrease the smoldering of the wood chips. Reduce the temperature by adding wet sawdust, removing excess smoldering wood chips or coals. To increase heat, wood material is added to the firebox.
Determining the temperature inside the smoking chamber is very simple. It is enough to drop water on the lid and make sure that evaporation occurs without boiling (hissing). This will tell you that the process is proceeding at the right temperature, and future delicacies will not be cooked in the smokehouse.
It is important to know! If the smoking temperature is less than 80˚C, then a number of necessary processes will not occur - protein denaturation, the release of juice and fat, the formation of smoky particles inside the pulp of the product.
For each type of product smoked in this way, individual time and temperature limits are provided. The hot cooking time depends on the volume and weight of the food, its type and the size of the smoking chamber. On average, a whole chicken is cooked in an hour, medium-sized fish - 30 - 40 minutes, deli meats, brisket and lard - from 1.5 to 3 hours. See the table below for details.
The best types of fish for smoking
Almost any fish, both sea and freshwater, can be smoked, and the final result will be significantly affected by the fat content of the product, the structure of the pulp, the elasticity of the skin, as well as the dimensions of the carcasses. Smoking methods are fundamentally different, which also needs to be taken into account when deciding which fish would be best to smoke.
For cold smoking
You can choose river or sea fish; it is better if it is fattier, then the flesh will be more tender. The processing process takes a lot of time from several hours to 5 days. The larger the carcasses, the longer they will be smoked, so it is advisable to choose small or medium-sized fish, and chop large ones.
Sea creatures are best suited for cold smoking; the most popular are salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, salmon, mackerel, herring, and mullet, although with the right approach to smoking, river species also work well.
For hot smoking
For hot cooking, fatty fish with a thick skin that does not allow the carcass to fall apart is well suited (during the processing process, the meat becomes looser, and the skin holds its shape). The carcass inevitably loses fat during smoking, so fatty varieties will be more juicy. Bream, ide, asp, burbot, perch, and pike perch are good fish. For the hot cooking method, not only river fish, but also sea fish are suitable; mackerel, which is characterized by sufficient fat content, is ideal in this regard.
Regardless of the method used, it is best to choose fresh fish. In the absence of this, a chilled or frozen product is also suitable, but it is important to determine the quality and freshness of the carcasses. You need to pay attention to the smell, appearance and evaluate the condition of the fish, and then purchase or refrain from purchasing.
The fish should defrost naturally; you should not resort to using a microwave or other methods of accelerated defrosting, since these actions will negatively affect the structure of the fibers, and subsequently the smoking result.
You can smoke carcasses correctly by choosing fish of the same type and size. Only then can you count on uniform salting and smoking.
What temperature is needed for different types of fish?
Although there are specific limits for high-temperature processing, the temperature regime depends on the type of raw material used.
The table will help you determine at what temperature to smoke hot smoked fish. It specifies the parameters for pre-drying and further hot smoking of fish.
| Type of fish | Drying | We smoke |
| Cod | 30-40 minutes at t 80-90°C | 1.5-2 hours at t 100-120°C |
| Bream, carp | 30-35 minutes at t 60-70°C | 1 hour at t 90-100°C |
| Perch | 30-35 minutes at t 80-90°C | 1-1.5 hours at t 100-110°C |
| Salaka | 15-20 minutes at t 60-70°C | 30-40 minutes at t 90-100°C |
| Stellate sturgeon | 30-35 minutes at t 70-90°C | 1-1.5 hours at t 100-120°C |
The parameters are indicated for large individuals. Smaller carcasses require less time. The temperature regime is maintained. You should also adjust the cooking time depending on the fat content, as fatty varieties require more time.
Preparing fish for smoking
Preparatory work includes several stages, and the next important step will be the mandatory pre-processing of the product. So, before the smoking procedure, you will need to cut and salt the fish.
Cleaning and cutting fish
Preparing fish for hot and cold smoking differs insignificantly. So, the first thing you need to do is sort the product by size, clean and gut it.
It is enough to wash small fish well, there is no need to gut it, medium-sized carcasses are freed from the entrails and gills, the head can be left, large fish are gutted and decapitated. Large carcasses are rarely smoked whole; they are usually prepared for cutting - they are cut crosswise into steaks or along the backbone to obtain fillets.
If you plan to cook whole carcasses, leave the scales. It will serve as a barrier that will prevent fat from leaking out, retain its shape and protect against the penetration of carcinogens contained in smoke. The result is a tasty, juicy and healthy fish.
Gutting is done to avoid the bitter taste of smoked fish. After cleaning, the carcass is washed and dried with napkins.
Pickling
The next stage of preparation involves salting. Salting fish before smoking most often means generously rubbing it with coarse salt on all sides, including the inside. You can add pepper, bay leaf and other spices to the salt as desired.
When the carcass has been thoroughly salted, it is placed in a suitable container, with salt also poured on the bottom, and placed in the refrigerator, where the product should be salted from several hours to two days, depending on the consistency of the meat, the size and number of fish.
If we are talking about dry fibrous fish, it is placed under pressure, sprinkling layers of salt (in the case of a large number of fish), as a result of which it releases liquid that mixes with the dry marinade. When preparing to smoke fatty varieties, carcasses sprinkled with salt are covered with cling film or wrapped in parchment.
Upon completion of salting, the fish should be washed thoroughly. When planning to cook carcasses by hanging, they are pre-tied so that they retain their shape.
Pickling
Another method and alternative to dry pickling is marinating with liquid brine. There are many options for how to marinate fish for smoking. The marinade is usually based on water or vegetable oil, and adding spices and herbs will give it a more refined taste. Most often they use basil, dill, parsley, coriander, garlic, a mixture of peppers and bay leaves, and you can experiment with spices, but you should not overdo it, so as not to interrupt the natural fishy taste. Some recipes also involve the use of marinating products such as honey, citrus juices, soy sauce and other ingredients.
You can prepare a spicy marinade for hot smoked fish according to a traditional recipe. For this you will need:
- water – 1 l;
- salt – 5 tbsp. l.;
- garlic – 3 cloves (chopped);
- coriander, thyme, ginger - 0.5 tsp each.
The ingredients are mixed and boiled for at least half an hour, then the marinade is removed from the heat and cooled. The processed fish is placed in a suitable container and filled with brine. Place the container in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or more. The marinated carcasses are dried with napkins.
Drying
After salting, the fish should be dried, for which the carcasses are hung in a draft or in a well-ventilated area. The product should dry for at least 1-1.5 hours. You can also dry the carcasses by wrapping them in parchment and leaving them in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then proceed directly to hot smoking.
To prevent insects from touching the fish, if it is ventilated outside, the carcasses are wrapped in gauze or paper.
In the case of cold smoking, the carcasses are aired for about a day, after which the dried fish is sent to the smokehouse.
Regardless of the chosen method, there should be no moisture remaining in the fibers, otherwise, under the influence of high temperatures, the fish will be cooked and not smoked, but when using the cold method, the moisture will become a good breeding ground for bacteria and the carcasses will begin to decompose.
Several ways to salt fish
To prepare fish for smoking, it must be marinated. The meaning of this action is dictated by the need to get rid of microorganisms in tissue fibers, protect the fish from spoilage, extend shelf life and, of course, add flavor.
When it comes to recipes for smoking fish, it is more about the salting process than about being in the smoke itself. Despite the abundance of different ways to salt fish, there are only three fundamental ones. On their basis, various improvisations are built, which involve the addition of various seasonings, spices, and sauces. Knowing the basics, any novice master can easily learn all the nuances of preparation, so we will provide only a certain foundation for creative activity.
Option 1
The simplest recipe is based on conventional salt processing. By the way, you don’t need to think that a simple method gives a mediocre result. Natural food lovers argue that when smoking it is necessary to use as few ingredients as possible. Salt the fish only with coarse salt. You can add a little ground black pepper, as well as chopped bay leaf; these spices will not take away the taste of the fish, but will go well together, especially in the smoky smell.
The amount of salt is not indicated, since the fish must be generously treated with the prepared mixture, which is also called dry marinade. If fish with fibrous meat is rubbed with the mixture, then with fatty meat it is simply poured in layers. You need to rub it with salt so that the grains seem to penetrate under the scales, even if the latter are small, like those of a perch. The salted fish is placed in the refrigerator for some time.
Fish with dry and fibrous meat are placed under pressure. Under the influence of external pressure, liquid is released from the fibers, which is mixed with the dry marinade. The resulting brine (brine) again impregnates the fibers, only this time with an antiseptic - salt. Fatty fish sprinkled with the mixture is covered with cling film or wrapped in parchment paper. Due to hygroscopicity, its fibers themselves absorb salt.
Depending on the consistency of the meat, the fish will be salted from several hours to a day. There cannot be a single rule here, but the rule is that the drier the meat, the longer it should sit in the refrigerator.
Option 2
The second way to prepare fish is to marinate it with liquid brine. Marinade for smoking fish can be prepared with water or vegetable oil.
- The water needs to be heated to boiling point, then salt, herbs and spices should be added to it. Spicy salting is recommended for river fish that feed on algae. Such individuals have the smell of mud, so it needs to be “beaten off” in every possible way. On average, there are 50 grams of salt per liter of water. The remaining ingredients are added to taste.
- You need to marinate the fish so that it is completely immersed in the brine. There are seasonings that go well with fish, and others that are not recommended. Coriander, ginger, and thyme provide excellent flavor versatility. You can marinate with garlic or lemon juice. If you need to quickly prepare the fish, then aggressive substances that break down the fibers are used, such as mustard, lemon juice or vinegar. However, you should not overuse them, as they leave a characteristic aftertaste.
Option 3
The third method involves preparing for smoking in the oven. Everything here is extremely simple - the fish is immersed in “liquid smoke”. It both serves as a marinade and imparts an odor similar to wood smoke. But we would not consider this kind of preparation, because the process itself cannot be called smoking.
The process of smoking fish in a smokehouse
There are two main methods: hot and cold. They are fundamentally different, and therefore different smokehouses are used for each. We will look at how to smoke fish correctly using both methods.
At what temperature should you smoke fish?
When hot smoking, the fish is processed with smoke at a temperature of about 100ﹾC, it can vary in the range of 80-120ﹾC, depending on the specific method, but in any case, the hot method involves maintaining a high temperature in the chamber.
Cold smoking is carried out at low temperatures of about 20-30ﹾC, no more. This is the main difference between processing methods, which also determines the cooking time.
How long does it take to smoke fish?
The time of the procedure depends on several factors, and first of all it is the method of preparation. Hot smoking is done quickly, but cold smoking is a long process that can last for several days.
How long it will take to smoke hot or cold smoked fish also depends on the volume of raw materials and the size of the carcasses, therefore, in order to reduce time, large fish are usually not smoked whole.
On average, during hot processing, small fish are smoked for no more than half an hour, medium ones up to 40 minutes or an hour, and large carcasses will need a little more time, about 3 hours.
Cold processing is performed for at least 24 hours for small fish; 3-4 days or even more will be required to process larger fish.
Determine readiness based on appearance. The surface of the carcass becomes golden in color, the meat at the fins is white, and the fins themselves easily separate from the flesh.
How to hot smoke fish in a smokehouse
The smokehouse for hot smoking includes the following elements:
- capacity 10-12 l;
- a tray where fat drains during the process;
- a grid on which processed products are laid out, or slats for hanging carcasses;
- a lid that tightly closes the smokehouse.
Each recipe for preparing fish in a hot smoked smokehouse for different varieties differs in the method of marinating the product and in some nuances, but the general principle of how to cook hot smoked fish remains the same:
- the bottom of the chamber is lined with wood chips, it will be enough to take 2-3 handfuls if there is not too much fish (chips of fruit trees, alder and other deciduous trees are used, you can add some branches and juniper berries to the main wood material). The wood chips are slightly moistened to prevent fire;
- a tray for collecting fat is installed;
- above there is a grate or slats, on which previously prepared fish is then laid out or hung (the carcasses are placed at a short distance from each other, about 1 cm, so that they can be smoked evenly);
- the smokehouse is covered with a lid and placed on a fire source (grill fire, gas stove, burner);
- After about 10 minutes, the bottom of the unit will become hot and the sawdust will begin to smolder. The smoking process is measured from the moment white smoke comes out from under the smokehouse lid;
- During the process, you can carefully open the lid to control the preparation of the product.
After smoking, the product should be cooled in a smokehouse and ventilated from excess smoke in the fresh air for an hour.
How to cold smoke fish in a smokehouse
The smokehouse for preparing products by cold smoking includes:
- container for processing products;
- firebox;
- a chimney that connects the firebox to the container.
A homemade smokehouse requires control over the process, while industrial smokehouses are simpler and feature automation of the process, so you don’t need to observe and intervene during smoking.
The fish should be placed in the smokehouse, the fire should be lit, after which smoke will flow into the container, cooling along the way through the chimney (the length of the pipe is at least 1.5 m). The temperature should not exceed 30ﹾC. The process of continuous smoking lasts at least a day, and in the case of large carcasses it can last for 5-7 days. The procedure cannot be paused for the first 8 hours, so you should take care of the required amount of wood chips and firewood; then you can interrupt the process, but it is worth considering that this will increase the smoking time. The finished product must be ventilated in fresh air for at least 12 hours.
Ventilation removes toxins from the product and makes the fish taste richer. This is the final stage of cooking and should not be ignored.
Chips for hot smoking
An important factor in quality smoking is correctly selected wood chips for hot smoking. The priority is shavings from hardwood wood. Fuel is used in the form of wood chips, shavings, sawdust and branches. Deciduous trees are preferred due to their low content of various resins, which cannot be said about pine needles. Real gourmets use fruit trees as an additive to their main fuel.
Hardwood chips
According to many experts, it is correct to smoke hot smoked fish on alder chips in combination with juniper. This option has high bactericidal properties. Fish smoked with this composition is stored for 2-3 days longer. Combinations of fruit branches with particles of alder and juniper will give the finished dish impressive flavors and aroma.
It is not recommended to use pine needles and birch due to their high resin content. The fish will become very smoky and the flavor will deteriorate. In addition, the resins release harmful substances that the fish absorb.
To impart a refined aroma and unique taste, grape vines and juniper berries are used. Cones, herbs or spices are added in very small quantities.
Wood and twigs are cleared of bark. The chips themselves do not exceed 5 cm in size. In order to obtain thicker smoke, the chips are mixed with shavings and sawdust.
It is strictly forbidden to use residual building materials such as plywood, fiberboard, OSB, etc. as fuel for smoking. They are completely impregnated with resins and other chemicals.
How to cook smoked fish at home without a smokehouse
There is another cooking method that involves the use of liquid smoke. So, smoking fish can be done at home without a smokehouse, although by and large, this is not really smoking.
Liquid smoke can be purchased in stores or prepared independently, which requires burning wood and passing the emitted smoke through a pipe directed into water. When the smoke is collected, the water is filtered to rid it of combustion products that could get in with the smoke. The pieces are soaked in liquid smoke for 4 hours, after which they are fried on a grill or grill.
Smoking, regardless of the method, is not a complicated process and can be done by anyone, but one must strictly adhere to the technology and observe safety measures.
Some tips for cold smoking
Since cold-smoked products do not undergo high-temperature treatment, special attention must be paid to their preparation:
- First, the slave meat or lard must be salted, then dried and only then smoked.
- For 1 kg of food take from 15 to 50 grams of salt.
- Salting can be done either “wet” (in brine) or “dry”.
- In the second method, the meat is thickly rubbed with salt and placed under a weight. If in the refrigerator, then for 2-3 days; at room temperature, half a day is enough.
- After salting, the meat must be hung up so that it dries well, and smoking should begin only after it has dried.
As for wood chips, the rule is the same as with the hot method: do not use coniferous wood. The best results are obtained from apple or cherry wood.
Smoking is an entire art of cooking, which has long been studied and systematized. In order to achieve an ideal smoking result, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the preparatory work, smoking time and temperature. Many factors also depend on the smoking product, as well as on the result that the smoker wants to get. Cold and hot smoking are very different in terms of product processing, and temperature plays an important role. In this article we will describe at what temperature is it better to smoke? What temperatures should hot and cold smoking have?
Let’s take a look: which fish would be best for hot smoking in a smokehouse over a fire?
Serious thermal loads with this technology can destroy the surface layer of the product if the scales are not dense enough. This situation can not only spoil the appearance of the fish, but also significantly worsen its taste. Therefore, it is important to choose fish products with strong scales in advance. Representatives of river fauna are ideal:
- Perch.
- Bream.
- Zander.
- Burbot.
- Acne.
- Asp.
- Ide.
Now the second question: sea fish for smoking in a smokehouse and which one is better suited for processing with hot smoke? To make a tasty and high-quality product, just pay attention to the following breeds:
- Cod.
- Capelin.
- Halibut.
- Mackerel.
- Sea bass.
If you have already baked mackerel with potatoes, then you know the taste of this fish. It is almost universal - it has high taste in any culinary recipes.
A few simple rules
Needless to say, you should only choose a fresh product; any housewife knows this. Frozen fish should have a straight body, without bends. In addition, a few more tips:
- It is worth buying fish of approximately the same size.
- Before the smoking process, fish carcasses should be cleaned of entrails, washed and salted in an aqueous solution.
- Freshly frozen products are defrosted in a container with water, which must be changed when it reaches a temperature of 20°C. Another option is defrosting in air at the same temperature.
Hot smoking: temperature and time for different raw materials
How to perform the procedure correctly?
- Meat. In order to get tasty smoked meat prepared at home, the temperature must be kept within 80–100 °C throughout the entire smoking time. But this is subject to the use of a raw product. If the meat has previously been subjected to heat treatment, such as boiling or stewing, during smoking we reduce the temperature to 42–60 °C. This meat can be stored in a cool place for no more than three weeks.
- Fish. For each type of fish, the smoking temperature and time may differ, since the level of protein coagulation is different. But in general, smoking time ranges from one to three hours. The temperature level ranges from 60 to 140 °C. Considering that any fish is a perishable product, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Game or poultry. The procedure for smoking it is not much different from pork or beef, but it still has its own nuances. In order for the bird to acquire a crispy crust, it is necessary to start smoking at high temperatures - 100 ° C. But if already boiled poultry enters the smokehouse, the smoking temperature drops to 60 °C. Also, the temperature regime for smoking poultry depends on the size of the carcass. It can be smoked whole or in parts. Smoked game can be stored refrigerated for up to three weeks.
- Homemade sausage. The technology for preparing smoked homemade sausage differs significantly from those discussed above. It is necessary to smoke the product at a temperature within the range of 60–120 °C. Afterwards, the sausage is sent to a cool place, but not raw, and kept for about three weeks. Only if you follow this cooking technology can you get real smoked homemade sausage.
