Smoked catfish: recipe for hot and cold smoking

Smoked fish is a delicacy that will decorate any table. Every avid fisherman knows that catfish is excellent for smoking, since it often reaches large sizes, while its meat is tender and juicy. The main advantage of this type is the small number of bones, which facilitates the cooking process and makes it possible to feel the taste of the fish without worrying about the bones. You can smoke the product at home using both cold and hot methods, but you should adhere to the technology to get the perfect result.

Which catfish is best for smoking?

Every avid fisherman knows that catfish is excellent for smoking, since it often reaches large sizes, while its meat is tender and juicy.
Clarium smoked catfish is more common in stores. Smoked meat is prepared from breeds grown under special conditions. You can also find catfish roll. Any fresh specimen is suitable for home cooking. Finding it is not difficult, since such fish are often caught by fishermen. It can also be purchased. The main thing is to use fresh fish, it is advisable to select carcasses of the same size. They will be evenly salted and smoked.

Beneficial features

Catfish is a white river fish, suitable for cold and hot smoking. Its meat is very soft, tender and fatty; there are no scales or bones in the pulp. The finished delicacy has a very original sweetish taste.

The fish is processed with low-temperature smoke. This means that the vast majority of health benefits are retained in the finished product. Fish also contains polyunsaturated fatty acids and glycogen. They are almost completely absorbed, provide a person with the necessary energy, and are needed to normalize cholesterol levels in the blood and prevent atherosclerosis.

Cold smoked catfish is a valuable source of essential amino acids necessary for tissue regeneration at the cellular level

In high concentration it contains delicacy and vitamins necessary to maintain visual acuity, good immunity, and normal metabolism:

A;
group B;
WITH;
D;
E;
RR.

This smoked fish is extremely rich in macro- and microelements:

phosphorus;
potassium;
magnesium;
calcium;
copper;
iron;
cobalt;
iodine;
zinc;
fluorine.

When regularly included in the menu in reasonable quantities, cold smoked catfish has a beneficial effect on the nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems. The condition of the skin, nails, hair improves, bones, teeth, and cartilage tissue are strengthened.

Important! Contraindications for eating such fish are, in addition to individual intolerance, a tendency to edema, obesity of any degree, and chronic hypertension.

BJU and calorie content of cold smoked catfish

This is a relatively low-calorie product. Its energy value is only 196 kcal per 100 g. This is possible due to the fact that 75% of it consists of water, and there are no carbohydrates in the delicacy in principle. But fish has a very high protein content (15.6-17.2 g per 100 g).

Just 200 g of cold smoked catfish “covers” the daily protein requirement

There is relatively little fat - 5.5-6.33 g per 100 g. Therefore, the finished product can be included in the menu in small quantities (100-120 g per week), even for those who follow the principles of dietary nutrition.

Preparing for smoking

The preparatory stage helps to ensure the necessary taste, as well as remove harmful substances and destroy pathogens. There are several options for salting catfish. The choice of spices and flavorings and the duration of salting will affect the final smoking result.

You can find a recipe for smoked catfish on the Internet and adjust it to your own taste.

Before salting, the carcasses should be gutted and wiped so that no entrails remain. It is better to clean with napkins; it is not advisable to wash the fish, since excess moisture will accumulate and longer drying will be required. Before smoking the catfish, the fins and gills are removed. The head should be cut off if the fish is to be cut. If the whole carcass is placed in the smokehouse, then it should be left.

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Salting can be dry or wet. In any case, after salting, the carcasses should be dried. This is especially true for hot smoking, since excess moisture will cause the fish to bake before it is smoked.

Marinade

The advantage of a liquid marinade is that adding individual liquid ingredients will help give the product an original taste. Exquisite taste is obtained by using the following components:

apple juice – 100 gr.;
pineapple or lemon juice – 100 g;
water – 200 g;
salt – 4 tbsp;
garlic – 1 clove.

Proportions are indicated for 2 kg. fish. It is advisable to smoke the specimen in pieces. They should lie in the prepared marinade for 36 hours.

Pickling

Dry salting is a less expensive and simpler method. You will need to rub the fish on all sides with a mixture of seasonings. Use salt, bay leaf, pepper, thyme. Then you need to place the carcasses in a non-oxidizing container and place them in the refrigerator. This salting process requires no more than a day. A few hours will be enough. In 3-4 hours, the fish will be completely saturated with salt and will be ready for cooking in the smokehouse.

Drying

Before smoking, catfish should be thoroughly dried in a well-ventilated place.

In 1-2 hours, excess moisture will be removed and the fish will dry out. To protect against insects, it is better to wrap the product in gauze, after moistening it in a solution of sunflower oil and vinegar.

Hot smoked catfish recipes

There are several options for preparing the dish. The choice of recipe depends on personal preferences and capabilities. Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the main features of cooking in order to make a choice.

How to smoke catfish in a hot smoker

Before you begin the procedure, you should decide on the wood for hot smoking. After all, the final taste and appearance of catfish depends on the smoke. To obtain a beautiful golden hue, you should choose wood chips from oak, alder and fruit trees. And to get a light golden color you need to use linden or maple.

Important! Coniferous and birch wood with bark cannot be used for hot smoking, as it contains a large amount of resinous substances.

To prepare this dish, you need to install a stable smoking chamber. Then place the grate and generously grease its upper part with refined vegetable oil. After preparation, you should place the carcasses or pieces of catfish on the grill, leaving a space of 1 cm between them. Cover the fish with a lid on top.

After placing the fish, wet wood chips should be placed in the smoke regulator of the smokehouse. Set the temperature at 70-80 degrees. When ready, cool the fish without removing it from the smokehouse. After this, you need to ventilate the catfish well for 2 hours to 24 hours. This will remove the pungent smell of smoke and imbue the pulp with a pleasant aroma.

How to smoke hot smoked catfish with honey

This fish recipe features a delicious marinade that gives the meat a sweetish-cinnamon flavor.

To prepare it you need to use:

100 ml of natural flower honey;
100 ml lemon juice;
5 g cinnamon;
100 ml refined vegetable oil;
15 g salt;
pepper - to taste.

To prepare for hot smoking, you need to prepare a mixture from the proposed components and load pieces of catfish into it for a day. After the time has passed, keep the fish in water for 1 hour, and then air dry for 2-3 hours until a thin crust appears on the surface. After this, the hot smoking procedure must be carried out according to the standard procedure in a smokehouse or oven.

Hot smoked catfish with honey turns out tasty and tender

How to smoke catfish marinated in juice

For lovers of original taste, you can prepare a special brine for hot smoked catfish.

You need to prepare the following components:

100 ml apple juice;
250 ml warm water;
100 ml pineapple juice.

Catfish is smoked at temperatures from 60 to 100 °C

After this, you need to combine them, mix thoroughly and add as much salt until it stops dissolving. Then the catfish carcass needs to be cut along the back and divided into pieces 4 cm wide. Lay the fish in layers so that in the first row they lie skin down, and then lay the meat next to the meat. When finished, pour the marinade over the catfish so that the liquid completely covers it, and put it in a cool place for a day.

Recipe for smoking catfish with liquid smoke

In the absence of a smokehouse, it is also possible to prepare this dish. Liquid smoke will help with this. This component gives the smoked taste.

For 1 kg of catfish meat you need to prepare:

30 g salt;
10 g sugar;
30 ml liquid smoke;
30 ml lemon juice;
1 liter of water;
a handful of onion peels.

Cooking process:

Initially, you need to rub the cleaned fish with a mixture of salt and sugar and moisten it on all sides with lemon juice.
After this, put the catfish pieces in a plastic bag.
Make an infusion of onion peel water, cool and peel.
Place the fish in it for 40 minutes, which will give it an appetizing golden hue.

The delicacy goes well with fresh vegetables and herbs.

After this, wet the fish with a paper towel and apply liquid smoke to its surface from all sides with a brush. Subsequently, you need to fry the catfish on an electric grill until cooked.

How to cook hot smoked catfish in the oven

You can prepare this dish even without special equipment. In this case, you can use an electric oven, which should be placed on the balcony or under a canopy outside to avoid smoke.

First of all, you should prepare the wood chips. To do this, you need to pour it into a foil container and fill it with water so that the liquid completely covers it. After 15 minutes, when the sawdust swells, the water must be drained. This procedure prevents their possible fire. The container with wood chips should be placed at the very bottom of the oven, and after it is heated, the smoke will rise upward.

To prepare, you need to cut the catfish carcass into pieces of 200-300 g. Then put them in foil molds, leaving them open on top to ensure access of smoke to the meat. After this, place the fish on the grill and grease it with vegetable oil on top to form an appetizing crispy crust. During cooking, the carcass releases fat, which drips onto the wood chips and creates acrid smoke, which worsens the taste of the meat. To prevent this, you need to place a deep baking tray on a lower level.

Catfish should be baked at a temperature of 190 degrees. The first sample can be taken after 45 minutes; if necessary, it needs to be prepared further.

A dish cooked in the oven can be served warm or cold

Smoking Clarium Catfish

This type of fish is significantly larger in nutritional value and size than usual. Therefore, it is specially grown in fish farms.

Important! Under natural conditions, clariid catfish can be found in the waters of Africa, Lebanon, Turkey and Israel.

To get delicious hot smoked fish, you need to soak it in a special marinade.

To do this, you should prepare the following ingredients for 1 kg of catfish:

70 g salt;
40 g olive oil;
5 g ground black pepper;
5 g dried paprika;
3 g basil;
5 g white pepper.

The clarium species is relatively large in size and requires cutting

Initially, you need to clean the carcass according to the standard procedure. Then pour oil into a container separately and add all the spices to it, leave for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, wet the alder chips and pour them into the smoke regulator of the smokehouse. After this, install a wire rack in the upper part, grease the carcass with aromatic oil on all sides and lay it out.

Smoking of clarium catfish in a smokehouse takes place first for 2 hours at a temperature of 60 degrees, and then for another 2 hours at a temperature of 80 degrees. Before serving, the fish must be cooled and ventilated for 4-5 hours.

Cooking methods

Cooking hot and cold smoked catfish differs in duration and technology. As a result, the taste qualities of the cooked smoked meat differ.

Hot smoked catfish

Hot smoked catfish is tender and juicy. The marinating recipe is selected according to taste; both dry salting and pickling in a marinade are suitable. Preparation is carried out according to the following algorithm:

Wood shavings, wood chips or sawdust are poured into the smokehouse. 2-3 spoons are enough. No longer required, excessive amounts of fuel will impart bitterness to the product.
A tray is installed above the sawdust to collect grease.
Above, the fish is laid out on a net or hung on hooks if whole carcasses are smoked.
The smokehouse lid closes tightly.
The structure is installed on a heater: fire, stove, barbecue.

Cooking time varies depending on the size of the fish, as well as the operating temperature. It is enough to smoke the fish for 1 hour. During this time, the smoke will completely saturate the fish and give it the necessary aroma and taste.

Features of hot smoking

Hot smoking of catfish is carried out at high temperatures: from 60 to 100°C. It is important to choose the right shavings. Alder chips are considered a universal option. Additives from fruit trees: apple trees, pears - will make the taste brighter. During cooking, it is important that the smoke comes out of the smokehouse, so if there is no smoke vent, the lid must be opened periodically.

Cold smoked catfish

Cold smoked catfish is dense with a bright fishy taste. The cooking recipe looks like this:

Pre-salted and dried catfish are placed on grates or hung on hooks in the smoking chamber.
The chamber is connected to a homemade chimney with a firebox or to a purchased smoke generator.
After starting the smoke source, smoking will begin.

A properly equipped smokehouse is an important aspect of this cooking method, since cold smoking requires a low temperature of 27-30°C. Increasing the limit will result in product spoilage. Alder, oak, or fruit wood chips are suitable for cooking. A few sprigs of juniper will help add piquant notes.

Features of the hot smoking process

Hot smoked catfish is ready in a matter of hours. Heat treatment plays a decisive role here, so there is no need to worry about rotting during the cooking process. The relatively high temperature of the smoke will not allow this process to develop. However, it should be remembered that hot smoked products are stored for no more than 3-4 days.

There are several excellent recipes for hot smoking fish, but it is a mistake to believe that they all make adjustments to the process itself. The fact is that the methods of preparing carcasses differ, not the smoking itself. You can smoke any meat using one technology, since the whole principle is that alder chips or sawdust from fruit trees are placed at the bottom of the smokehouse. The smokehouse itself is installed on an open fire.

It is important that there is no sudden increase in temperature, and therefore the flame should not be too large.

Meat and fish release moisture when smoked. If it lingers in the container, then at a high smoke temperature, which is about 120°C degrees, intensive protein breakdown will occur. The catfish will simply be cooked. To correctly carry out all the procedures, it is necessary to open the smokehouse lid every half hour, allowing the steam to escape and the carcasses to dry. Please note that fat leaked from smoking meat, if it gets on the sawdust, will cause the appearance of “chad,” that is, acrid smoke with a burning smell. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to provide a tray or fryer in the form of an additional container.

How to store smoked catfish

The product prepared by cold smoking is stored in the refrigerator for 7-14 days. To prolong storage, it is recommended to freeze the fish. This is possible due to special long-term marinating and special smoking technology. The product prepared using the hot method should be consumed within 2-3 days.

Regardless of the smoking option, the temperature in the refrigerator should be +3°C. Exceeding the indicator will affect the taste and lead to faster spoilage of smoked meat.

Home-smoked fish is an ideal snack for beer and an addition to main courses. It will be a delicious addition to salads and side dishes. This treat will fit perfectly into your daily diet and holiday menu. Homemade smoked fish is tasty, safe and healthy.

Selection and preparation

The fish can be quite large and relatively small. Any specimen will be suitable for cold smoking, provided it is properly cut. And, of course, the “raw materials” must be of high quality; the taste of the finished product directly depends on this. Signs of fresh catfish:

absence of mechanical damage to the skin;
pleasant “fishy” rather than rotten smell;
“clear” and not cloudy eyes, no plaque on them;
smooth skin, not slimy to the touch;
elastic, not loose meat (the dent left after pressing disappears without a trace in a few seconds).

It is better not to buy catfish ice cream, especially one covered with a thick layer of ice.

For small fish (up to 2-3 kg), the head is cut off (or the gills are limited to removal). Then, through a longitudinal incision in the belly, the entrails are removed and the film in it is “cleaned” from the inside.

Care must be taken not to damage the gallbladder, otherwise the finished product will taste unpleasantly bitter

Other cutting methods:

for balyk (the head and tail are cut off, respectively, to the level of the pectoral fins and anus, the abdomen is also removed, leaving only a small, most “fleshy” part);
in layers (the fish without the head, tail and entrails is cut lengthwise into two fillets, the spine is removed);
on fillet (remove the skin from the resulting layers, remove the vizigu - the longitudinal vein along the ridge);
for steaks (fillets, layers or whole fish are cut into transverse pieces 5-7 cm thick).
Important! Before cutting, frozen fish must be completely defrosted, first in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, and then at room temperature.

How to pickle catfish for cold smoking

There are two methods for salting catfish before cold smoking:

Dry. Thoroughly rub the fish with coarse salt (optionally mixed with freshly ground black or white pepper, dried garlic and/or onion in the proportion required for yourself), pour it into a container of a suitable size made of material that is not subject to oxidation. Place the fish inside, sprinkle with salt, and cover it on top as well. Keep in the refrigerator under pressure for at least 20 hours (up to 3-4 days).
In brine. It is prepared by boiling 150 g of salt and 60 g of sugar, bay leaves (2-3 pieces) in a liter of water. The liquid, cooled to room temperature, is poured over the fish, completely covering it. You can start cold smoking after 8-10 hours. Sometimes catfish are kept in brine for up to 1.5-2 days.

Dry salted catfish is wiped with a paper or cloth napkin before smoking. Excess brine is removed by washing the fish in cool running water for 2-3 minutes.

Important! After salting by any method, the fish must be dried in a cool, dry place with good ventilation, having thought through protection from direct sunlight and insects in advance.

How to marinate catfish for cold smoking

Marinating before cold smoking allows you to add original and unusual notes to the taste of the finished product. All ingredients are given in quantities per 1 kg of cut fish.

With citruses:

drinking water – 2 l;
salt – 100 g;
sugar – 20 g;
black peppercorns – 7-10 g;
bay leaf – 2-3 pieces;
orange, lime, lemon or grapefruit - any citrus;
rosemary - to taste (about 10 g).

The water is heated until the salt and sugar dissolve, citrus cut into pieces and peeled and white films, and other ingredients are added. The marinade is brought to a boil, left under a closed lid for about half an hour, then filtered and cooled to room temperature. For cold smoking, fish is filled with liquid for 10-12 hours.

With honey:

olive oil – 200 ml;
freshly squeezed lemon juice – 100 ml;
liquid honey – 50 ml;
garlic – 4-5 cloves;
salt – 25 g;
ground pepper mixture - to taste.

Preparing the marinade is extremely simple - mix all the ingredients thoroughly and pour the resulting mixture of cut up catfish. It is marinated before cold smoking for at least 10-12 hours.

How to smoke cold smoked catfish

The technology for cold smoking catfish, like any other fish, requires a special design with a smoke source located 2-7 m away from the smoking cabinet. During the time it passes through the pipe, the smoke cools down just to the required temperature. When cold smoking, it is best to use a smoke generator as a source - this ensures autonomy of the process. There is no need to constantly monitor it to maintain the required temperature. But, in principle, an open fire will do.

Cold smoked catfish is valued by gourmets for its natural taste, so there is an opinion that marinades only kill it

Cold smoking requires strict adherence to technology, avoiding “improvisation”. Otherwise, the fish may be “oversaturated” with carcinogens. Another potential health hazard is pathogenic microorganisms that cannot be destroyed if not treated for long enough. Therefore, those who do not have much experience should first familiarize themselves with video recipes for cold smoking catfish.

How to cook cold smoked catfish in a smokehouse

Cold smoked catfish is smoked as follows:

Pour wood chips or sawdust into the smoke generator or at the bottom of the smokehouse, and grease the grates with vegetable oil (if any).
Place prepared and dried fish on racks or hang them on hooks so that pieces, fillets or whole carcasses do not come into contact with each other if possible.
Connect the pipe to the smoking cabinet, turn on the smoke generator or make a fire or fire in the barbecue.
Smoke the catfish until done. After the time required for cold smoking has passed, remove the fish from the smokehouse and ventilate in the open air for 24 hours.
Important! The smell of smoked fish attracts insects en masse. To protect it, it is recommended to cover it with gauze.

Cold smoked catfish balyk

The technology for preparing cold-smoked balyk from catfish is no different from that described above. Using this method, you can smoke whole fish, fillets, and steaks. Only the method of cutting catfish and the time of smoke treatment varies.

The larger the catfish, the longer the cold-smoked balyk takes to cook.

How to smoke catfish

To smoke catfish at home, you must follow some rules. We described in more detail about smoking catfish in the article:

Here are some basic tips.

Hot smoked catfish

Smoking catfish at home is no different from others, except perhaps in the volume of the prepared product.

As mentioned earlier, properly selected wood gives fish a special aroma and taste. However, do not beg the merits and importance of the marinade. To make hot smoked catfish tender and with an unusual taste, add to the marinade:

200 ml olive oil;
a few cloves of garlic;
100 ml lemon juice;
pepper and 50 grams of honey.

Catfish kept in such a marinade will have not only an exquisite taste, but also a wonderful smell. Another original gourmet fruit juice marinade:

a glass of heated water;
0.5 cups apple juice;
0.5 cups of pineapple juice.

Next comes the usual marinating process, which lasts up to 1.5 days. After this, the carcasses are washed, dried and laid out in the smokehouse. Important point! After the product is smoked, leave it to cool in the smokehouse.