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There
are two main varieties of smoked fish — cold smoked, where the
temperature must remain between 26 - 32
Celsius and hot smoked, where the temperature is between 49 – 82
Celsius. Whether you
are cold smoking or hot smoking fish, the procedures for preparation are basically the
same.
The main difference is the smoking temperature and how long your
smoked fish stays in the smoker.
In the
freezer, fish prepared by either method will last many months if
properly frozen.
In the refrigerator, Cold smoked fish is
"preserved" and will usually keep for several months.
Hot smoked fish is
"cooked" and will only keep about a week in the refrigerator.
Here is an outline of all the steps needed
to smoke fish
Preparation:
Prepare your fish by gutting, de fining and
splitting or simply use fillets, scaled, but
with skin on
Curing:
Mix 3 parts
brown sugar to 1 part non-iodised salt together in a bowl. Layer split
fish or fillets
in a deep
non-metallic pan.
Rub each fillet
lightly with the cure mix, leave for 10 mins and then cover each layer
generously with more dry mixture.
Cover and
place in refrigerator for 18 to 24 hours. The mixture will draw moisture
out of the fish, creating it's own liquid brine
Drying:
After the
fish has been cured, it must be allowed to dry before smoking. This
critical step allows a pellicle, or glaze, to form on the skin to keep
moisture in and contaminants out. The pellicle also provides a good
surface for the smoke to adhere to, giving your smoked fish both its
smoky flavour and uniform colour.
Rinse the fish in cool running
water and pat dry with paper towels and place skin side down in a cool
spot to dry.
If you place your fish on your smoker racks to dry, you can save
some time later.
The fish
should have plenty of air circulation space all around to ensure even
drying.
The fish is
dried and ready for the smoker when the pellicle forms on the surface.
Q: How
do I know when the pellicle has formed?
A: When a shiny and tacky (sticky) skin has formed on the fish.
Drying
time depends on the moisture content of the fish, the temperature,
amount of air flow, and the relative humidity in the surrounding air.
The pellicle should be formed usually in about an hour – the time can
vary depending on the factors above
Add
flavour to
the Recipe:
Just before smoking , you can brush on a mixture of thick soy
sauce and olive oil which has been mixed to a thickish consistency
Smoking:
Go to smoker for smoking process
Do not refrigerate your
smoked fish until they have cooled or they may spoil.
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