Salt, Seasoning and Smokers!
There is nothing like the scent of a well smoked trout to make your mouth water, wonderful! Many experts like to keep their knowledge secret. That does not mean that novices have little chance of producing well smoked goods. With a little skill and good tips, they too will be able to serve up a tasty meal.
Have you thought about fish. There are a large variety of tasty fish species and methods of preparation.
An exceptionally appetising preparation method is smoking - it's ideally suited to the season. We suggest some of the more oily fish, such as mackerel, eels, salmon or trout.
How to get started?
Begin with preparing the fish:
1. Gutting:
A few tips for gutting: ensure that all inner organs are removed, including the kidney which is found along the spine. A hard toothbrush is often a great help. Don't forget to remove the gills, as these contain a lot of blood. If the gills are not removed, the blood could drip onto the fish during the smoking process, giving the fish an unpleasant bitter taste. You do not need to worry too much about fish scales, as these do not effect the end product.
2. Salting:
Fish have by nature low salt levels in the flesh and must therefore be salted. There are 2 methods of salting, to dry salting and pickling in brine (or corning).
Dry salting:
The fish is covered completely with salt and left for 1-1.5 hours. This is a quicker method, it does however have the disadvantage, that the fish flesh is not thoroughly salted.
Brining:
The brining method produces much better results. Dissolve approx. 50-80 g of salt per litre water. The fish should be completely covered in brine and soak the fish in this brine for roughly 12 hours. During this time it is possible to add a variety of flavourings to the brine marinade.
The following herbs are added in the given measurements per litre of brine:
- 80 g fine salt
- 1 heaped tbsp of dried Herbes de Provence
- 1 level tbsp of Italian herbs
- 4 crushed juniper berries
- 1 level tsp of garlic powder
- 8 roughly crushed black peppercorns
- 1 medium onion cut into large rings
Working with 4 litres of water, pour off 500-700 ml and cook this for roughly 5 minutes together with the herbs (excluding salt). The salt is added to the remaining water. After the 500-700 ml herb mix cools, add it to the brine.
3. Drying and rinsing:
After the fish has been fully impregnated with salt it can then be quickly dryed and rinsed off under running water, to remove the last remains of slime and blood. The size of the smoker oven is directly related to the size of fish that will fit in it. Smaller trout can usually be smoked whole but larger carp may need to be cut into fitting portions. All fish portions need to be well dryed before smoking.
4. Smoking:
If you are using your smoker for the first time, it should be completely cleaned to remove any traces of grease. Wood meal should be evenly distributed on the floor to a depth of approximately 0.5 cm. Please follow the instructions found in the operating manual (due to the variety of smokers, there are varying methods of operation). Fish should be placed into the smoker, allowing space for the smoke to circulate. The smoker warms up, slowly drying the fish (takes roughly 30 minutes). The fishskin feels somewhat leathery when dry. The temperature is then raised to between 60° C and 70° C. The fish should have a core temperature of 60° C. Cooking time is between 15 and 20 minutes. To prove if the fish is cooked, pull on a dorsal fin. If it separates lightly from the fish, the fish is cooked. The temperature is then reduced to 40° C, and the colouring process begins (takes roughly 45 minutes). The complete smoking process should not take longer than 120 minutes. When finished, the fish can be removed and served warm or left to cool.
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
Your Askari Team
Suitable to our main topic, and covering general tackle items, here are a few product tips:
Smoking Oven
Simple smoking and barbequing with this stainless steel oven.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/056575.85.585
Super 9-piece Fish Smoking Set
All you need to produce wonderful smoked goods; including smoker with glass door, heating element, wood meal and fish tongs.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/079659.85.585
5-Piece Smoker Set
A practical set, consisting of smoker, brine, wood meal, and filleting knife and board.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/063432.85.585
Smoking Assortment
A variety of meal and spices to flavour your smoked goods.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/048540.85.585
Kogha deluxe filleting knife
A fileting knife with a blade made from SUS440A steel. Comes with a real leather sheath.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/084432.85.585
Smokers hooks
Various sizes.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/054715.85.585
Perca Ice Fishing Set
The set consists of an ice fishing rod with reel, ice scoop and 2 folding rod holders.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/104028.85.585
Fish Finder
Designed with a compact user-friendly form. Depth: 0.60 m - 100.00 m.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/105000.85.585
Perca Carp Rod Pod Set
Set consisting of: Rod Pod, 3 bite alarms, a sounderbox, 3 hanging bite indicators, 2 buzzer bars and a transport bag, material: 100 % nylon.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/104206.85.585
Kogha Protector Dome
A huge tent with a water-resistance of 1,500 mm. The robust throw-over is suitable for use in strong winds and rain, with a water-resistance of 4,000 mm.
http://shop.askari-fishing.co.uk/104225.85.585