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Smoked Fish

I do a simple salt/water/sugar brine and cool smoke with sugar maple. I'm sure there are better ways, but this works good for walleye.
 
Kevin said:
I do a simple salt/water/sugar brine and cool smoke with sugar maple. I'm sure there are better ways, but this works good for walleye.
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I've done smoked mullet this way, too. I added some Old Bay seasoning to the brine. Turned out nice.
 
I wanted to do some of the Copper River Salmon we get here once a year, and maybe try some of the local gulf fish I can get like Red Drum, Striped Bass, Wahoo, and Sheepshead. I guess what I want to learn is what fish is appropriate and which isn't and work up my skill to smoke what ever I come across. I don't have any particular fish in mind right now but would like to begin the information collection stage before I bring a fish home. I smoked my first brisket with no advise at all but beef can be more forgiving compared to fish and I justwant to go in to this with my eyes open.
 
Mom alwaysed used Italian seasoning medium heat (250-275ish) on mullet and it had a good flavor.
 
Most fish that is smoked is oily in nature. Such as Tuna, Mullet, Salmon, Walleye, Bluefish etc. I am not sure I would recommend fish like Drum, Sheephead or any other that has a pure white texture. Some how I think they would really dry out and not taste that well. Only an opinion as I am not a real fish guy to start with....
 
I do salmon all the time. Over night brine of salt/water/sugar. Sprinkle with Old Bay and maybe some lime juice and light smoke. I usually get the skinless sides of salmon from Costco, so I put the fish on a foil wrapped grill. The oils from the fish come out and gather on the foil which in turn make the edges of the fish a little crispy.

Damn, I just made myself hungry!
 
You making me hungry too, Brooklyn. Your brine method is almost exactly like mine, I like to use skin on sides, though. Still use the foil, etc. Good stuff.


I also like to do a quick dry cure when I don't have time for overnight. I use equal parts of kosher salt and sugar, add some chopped fresh dill, a little white pepper. Put serving size salmon fillet pieces, or steaks in a glass pan, sprinkle half the salt mixture on and press in with your hand, repeat on other side. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in fridge as long as you can, hopefully at least 4 hours. Light smoke at around 225 for an hour or two, till done, depending on thickness of fillets or steak.
 
qman said:
You making me hungry too, Brooklyn. Your brine method is almost exactly like mine, I like to use skin on sides, though. Still use the foil, etc. Good stuff.
QUOTE]

I don't eat fish-- only cooked it for the family, which loves it. I haven't done any on the BYC yet-- people keep telling me that it imparts a 'flavorprint' on the smoker that is hard to get out. I never noticed it on my Chargriller-- but that thing was completely enrobed w/ animal fat that nothing would cut through. Any thoughts??

I usually put a dill/celery seed and sugar rub on, let it set w/ a fan and develop a pellicle and smoke it until the white proteins bubble up.
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I see that some are cold smoking and some hot smoking. The hot smoking sounds great and eaisy enough but what about the cold smoking. Is there an optimum temp for that?
 
backyardchef said:
qman said:
You making me hungry too, Brooklyn. Your brine method is almost exactly like mine, I like to use skin on sides, though. Still use the foil, etc. Good stuff.
QUOTE]

I don't eat fish-- only cooked it for the family, which loves it. I haven't done any on the BYC yet-- people keep telling me that it imparts a 'flavorprint' on the smoker that is hard to get out. I never noticed it on my Chargriller-- but that thing was completely enrobed w/ animal fat that nothing would cut through. Any thoughts??

I usually put a dill/celery seed and sugar rub on, let it set w/ a fan and develop a pellicle and smoke it until the white proteins bubble up.
Click to expand...

BackyardChef, I never found a flavorprint in any of the many smokers I have used over the years. Lizards, bugs, etc, but never a flavorprint.
Seriously, I guess that I you used a cooker extensively for fish, it might get seasoned with an overprint of fish flavor, but I think if you cook mosty other meats, it will not happen.

I like to let my dry cure salmon dry out and form a pellicle too, when I have time. You are right also about the white protiens oozing out, that is a sure sign it is done.
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I think an overnight brine for salmon is excessive. Here's my brine, slightly modified from a recipe I got from someone on the smoke ring list years ago. Good stuff...

Salmon Brine -
5 lbs. Salmon filets
2 C. Water
3 C. Apple Juice
1 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Honey
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
3/4 C. Kosher Salt
3 Bay Leaves
Adjust your measurements proportionately for the amount of fish you use.

For Albacore -
Keep everything the same above except go with 1/2 cup soy sauce. I also added some sweet chili sauce (used on Filipino lumpia). Also, your fish chunks should on average be the size of baseballs to fist-size.

Steps
Before cutting into chunks, skin the filet if the skin is still on. Cut into chunks, 2-3 inches long by 2-3 inches wide. Once you try a batch you will figure out the right measurements for your strips. Put the salmon in the brine and let soak completely covered for about 6 hours. You should weight the filets down to completely submerge them in the brine.

When the brining is complete, remove the salmon, rinse with cold water, fan cool for about 1 hour, then dredge the filet pieces in light brown sugar.

Preheat the smoker to no more than 200 degrees. I like160-190 degree range but have some trouble maintaining the lower temps. Lay your filets on the cooker racks with a little separation between pieces, trying to avoid the hot spots. Cook for about 75-90 minutes, turning over once in the process (leaves nice black grill marks). I don't know what the internal temp of the fish should be when done. (maybe 140 or so). The duration of the cooking time averages about 90 minutes but really depends on the size of your individual fish chunks. Sprinkle a little more brown sugar on the fish about 20 minutes before removing from the cooker (or skip this entirely and use the optional step below)


OPTIONAL (I think this is overkill on Salmon but may work well with Albacore): About 15 minutes before being finished, brush the filets with a 50/50 mixture of apple juice and honey, which made them glisten.


Notes: In my opinion this method is not for a 'dinner' type smoked salmon. This recipe yields a sweet smoky product that is great on crackers, tossed into a salad (chick thing), or chunked off and eaten while chugging cold brewskies.
 
Tommy - I guess I need to clarify. To me overnight brines are about 6 - 7 hours. I don't usually sleep more then 4 - 5.
 
Tommy and BrooklynQ have it right. Way Slow and Way Low is what you want. 160 to 190. You don't want to actually cook the meat, just cure it. Cooking changes the flavor. And I agree with the 4 to 6 hour brine. Should taste something like ocean water with your own special flavor added. I have heard of people doing it in a BBQ smoker with a fire but I do mine in an old, cheap Brinkman that used to be a vertical BBQ charcoal smoker. I converted it to a cold smoker by placing an old hotplate in the bottom, setting a bowl of alder chips on it and turning it on high. I have blown out a couple of hot plate burners so I may have to find a sturdier heating element. I buy them cheap at Good Will so I'm not out much. Works great until the element goes out.
 
Hoorenga said:
Tommy and BrooklynQ have it right. Way Slow and Way Low is what you want. 160 to 190. You don't want to actually cook the meat, just cure it. Cooking changes the flavor. And I agree with the 4 to 6 hour brine. Should taste something like ocean water with your own special flavor added. I have heard of people doing it in a BBQ smoker with a fire but I do mine in an old, cheap Brinkman that used to be a vertical BBQ charcoal smoker. I converted it to a cold smoker by placing an old hotplate in the bottom, setting a bowl of alder chips on it and turning it on high. I have blown out a couple of hot plate burners so I may have to find a sturdier heating element. I buy them cheap at Good Will so I'm not out much. Works great until the element goes out.
Click to expand...

Hoo, what you are doing is the same thing as the commercialy available Luhr Jensen smoker. Very popular and still sold today. I had one about 25 years ago. That sucker made a lot of smoked crappie and beef summer sausage. They had the same problem too. The heating element burned out. Threw mine out in the trash awhile back, but it was a good machine for what it was.
 
I just need to find a good, cheap, sturdy heating element. I had an old waffel iron I used for a while. Broke the case open and exposed the elements so it would heat better. Crude but it worked. I'm thinking mabye one of thoes electrical fire starter wands might work. I tossed that old Brinkman even though it still worked. Just too much junk metal around the yard. I'm going to convert my "The Great Outdoors" vertical charcoal smoker into a cold smoker for fish. It has three chrome racks in a tight vertical chamber.
 
I have smoked both oily fish and non-oily fish. I have smoked salmon on a cedar plank with great results. Covered it with a dill rub that I found in the Smoke & Fire book. I have also smoked bass fillets also with pretty good results. The smoked bass comes out more like fish jerky and it tastes great. Smoked salmon is one of my favorite things and the bass is not even close. But for a quick low calorie snack the smoked bass if great.

One hint: Do not smoke fish with strong wood like hickory. Use Alder if you can get it or fruit wood like apple or pear. Also do not smoke fish too long or you will not get good results. And finally, like most things that you try for the first time do not depend on it to serve guests. Make a test batch for yourself first.
 
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