Fragrant smoked fish with juicy tender meat will become a real delicacy for a picnic and relaxing in the country. The dish is quite easy to prepare and affordable for everyone in terms of ingredients. True, the process of preparing fish and smoking will take at least a couple of hours. Just right to whet your appetite for the great outdoors!

For information on how to properly smoke fish in a hot way until golden brown, and not only in a special smokehouse, read the material "AiF-Chelyabinsk".

Choosing the right fish

The ideal option is to catch fish on your own and immediately smoke it in the field. If you are not a fisherman, go to the market or shop in search of fresh fish. It is she who will be the most delicious. When the choice is small, fresh-frozen fish will do.

Choose instances of the same size and the same type. The fish should be without damage, with dense scales. Mackerel, whitefish, catfish, pike perch, flounder and cod are perfect. You can also smoke perch, bream, pike and carp, which you catch in the river.

Gutting but not cleaning

First you need to thoroughly rinse the fish under running water. Small fish are not gutted and smoked whole. In medium-sized specimens, it is better to remove the gills, entrails and dark film from the ribs before cooking. Otherwise, smoked meat may be bitter. But it is not necessary to clean: the scales will not let smoke through during smoking and retain moisture so that the meat turns out juicy. The exceptions are whitefish and cases when the scales are badly damaged. Leave the head and tail. But if the carcass is too large and does not fit into the smokehouse, you can cut it in half into two pieces or remove the head. It is also permissible to make steaks. Last step - dry the fish with paper towels.

Spare no salt

But it's too early to smoke. First you need to salt the carcass. So the smoking process will go faster, and the smoked fish will turn out tastier. If you cook freshly caught fish in nature and plan to eat it right away, then choose dry salting. In this case, the salting procedure will take 2 - 4 hours, depending on the size of the catch. However, those who want to get a more pronounced taste, leave the fish for a longer time - from several days to a week.

Rub the carcasses with salt (preferably sea) in the direction against the scales, cut large specimens along the ridge and salt inside. Place the fish in a row in a bowl and sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Lay the next layer the other way around - tails to heads. And salt again. Press down on top and leave for a few hours. If you salt at home - then in the refrigerator, but in nature you need to dig a hole and cover it with a fly blanket.

When the fish is salted, rinse it under running water and hang it out to dry so that it withers a little. This will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on your preferences. Next, put black peppercorns, bay leaf and chopped garlic in the abdomen. You can add other spices to taste. Before laying on the smokehouse grate, fish carcasses should be generously greased with vegetable oil.

The wet salting method involves placing the fish in a concentrated salt solution - the so-called brine. It is prepared at the rate of 1:5, that is, 1 kg of salt per 5 liters of water. We place the fish in a container and fill it with saline, put a load on top for pressing. In this case, salting lasts for 1.5 - 2 days. After that, the fish does not need to be washed, but simply dried for several hours before the smokehouse.

Marinating the fish

Instead of classic salting, fish can be marinated before smoking. Depending on its ingredients, the taste of the dish will be different.

Spicy Lemon Marinade

1 liter of water 2 tbsp. salt 3 bay leaves 1 onion ½ lemon 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp pepper thyme, sage, rosemary - a pinch each

Bring water to a boil, season with salt. Add coarsely chopped lemon, onion, and the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Keep on fire for 7 minutes. Place the fish in the cooled marinade for 10 - 12 hours.

Marinade for fish on kefir

1 cup kefir 50 ml vegetable oil 1 tbsp. salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 garlic cloves 4 mint sprigs ground black pepper - to taste

Due to kefir, the fish is juicy and soft. To prepare, add all the ingredients to kefir and mix. Keep the carcasses in this marinade for 6 hours.

Marinade for fish with red wine

1 liter water 150 ml wine 2 tbsp. spoons of salt 4 pcs. cloves ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp allspice peas

Cloves will give the fish a special flavor, and wine will make its meat tender. For the marinade, add salt and cloves to the water and cook over a fire for 10 minutes. When the broth has cooled, put the rest of the products in it. Stir the brine well and place the fish in it for 4 hours.

Smoked on alder or cherry

While the fish is salting or marinating, we prepare the smokehouse. For smoking fish, it is important to choose the right wood. Usually use chips, shavings, twigs and alder leaves. Thin twigs and foliage of fruit trees are suitable - cherries, apple trees, pears, plums, as well as currants and raspberries. But it is not recommended to take coniferous trees, otherwise the smoked fish will be bitter.

First, the bark must be removed from the wood, as it contains a lot of resin. Next, chop the tree into cubes of 2 - 3 cm. Before laying the sawdust, you need to moisten it a little so that when you open the smokehouse lid, they do not flare up. After soaking in an even layer, pour them along the bottom of the smokehouse.

Looking after the coals

The fish on the grill should be laid in one layer so that the carcasses do not touch and are saturated with smoke from all sides. If your smoker has two levels, then on the first, where it will be hotter, put the fish with a thicker skin or in foil, on the second - the rest. Before putting the smoker on the fire, make sure that the coals are evenly distributed. At the same time, it is necessary that several logs still burn. The fire will cause a sharp influx of clean smoke to the fish, without foreign odors.

The lid of the smoker must be tightly closed during cooking. It is strictly forbidden to open it - otherwise the sawdust will flare up. As soon as white smoke begins to fall, it means that the chips have begun to smoke the fish. When the smokehouse warms up, you should remove the burning logs and bring the fish only on coals. For an average fish, the process will take about 30 - 40 minutes.

Before opening the smoker, make sure it has cooled down and the smoke has stopped coming out of it. The finished fish will acquire a dark golden hue. If the carcass is light, it is still raw. If you want the taste of smoking to be not very pronounced, then wrap the fish in foil before laying, leaving the head and tail out.

Smoked fish should be stored in the refrigerator, but no more than three days. In this case, it is desirable to wrap each carcass with paper. You can eat such fish cold, without heating. You can also put the smoked fish in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. Within six months, it will be possible to get it and warm it up in the oven or microwave.

We smoke in the grill

The cost of a compact smokehouse starts from 2 thousand rubles. However, lovers of smoked fish are advised to buy a unit from 20 liters. There will be a lot of fuss with the little one, and only one or two carcasses can be cooked in it. Choose a smokehouse made of iron. The ideal option is stainless steel. Although such a smokehouse is more expensive, it also lasts longer. It is better to take a rectangular device, the presence of handles is a must. Also pay attention to the tray for collecting the flowing fish oil and juice. If you choose an apparatus without it, you will have to put the smokehouse over the fire, tilting it slightly.

By the way, you can smoke fish in the country even without a special smokehouse. All you need is a brazier in which you need to lay wood. It is necessary to take oily fish, for example - mackerel or greenling. Also suitable for herring. Wrap the carcass in several layers of foil, piercing holes in that hole. Smoke fish on a grill on preheated coals. You can do without foil. Then the fish will need to be covered with a saucepan so that the smoke does not dissipate and the dish is smoked.

A delicious delicacy and an excellent snack for beer is smoked fish. Of course, now it can be purchased at any store or supermarket. But how nice it is to cook such a dish on your own. The technology of the smoking process is not at all as complicated as it seems. Try at least once to smoke your own catch or purchased product, and you will become an avid smoker, because this process is very exciting. How to smoke fish on your own, preparation for smoking a product and technologies for various types of smoking are presented in this article.

Which fish is suitable for smoking

You can smoke the fish that you like or your wallet. Suitable for both sea and river, caught on your own or bought on the market. The main thing is to be sure of the freshness of the product.

It is worth noting that fatty fish are tastier, for example: mackerel, catfish, herring, cod, pike perch, red fish. But if you caught carp, crucian or perch, you can safely cook them too.

If you bought a frozen product, the fish must be thawed naturally in the upper part of the refrigerator before cooking. Further, the process of preparing for smoking occurs in the same way as with a fresh product.

Varieties of smoking

Smoking is the oldest way of cooking food. Since ancient times, our ancestors smoked meat and fish. Processing with natural smoke allows you to get not only delicious appetizing food, but also extends its shelf life.

There are 2 main methods of smoking: hot and cold.

To smoke fish in any way, you need a smokehouse. By their design, hot and cold smokehouses differ from each other. A smoking apparatus can be purchased at any specialized store, and if desired, it can be built from improvised means on its own.

It is better to start the smoking process in the morning, in dry, low-wind weather. Also, for smoking, you need to prepare firewood, special wood chips.

Wood for smoking fish

The taste of finished smoked meat largely depends on the right choice of wood. Different types of wood give the fish its own taste, aroma, color.

You can take any firewood for making a fire: poplar, alder, fruit trees. The main thing is that the fire gives a good heat.

Alder, oak, fruit trees (cherry, sweet cherry, apricot, peach, grapes) are suitable for wood chips. You can also use mixtures of sawdust, for example, alder with cherries or apricots. It is very good to add juniper twigs along with berries.

To prepare wood chips, you need to take dry branches, chop them with a hatchet or cut them with an ordinary knife. You can chop wood chips. The size of such chips should be approximately the same (2 by 2 cm) so that the chips smolder evenly.

Do not use wood of any coniferous species. They release resin during combustion, so the products will turn out with a pungent odor and a bitter taste. Also, birch should not be taken, since its wood contains tar.

Sawdust or wood chips should be moderately dry, have a moisture content of 60-70%. Wood that is too dry will burn quickly without producing enough smoke. Wet sawdust will flare up for a very long time.

Preparing fish for the hot smoking process

Before you start smoking, the product must be prepared by going through several stages:

• Treatment.
• Salting or pickling.
• Drying or curing.

Treatment. First, the fish are sorted by size. It is recommended to smoke carcasses of approximately the same size. If you cook everything together, a large one may not be smoked, and a small one will burn during this time.

Small specimens do not need to be cleaned and gutted, it is enough to rinse well. Medium-sized fish must be freed from the insides and the gills removed. Large individuals are gutted and the head removed.

If the carcasses are too large, they are cut into steaks or balyks are formed. The scales are not removed, as they retain the harmful substances contained in the smoke. After cleaning, the fish is thoroughly washed, excess moisture is removed with a paper towel.

Salting. The easiest way is to salt the product in a dry way. To do this, prepared carcasses are carefully rubbed with salt on all sides. Also, salt should be rubbed inside the abdomen and the place where the gills were. If desired, salt can be added to taste black pepper.
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Next, the fish is placed in any suitable container, covered with cling film or a lid, and sent to the refrigerator. In time, small carcasses are salted for 1 hour, medium - 2 hours, large - at least 3 hours.

Pickling. To give a richer taste, the product is placed in a spicy marinade. Take 1 liter of water, 50 g of salt, 3 cloves of garlic (cut into several pieces), coriander, thyme, ginger (half a teaspoon). All components must be boiled, cooled. The processed carcasses are placed in a container, completely filled with brine, salted in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours (longer if possible). You can choose any spices for the marinade, to taste.

Drying. After the fish has been salted, it must be dried before smoking. To do this, string on a thread or hooks, hang in a draft or near a fan.

Dry-salted fish must first be washed to remove excess salt and blotted with a towel. It will be enough to dry the pickled product with napkins.

The fish is dried for at least 60 minutes, and preferably 2 hours. To avoid contact with insects during drying, wrap it with gauze soaked in a weak vinegar solution.

Also, the fish can be dried in the refrigerator, simplifying the process. To do this, wrap the carcasses in food parchment and keep in the refrigerator for 2 hours. The product is ready for hot smoking.

Cooking in a hot smokehouse

A smokehouse for hot smoking, industrial or self-made, consists of the following elements:

• Capacity, volume 10-12 l. It can be a metal bucket or a barrel.
• Pallet. Juice and fat will drain into it during smoking.
• A grate on which food is laid out or bars on which food can be hung.
• Tight fitting lid with small opening. Shop smokehouses have lids with a water seal, which allows you to close the smoking apparatus as tightly as possible.

The bottom of the smokehouse is sprinkled with wood chips, it is enough to take two good handfuls. It is advisable to put a few juniper twigs and berries on top, for a special flavor.

A pallet is placed above the wood chips. It prevents moisture from entering the sawdust. As a result, it will not burn. If there is no pallet, it can be replaced with food foil folded in 2-3 layers.

A grate is placed on top of the pallet, on which fish carcasses are laid out. The fish should not lie tightly so that the smoke evenly envelops each piece.

The smokehouse is covered with a lid, put on fire. A fire can be made in an ordinary barbecue, as well as using a stove or burner. The fire should be moderately strong.

The temperature in the smoker should be between 90 and 120 degrees. In this heat, small fish are smoked for 30 minutes, large ones for 40-50 minutes.

To control the degree of readiness, you can open the lid of the smokehouse. But this should be done slowly and carefully. If air enters, the wood chips can ignite and injure you.

When cooking is finished, remove the fish and let it cool in the fresh air. Only after that you can proceed to the long-awaited tasting. The hot product is not stored for a long time, only 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Therefore, you need to eat it quickly.

Preparing for cold smoking

Cold-smoked fish is treated in the same way as hot-smoked fish. Gut (large), take out the gills, rinse thoroughly and dry with a towel. Next comes the moment of salting. As a rule, during cold smoking, it is salted with dry salting in a large amount of salt. A small layer of salt is poured onto the bottom of the prepared dishes, carcasses are laid out, previously rubbed with salt, and salt is again sprinkled on top.

If there are a lot of fish, it is laid in layers, each row is also sprinkled with salt. Oppression is placed on top of the carcasses. They will salt for at least 5 days.

After that, the carcasses must be soaked in clean cold water for 3-4 hours. Then the delicacy is strung or put on hooks, dried in a draft or well ventilated for 22-24 hours. The fish dried in this way is placed in a smokehouse.

Cold smoked fish

The cold smoke process ensures long-term storage of fish delicacies. But it also takes a lot of time. A cold smokehouse consists of 3 main parts: a firebox, a container in which products are smoked and a chimney connecting the firebox to the container. Production smokehouses are arranged differently; the process of smoking in them is automated and does not require constant human control.

Technology such as smoking fish is absolutely available at home. How to do this, you can find out in this article. Any man can make a small smokehouse. This approach can expand the diet of any family.

And if you build a stationary structure, then you can provide smoked fish not only for yourself, but also for your neighbors. The main thing here is that there are useful areas, and the presence of desire will also not be superfluous.

How complicated the smoking process is, you can find out in the process of smoking. Although many argue that this is not an easy process, you should not tune in to more complexity. First of all, you need to decide which fish is better to smoke. As a rule, there are no special requirements for fish. In other words, you can smoke almost any fish.

Most people who are engaged in this business claim that even pike, catfish, and burbot are suitable for smoking. Those who have not been involved in smoked fish can practice, for example, on pike perch, herring, sterlet, cod or flounder. According to some professionals, you can smoke crucian or perch.

Basically, fatty fish species lend themselves to smoking, as this contributes to a tastier end product. The only thing is that you can’t smoke eel if you have never had to do this, since the wrong approach can make this product dangerous to humans.

There are a lot of options for making homemade fish smokers. In addition, designs can be designed for both cold and hot smoking. These processes are similar to each other, although they have certain differences. In this regard, the design is also different, although not significantly. Despite this, it is easier to make a smokehouse for hot smoking. Moreover, you can make such a small structure that you can take it with you for fishing and smoke fish directly near the reservoir. Of course, you can’t accumulate a lot of fish, but in nature, with a beer, it will be enough.

The simplest and most affordable option is a regular stainless steel bucket. The lid should be adjusted to the dimensions of the bucket so that oxygen does not penetrate inside. The height of the camera within 0.5-0.6 meters is enough.

Grids must be cleaned after each process. For such a design, it is necessary to provide stands, 0.3-0.4 meters high. In nature, it is not always possible to find stones of a suitable size, and the tree will burn.

Firewood for smoking or wood chips are very important for the finished product, since it depends on them how tasty the smoked product will be. Chips from juniper or alder are perfect. If this is not possible, then these materials can be replaced with oak, maple, apple, pear or even birch. Branches left after spring pruning of trees are also suitable. Each type of tree gives the fish its own, special flavor. Therefore, everyone will be able to choose exactly the chips that family members will like the most.

Before use, it is better to remove the bark from wood, especially if birch is used. Birch bark contains a high concentration of resins. The tree is crushed to the size of cubes, 2x2 cm in size. It will not be bad if the blanks are chopped into chips or wet thin branches up to 1 cm thick are broken. Moreover, you can use almost any tree, including chestnut, poplar and any fruit trees. But pine is not suitable for smoking fish at all, including other conifers. They have a very high concentration of unpalatable resins that can simply spoil the product and make it unsuitable for food. Although, in some countries, the bones are smoked exclusively on the needles of coniferous trees. Moreover, the product is considered a delicacy. If the fish is wrapped in two layers of gauze, then the bitterness from the smoke can be minimized.

Not only the taste of smoked meats, but also the resulting shade of the product depends on the material used. Mahogany, such as alder, will color the fish golden, oak a dark yellow or even brown, and linden, maple and other species golden yellow. The appearance of the product largely depends on the color. But this can play a key role if the smoked product is traded. And for myself, the main thing is that it is tasty and the product does not turn out to be raw.

Some experts advise using dry wood chips, although most people use wet ones because they produce more smoke. In addition, it is very difficult to maintain the temperature at an optimal level, which can lead to a fire of dry wood chips inside the smoking chamber, especially at the moment it is opened.

To obtain exquisite aromas, materials such as juniper twigs, rosemary, almond shells, and so on should be added to the chips. At the same time, one should not overdo it so as not to completely clog the aroma of the fish itself. Not bad results can be obtained if you add a little bit of vine branches.

The quality of the chips is also important. In any case, it is better to use healthy wood and in no case rotten or affected by fungus.

Fish smoking technology

Particular attention must be paid to the cleanliness of the smokehouse, otherwise the fish will not have a pleasant aroma. As a rule, chips of the same size are placed at the bottom of the smokehouse. Smaller chips can catch fire and burn quickly, spoiling the smoking process.

The process can be simplified if special coals are used instead of wood chips. Before smoking, the smokehouse is heated to a certain temperature, after which a grill with fish is installed and covered with a lid. As soon as the first smoke appears, the countdown of smoking time begins.

Smoking oily fish has its own characteristics. In the process of smoking, fat begins to drain from the fish, which must be removed. If measures are not taken in time, then the fat will dry out and then it will be difficult to get rid of it. To prevent this from happening, foil is placed on a special stand. Fat flows onto this foil, and at the end of smoking, it is simply removed along with the fat. Otherwise, the fish may not be cooked.

The lid of the smokehouse should close the chamber as tightly as possible, otherwise the wood chips may catch fire from the access of oxygen, which is unacceptable.

The smoking process is divided into two stages:

1. One fourth of the time is devoted to drying the fish. At this time, the temperature is maintained at +80ºС-+90ºС.
2. The rest of the time is devoted directly to the smoking process itself. During this period the temperature rises to +100ºС-+120ºС.

There are simple ways to determine the smoking temperature. To do this, put a little water on the lid of the smokehouse. If you hear a characteristic hiss, then the temperature is right. If the water begins to boil, then the temperature must be reduced, otherwise the fish will simply boil. The smoking temperature is controlled by the amount of fuel. If you need to increase the temperature, then the fuel is added, and the fire begins to burn more intensely. If the fire burns strongly, then it can be extinguished with water. To do this, water is poured into a plastic bottle, and a hole is made in the lid. This makes it possible to accurately and quickly control the burning of a fire.

As a rule, the smoking process takes no more than half an hour. Here, much depends on the volume of smoking and the size of the fish carcasses.

The end product of smoking acquires a golden-bronze hue, without any traces of soot or soot. As a result of the correct process, fish meat is easily separated from the skin and bones. This indicates that the fish is cooked correctly. If technological flaws were observed, then the fish meat will be viscous or bitter. If the fish falls apart without much effort, then this means that the fish was overexposed in the smokehouse.

To prepare the fish, do the following:

• The fish is cut and disposed of the entrails.
• Then the fish is salted.
• After that, the fish is washed from salt residues and dried, and only then it can be sent to the smokehouse.

The easiest option is to purchase a finished, already cut carcass in the store. Firstly, butchered carcasses are more expensive, and secondly, there is no confidence in high-quality butchering. Therefore, it is better to do this yourself and cut the carcass according to all the rules.

Some anglers refuse to cut carcasses before smoking. This is especially true when the fish is oily. If it is cut, then in the process of smoking the fish will lose most of the fat. As a rule, with small carcass sizes, up to 0.5-0.7 kg, the fish is not cut. For large sizes, cutting is required, as this allows you to cook fish more efficiently. At the same time, the head and scales are preserved, and the carcass can be sewn. First, it will allow some of the fat to remain in the fish, and second, it will allow dirt or debris to get inside the fish.

Individuals of trophy size are cut along the ridge, while part of the head and part of the tail remain. If these two halves do not fit in the chamber, then they can be divided into two more parts.

The fish is salted before smoking and serves two purposes. The first is to give fish meat a certain taste. The second goal is to kill all harmful microorganisms. When smoking in pieces, they are simply rubbed with salt and spices and left for a certain time. When salting whole carcasses of fish, this process is carried out in a completely different way. First you need to prepare a saline solution, taking 80 g of salt per 1 liter of water. At the same time, for each kilogram of the product, up to 1.5 liters of such a saline solution will be required. In this case, the fish is salted for 12 hours.

If you really want to smoke fish while fishing, then it is better to take 300 g of salt for every liter of water. The fish is infused for 4 hours. Before moving the fish to the smokehouse, it is rubbed with any spices. For example, you can grate with pepper or some herbs.

• do not allow a large flame to burn;
• smoke fish of various sizes;
• open the smokehouse until smoke appears;
• open the chamber until the product is ready;
• pour water into the smokehouse.

If you follow the helpful tips, the process will go according to all the rules.

Cold smoking

Cold smoking has its advantages. The product of cold smoking lasts much longer and contains less harmful substances. Unfortunately, this process is somewhat more complicated and takes more time. In addition, for such a smokehouse you need more space. The technology is almost the same, but the fish does not fit on the grate, but is hung by the tail.

Depending on the size of the fish, the process of cold smoking can take from 2 to 7 days. At the end of the smoking process, the fish still remains in the smokehouse for several days. Smoking takes place at a temperature of +40°C.

Hot smoking

This method is very popular, as it takes much less time to cook fish. As a rule, the process of hot smoking takes no more than half an hour or a little more, depending on the size of the carcass. If the fish has a golden brown hue, then it can be eaten. Fish prepared in this way can be stored for no more than 3 days if it is out of the refrigerator.

How to smoke fish without a smoker

This method involves the use of various improvised means for smoking, like a bucket. There are a lot of similar options, and it all depends on the level of your imagination. The main thing is to carefully delve into the technology in order to understand what is needed for this. And you need the following. The smokehouse chamber must be hermetically sealed. The chamber should have a grate on which fish carcasses are placed, and under it, at a distance of 10-20 mm, a pan where fat will collect. Wood chips are laid on the bottom of the chamber, up to 2 cm thick. It all depends on the volume of the chamber. In short, there are no difficulties and anyone can handle smoking fish. Most importantly, take this process seriously and follow the helpful advice.

• smokehouse for hot smoking of fish.
• fire source - wood / coals, gas burner
• sawdust - which is better for smoking.
• hot smoked fish, preparation, recipe for hot smoked perch and bream

Smokehouse

A smokehouse for hot smoking is an iron box, without holes, with a tight-fitting lid, which is necessary to prevent oxygen from entering and burning sawdust during the cooking of fish. It is completed with a pallet - a flat iron sheet - is placed directly on the sawdust, prevents them from burning and does not allow dripping fat to fall on them, and grates on which the fish is directly placed.

The requirements for a smokehouse for fish are not particularly different from the requirements for a barbecue. The thicker and better the steel, the less likely it is to lead when overheated. The thickness of the iron is especially important for the bottom - there are sawdust on it, and like a frying pan, the thicker the iron, the more uniform the heating of the sawdust and the less chance of sawdust burning at one point and untouched at another, with an uneven flame.

Smokehouses for hot smoking of fish can be divided into 2 types. In one case (as a rule, these are all small shop smokehouses), the fire source is located outside from below, warms up the bottom of the smokehouse and causes sawdust to smolder inside. The second type of smokehouse, as a rule, is larger in size, similar in design, due to the large size, the following use is possible - a flame is ignited directly inside the smokehouse, a thick layer of hot coals is formed, as for a barbecue, “buns” from sawn tree trunk, up to 2 cm thick and up to 5-20 cm in diameter, in such a way as to leave as few open coals as possible and create a kind of pallet, and sawdust is poured directly on top of the “buns”, fish is placed on the grate, the lid closes. I use a regular store-bought smokehouse 25x25x50 cm, it seems to me convenient and compact, it allows me to successfully smoke perch 300-1000 gr, small bream up to 1 kg, the fire is naturally outside, so I can’t describe in detail the features of using smokehouses with coals inside, although in general smoking fish in them is not particularly different, the criterion that there is heat inside the smokehouse, as a rule, is the heating of the lid - it is not possible to hold the hand of pain for 1-2 seconds.

Pay special attention to the lid of the smoker - it should close tightly, tightness is not required, but a gap of 1-2 mm can already cause burning of sawdust and fish.

During operation, a coating of resins forms on the pallet, walls and lid of the smokehouse - I prefer to remove its excess, it seems to me, if this is not done, the smoked fish acquires a bitter taste and the appearance deteriorates a little, namely, the color of cooked perch or bream. I don't clean to bare iron, it's enough to remove the excess with a metal plate like an old chisel, after which I usually sprinkle some rock salt on the surface and briefly rub with a dry cloth or dish sponge, removing excess resin.

A mandatory rule for all smokehouses - you can’t open the lid until the smokehouse has cooled down a bit - a sharp hit of oxygen on hot sawdust can lead to their ignition and injury (I really haven’t seen it myself, but I believe and I won’t check the advice)

Fire

For smokehouses with coals inside, the process is similar to cooking coals for barbecue, a layer of coals, the degree of burnout is selected empirically, the criterion for sufficient heat inside the smokehouse is heating the lid - the inability to keep fingers on it for more than 1-2-3 seconds.

For smokehouses with an external heat source, wood and gas burners can be used. Technically, a gas burner is preferable, compact, clean, a huge advantage - it allows you to choose the optimal flame, which will not change in the future throughout the entire smoking process, it is easier to distribute the fire over the bottom area. There is only one drawback - the lack of romance and entourage.

The main requirements for a fire under a smokehouse are the uniformity of heating the bottom and the stability of the flame. Too strong a flame, especially touching the walls of the smokehouse, is not desirable, this will lead to the burning of fish and sawdust. The flame should be only under the bottom of the smokehouse, evenly distributed over its entire area, burn stably, respectively, small firewood flares up quickly and strongly, but soon burns out is not suitable. The criterion for the correctness of the strength of the flame - the smoke from sawdust moderately emitted from under the lid, and the heating of the smokehouse lid - is determined by touch, the most accurate criterion is the result of smoking fish. To install a smokehouse over a fire, as a rule, the height of the bricks placed on the edge is sufficient. If you put an additional sheet of iron or cast iron under the bottom of the smokehouse, then it is possible to achieve more uniform heating of sawdust and level the effects of an unstable flame, or its accidental temporary attenuation.

Sawdust, or rather, shavings, for hot smoking fish

The component is extremely important, directly determining the taste of smoked fish, whether it be perch, bream, carp or pike perch. Ready-made sawdust is sold in stores, as a rule it is alder, which is considered a classic wood species, but it gives a bitter aftertaste, which, personally, I don’t like, the second minus of purchased sawdust is that they cost money :). I prefer sawdust of fruit trees - cherry, apricot, apple - they do not give bitterness. It is possible to manufacture a mixture of sawdust - in general, a creative question and entirely depends on personal preferences.

You can make sawdust yourself from stovolov and thick tree branches. The process is not difficult. It is necessary to lay logs on a clean surface, cellophane, oilcloth (rags have the disadvantage that sawdust and wood dust cling to them, it is difficult to clean them later). The first option is to cut it with a chainsaw - you get excellent sawdust, very similar in structure to the store ones. I don’t have a chainsaw, so I use an electric drill, I drill holes in a tree with a 22-23 mm spade drill, I get excellent sawdust, in my opinion even more correct than from a chainsaw, and there is no smell from the drill. The process of harvesting sawdust for 1 smoking takes me no more than 10-15 minutes.

There is an opinion that sawdust for smoking should be moistened - I did not find the need for this.

Hot smoked fish

For me, the number one fish for hot smoking is perch. This is due to the fact that I believe that smoking is the easiest and most delicious way to cook perch. It is also important that, when smoking, the perch does not need to be cleaned. In second place is bream. Pike perch, bersh are very tasty in smoked form. Smoked pike, crucian carp are too dry. Small carp are successfully smoked - but I prefer this fish in the ear.

The most convenient for me is perch 400-800 gr, small bream 800-1000 gr. This is partly due to the fact that the given size of the fish is most successfully placed in my smokehouse.

When laying fish in a smokehouse, it is advisable to select fish of a similar size for one smoking - this will avoid a situation where a small fish has dried up and a large one is not yet ready. A moderate variation in size is acceptable if you are just mastering smoking, by laying fish of different sizes, you can determine in one smoking that 20 minutes is excellent for a 300 g perch and not enough for 1 kg, which needs to be smoked longer, that is, it is faster to choose smoking modes.

Recipe for preparing fish for smoking

It is not necessary to clean the scales, and even harmful.

All preparation of fish for smoking comes down to gutting and salting.

The most convenient way to gut a perch is in the following way. The gill cover is bent, from the back to the lower jaw, a thin membrane is cut with a knife or scissors, connecting the last gill arch to the body on both sides, a thin bridge connecting the body with the lower jaw is cut with scissors, the place of attachment of all gills to the lower jaw is cut. The head of the perch is slightly bent towards the back, all the gills are grasped by hand, separated from the place of attachment to the head from the side of the upper jaw. Further, holding the separated gills as a single block together with the pharynx, we begin to pull out the insides of the perch for them. As a rule, it is possible to completely remove all the insides, the risk of damage to the gallbladder is minimal. If desired, abdominal fat, swim bladder, caviar can be put back into the stomach. Gutted bream classically.

Next, you need to salt the fish. You can make a concentrated, bitter saline solution and put the fish in it for an hour or two, then take it out, rinse, dry and smoke, this method is faster. I prefer to pour salt into the stomach of the fish, rub salt on top and leave for 12 hours - a day (this method is especially good when you return from fishing late in the evening), although in principle it salts out in 4-6 hours. After the fish has been salted, depending on the time spent in salt and the desired salinity, it must be washed from salt and can be soaked for 15-30 minutes in water. Personally, I perch 400-800 gr, after a day in salt soak for 10 minutes. After the salt is removed, it is very important to wipe the fish from moisture and let the water drain, for which I hang the fish upside down for 30 minutes. Excess moisture during smoking gives the fish a cooked flavor and makes the meat less dense.

Recipe for smoking fish using perch and bream as an example

So, the fish is caught, salted, washed and dried. Sawdust and a fire are made. Let's start smoking!

While the fire burns out and a steady moderate flame is formed from thicker logs, you can load the smoker. Sawdust is laid on the bottom of the smokehouse in a uniform layer of 1-2 cm, a pallet is placed directly on the sawdust. The fish is laid out on the grill. Perches are placed in the gaps between the grates vertically, back down, belly up - this allows fat and juice not to flow out. Perches weighing 400 grams fit perfectly in my smoker, larger perches need to turn their tails.

The bream is placed worse in the smokehouse, therefore it is placed on its side, nothing terrible happens from this. The grate with fish is installed in the smokehouse, a prerequisite is that the fish should not touch the walls of the smokehouse, otherwise it will burn badly. If desired, the fins can be trimmed for the bream so that they do not burn, large perch have fins on the tail. The smokehouse with fish is closed tightly with a lid and set on fire. Keep the fire going evenly. After 5-10 minutes, smoke should begin to break through from under the lid of the smokehouse, if there is any doubt, you can check it by slightly bending the lid a millimeter or two along the free edge and immediately releasing it (protect your hands from burns!) - at the moment of releasing smoke comes out. From the moment the smoke appears, you can track the time of smoking and focus entirely on maintaining the “right” fire. One of the criteria for correctness is the heating of the lid, which allows you to touch it, but does not allow you to hold your hand for more than 1-2-3 seconds. The smoking time is selected to taste. I prefer the next duration. I smoke perch 400-500 gr for about 20 minutes, 700-800 gr for 25-30 minutes, bream 800-1000 gr for 25-30 minutes. Toward the end of smoking, a wonderful smell of smoked perch or bream may appear. The time is up - I remove the smokehouse from the fire, it’s not worth opening right away - suddenly the sawdust flares up - I wait 10-15 minutes. I open the smokehouse - a divine moment! - the magnificent smell of smoked fish hits the nose, and perches lie on the grate. Properly cooked fish has a characteristic copper color. If you are not satisfied with the result, you can close it and put it back on fire.

Someone likes to eat while the fish is still hot, someone from the refrigerator, I like it best when it cools down and is slightly warm. Hot smoked fish is stored in the refrigerator, not for a long time, several days, it is not worth wrapping it in a bag. And remember, hot-smoked fish is very tasty, but not healthy, it is believed that there are carcinogens in the resin, and the dish itself can exacerbate cholecystitis, pancreatitis and contributes to atherosclerosis, and if eaten with bones, then you can pierce the intestine :). Plus, you can get burns from a fire and smokehouse. But I wouldn’t trade smoked perch for oatmeal!

Smoking is a variant of the heat treatment of fresh fish, based on the use of smoke, which is obtained as a result of a long process of smoldering sawdust. After such processing, hot smoked fish time is from half an hour to one and a half hours, depending on the size of the carcass, - it has a delicate taste and unique aroma, and the fish turns into a real delicacy.

During cooking hot smoked fish at home it does not oxidize, and its fillet is very juicy. It should be borne in mind that hot-smoked fish is able to retain its freshness for a short time, so it should be consumed as early as possible.

The process of preparing hot-smoked fish can be conditionally divided into two stages.

Drying. This process takes place with a sufficiently intense smoke and is aimed at evaporating excess moisture from the fish. In time, it takes from fifteen to twenty-five minutes.

Smoking. At this stage, the temperature should be between eighty and ninety degrees, and this must be carefully monitored during the cooking process, otherwise the fish will simply boil.

How to smoke hot smoked fish

If you plan regularly cook homemade fish , then for these purposes at an affordable price you can purchase an industrially made smokehouse. If you just want to try your hand at this business, then you can build a smokehouse from improvised means: a metal box or an old barrel is quite suitable for these purposes.

An important element for the proper organization of the smoking process is the selection of sawdust or tree branches for these purposes. It should be borne in mind here that not every type of wood is suitable for this. In particular, despite the fact that pine tree species (spruce, pine, etc.) emit a pleasant smell, sawdust from them cannot be used for smoking - during the combustion process, they emit resin, which settles not only on the walls of the smokehouse, but also on the products themselves. The most suitable for smoking are branches and sawdust of hardwood trees: oak, ash, maple, etc. Branches of fruit trees that are found in almost every home garden are also good for this: apple trees, cherries, pears, etc.

There are no restrictions on fish species for smoking, however, as practice shows, the most delicious as a result of this cooking method are silver carp, carp, pike, pike perch, etc.

How to cook hot smoked fish: the preparation process

Preparation process smoked fish at home consists of the following steps:

1. Freshly caught fish - and it is advisable to use just such a fish for smoking - is thoroughly washed, cleaned of scales, and the insides are removed from it. When cutting large-sized fish, their heads are removed, and the body is first cut, and then unfolded into a layer. When preparing a small fish, it is enough just to wash it thoroughly.
2. The cut fish is rubbed with salt, the consumption of which is one kilogram three hundred grams per five kilograms of fish. Spice lovers can add them to their taste.
3. Some amateurs soak fish in saline. When cooking fish in the field, this method is unlikely to be convenient, but those who wish to do this at home will be able to use it.
4. The duration of salting fish on average takes from five to ten hours. After this process is completed, salt is removed from the surface of the fish with a rag or simply shaken off.
5. Then the carcasses of the fish are dried in a well-ventilated area; for this purpose, you can use a stretched rope, hanging the fish on hooks on it. The duration of this process is approximately two hours.

Some fans of smoking fish at home have fears that the fish prepared in this way will be too salty. As practice shows, this should not be feared: the fish takes salt exactly as much as it needs.

Hot smoked fish recipes

There are many recipes for home-smoked fish, we will give two of the most popular of them.

Hot smoked mackerel

1. Several medium carcasses of mackerel are purchased in the store and prepared for the smoking process in the above way. Note that mackerel meat goes well with various spices, in particular, ground pepper.
2. Two or three handfuls of slightly damp sawdust are poured into the smokehouse, and it is best if they are from deciduous trees.
3. After that, carcasses are placed on the grate, and this must be done so that they do not touch each other.
4. The smokehouse is covered with a lid and a medium-sized fire is set.
5. After ten or twelve minutes, the lid should be lifted and smoke released from under it: this is a preventive measure that ensures that after cooking the fish will not be bitter.
6. Then the smokehouse is again covered and kept on fire for about twenty minutes.
7. After that, the flame under the smokehouse is extinguished, and the fish is removed from it - it is ready.
8. To fully enjoy the taste of hot smoked mackerel, it should be consumed after it has cooled down a bit.

The recipe should be of interest to fishermen returning from fishing with a catch of medium-sized fish.

Hot smoking of small river fish for beer

1. Small fish are cleaned, the excess is removed, salted and left under oppression in a basin or barrel for three days.
2. After that, after washing with water and drying it, it is placed in a smokehouse.
3. Previously, the bottom of the smokehouse is covered with foil, on which a little clean sand is poured, and sawdust is placed on top, while preference should be given to alder or cherry sawdust.
4. Smoked fish should take place at a temperature not exceeding seventy degrees Celsius, then it will turn out to be moderately dry and very fragrant.
5. The whole process of cooking fish according to this recipe takes about forty minutes.

Smoked fish is a real delicacy, which you can fully enjoy after cooking it according to our recipes.

Video: hot smoked fish. Recipe