Smoked Fish

12-4-09

I know it is the middle of winter, but I was thinking about the goodness of smoked fish. I thought I would post this how to recipe so that those of you who are pre-planners like me can read this and daydream of hot summer days, cold beverages, and smoke filled backyards.

How to Smoke Fish

Hardware:
An indirect heat smoker or kettle style grill
A set of measuring cups,
Ceramic, Glass, or Plastic bowl
Tongs

Software:
1 U.S. gallon of water at room temperature
2 cups salt (preferably Kosher Salt)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic juice (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon allspice (it is best to sift this into the water to avoid clumping
2 teaspoons black pepper


This is the methodology that I have followed for the past 2 years or so. I have tried others but this is the one I like best. This method uses hot smoke rather than cold smoke. It is a modified version of the process used by a fish house in northern Wisconsin.

Preparing the Fish
Use only fresh fish or fish that was frozen immediately after catching and thawed just before cooking. Rinse in fresh water, remove scales, and trim all loose pieces and bones. The Skin should be left on. It is easiest to leave the skin on for the smoking process since with most fish it can be easily removed after smoking. It is best to work with batches of fish that are similar is weight as this is one of the variables in establishing the time of brining.

Fish Smoking Brine Recipe
1 U.S. gallon of water at room temperature
(you can use a little less water and add a can of cheap lager beer)
2 cups salt (preferably Kosher Salt)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic juice (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon allspice (it is best to sift this into the water to avoid clumping
2 teaspoons black pepper
This recipe is for an 80% brine and can be multiplied as many times as needed
In a glass, plastic, or ceramic container (never wood or metal), mix all of the ingredients thoroughly until dissolved.

Place the fish in the brine solution ensuring that all pieces are completely submerged. Place plates on top of the fish to maintain complete submersion. For short brining periods (three hours of less) in cool temperatures the brine may be at room temperature if the fish is well chilled before placing it in to the brine. If the fish is not well chilled and/or the ambient temperature is warm, place the brine and fish in a refrigerator for the duration of the time of brining. Alternatively, if you are camping fishing or somewhere that chilling is not an option; you may place bags containing ice in to the brine mixture to cool the temperature.

Brining Time
The type of fish, the weight of the pieces and whether the skin has been left on or removed establish the brining time. Following are general guidelines for time of brining. Adjustments to the general guidelines for type of fish and whether the skin is left on (I leave the skin on) or removed are discussed below (See * below).

Weight of Each Piece of Fish
Time for Brining:
Under ¼ lb. - 30 minutes
¼ lb. To ½ lb. - 45 minutes
½ lb. To 1 lb. - 1 hour
1 lb. To 2 lb. - 2 hours
2 lbs. To 3 lbs. - 3 hours
3 lbs. To 4 lbs. - 4 hours
4 lbs. To 5 lbs. - 5 hours

*Adjustments to Time of Brining - If the skin is left on the fish then increase the time of brining by 25%. For oily fish ( Great Lakes chub, Atlantic herring, Gulf pompano, most trout, whitefish, cod, mackerel, salmon, sturgeon, dogfish, etc.) increase time of brining by 25%.

*Overhauling - To obtain the best curative and flavoring effect from brining, all pieces of the fish must be freely exposed to the brine solution. Overhauling is simply the process of rearranging the pieces of fish in the brining container to provide for a proper turnover. Overhauling is not necessary for brining periods of two hours or less. For longer periods overhaul occasionally (e.g., for a four hour time of brining you might overhaul once half way through the time of brining).

Drying
At the end of the brining period the fish is removed from the brine for drying.

After removing the fish from the brine, place the fish on elevated racks for drying prior to smoking. It is easiest to use the same racks that you will use in your smoker if you can.

Lightly oil the racks (a product like Pam works well for this) to avoid sticking. Place the racks of fish in a cool breezy place protected from flying insects. I place an electric fan near the racks to provide a breeze. The time for drying is usually one hour at which time a thin glaze called the pellicle is formed on the fish. The pellicle aids in the development of the color and flavor as the fish is smoking. It also helps keep in the juices and retain the firm texture of the fish as it is smoked.

Smoking
Fish smoking can be accomplished in many different types of smoking equipment. I use a cylindrical smoker with an offset / lowered firebox. Any hard wood works fine for smoking fish (never use soft woods or sappy woods like pine as it will taint the flavor). I have used: apple, oak, hickory, pecan, cherry, mesquite with excellent results.

If you don’t have a smoker you can use a kettle style grill with an indirect or offset fire. Or in a pinch you can use a hot plate, a pie pan filled with appropriate wood chips, a large terracotta flower pot and bottom, and a wire cooling rack, and a medium size cardboard box.

Smoke the fish at approximately 190 degrees.
At 190 degrees I generally follow these approximate smoking times:

Weight of Each Piece of Fish
Approximate Smoking Time
¼ lb. To ½ lb.
1 and ¼ hour to 1 and ½ hour
½ lb. To 1 lb.
1 and ½ hour to 2 hours
1 lb. To 2 lbs.
2 hours to 2 and ½ hour
3 lbs. To 4 lbs.
2 and ½ hour to 3 hours

Additionally, the cooking time may need to be increased depending on how many times you lift the lid or open the door to check on progress.
Smoked fish is done when it flakes easily while pressing it lightly with a knife of fork. On larger pieces of fish you may want to test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Fish is done when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.

When you are done smoking the fish, remove the racks to an elevated surface to cool. I sometimes set the racks on top of pop style cans. Once the fish has cooled for approximately a-half hour, wrap tightly in foil and place the foil parcel in a zip lock type bag.

Serving suggestions:
Fish can be served as an entrée paired with brown rice and a fresh salad as a lunch while waiting on the whole pork shoulder to smoke for dinner. If I have to be at the smoker all day then why not reap some of the benefits and have a nice lunch while waiting on dinner. Or the fish can be chilled and served with a nice white cheddar and horse radish cheese spread and some whole wheat crackers.

------------------------------------Tips for Smoking Fish-------------------------

Water for Brining – I usually use bottled water for brining.
Salt for Brining – I prefer kosher salt for brining.
Quantity of Wood for Smoking – Don’t do as I and others have done and figure that if a little smoke is good then more must be better. Too much smoke will cause the fish to taste bitter. Use just enough wood to maintain a steady smoke.

Let me know how it turns out for you.