Why do you need to know how to smoke hot smoked mackerel in the smokehouse and at the stake? At least if you want to taste harmless delicacies without additives. An important moment is the cost of hot smoked products and recipes useful to those who want to save a little. It is not surprising that the number of people wishing to learn how to cook smoked fish at home is increasing day by day. Home-made products do not contain harmful additives, and as a result, interest in the smoking methods of some products is significantly increased.
For relaxation and during
Today we consider recipes for how to smoke hot smoked mackerel in the smokehouse and on the fire. Very soon, you will be able to independently prepare delicious fish for a family table or a friendly party. If you wish, you can combine the pleasant and the useful: to smoke fish directly during a meeting with friends, in the country. Use the hint on how to smoke hot smoked mackerel in the smokehouse and on the grill, and after a while there will be an opportunity to taste a fish treat. However, before preparing the mackerel directly, it will be necessary to carry out some preparatory manipulations with the fresh (or frozen) product.
What to look for when choosing a method and recipe for smoking
Taste flavor depends on the method of salting of raw materials and the use of the apparatus for smoking. Before you smoke hot smoked mackerel in a smokehouse or on a fire, study the properties of the wood material (sawdust), which is used to process fish. In the article, we will definitely pay attention to this important point on creating an appetizing snack. Pay close attention to the points that are important during the acquisition of the mackerel itself. Cooking on the grill will also require this knowledge, so do not ignore them.
Buy fish
How to smoke mackerel in a hot smoked smokehouse at the stake? We will study the recipes a little later, and now we will take up the choice of "raw materials" - mackerel. Pay attention to the expiration dates of the product. Read the packaging, there they will give you an exhaustive answer to the questions: where did this fish come from when it was caught.
This rule is important so that after tasting the fish, unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous, reactions of the body do not happen. If you have the opportunity to purchase a chilled product - this is just a great option. But, unfortunately, not many are so fabulously lucky. Choose the best possible. Damaged fish is what we need.
Wood material
The choice of sawdust is also important. Before you think about how to smoke mackerel in a smoke-cured smokehouse or on the grill, you must first acquire shavings of suitable wood. The most "tasty" will be chips of alder, juniper, apple. Smoking is allowed on oak chips and aspen. Plum, pear and birch - they can also be used during the processing of fish smoke. Regulars advise mixing several types of sawdust at once, so that the smoke has a more "tasty" aroma.
How much does smoked mackerel smoke in a smokehouse
The total smoke soaking time will take at least one hour. During the process, you need to monitor the temperature values in the smokehouse. Inside should not be higher than one hundred degrees.
Checking the preparedness of smoked snacks is easy. The main criterion is the appearance of the fish: the skin is smooth, shiny, with a characteristic shade of smoked meat. In order to make sure that the product is ready, pierce the fish with a lance or a toothpick. If no fluid protrudes around the puncture, then you can try.
How to smoke hot smoked mackerel at the stake and in the smokehouse
Recipes with photos of a magnificent golden fish will help those who still doubt their abilities to smoke fish at home. General steps for smoking fish:
- Ready to process mackerel before smoking, it is better to tie with thin twine. The procedure will provide a decent appearance to the carcass after the smoke treatment process. The skin will not fall off and the fish will not break the integrity.
- On a burned-out bonfire, arrange a pedestal for the grate. A height of 60 cm promotes uniform digging and heat treatment. Pour a wet sliver into the coals, watch how smoke appears.
- Grease the lattice with vegetable oil in order to avoid damage to the fish. Cover the fish with an inverted cauldron or any similar makeshift lid. After 30 minutes, turn the grill to the other side and wait the same until the fish is ready. Now you know how to smoke hot smoked mackerel at the stake. The most important thing is to choose a suitable recipe for salting fish before smoke treatment.
Detailed instructions for preparing fish
First of all, the fish must be thawed. Unless, of course, a frozen product was purchased. Do not leave it at room temperature for long. It is better to put the fish in a large bowl and place in the refrigerator until completely defrosted. It will take 7-10 hours. Usually left overnight, and in the morning they begin other preparatory procedures.
When the defrost is over, the fish are freed from entrails and washed inside each carcass. The dark film covering the inside must be removed so that the finished product does not deteriorate with a bitter aftertaste. Leave the head as it is. Many will remove the gills, but not everyone will be able to do this correctly. If the presence of the head is embarrassing - cut it off.
Drain the fish carcasses and send to the brine. After the fish passes the salting, we proceed to the preparation of the smokehouse (for those who have it). Put chips on the bottom and sprinkle water on them. We lay the lattice inside in one row with fish and, setting the apparatus over a moderate bonfire, wait at least half an hour. Here the fish cooks faster, keep this in mind. We remove the smokehouse from the fire, but do not open it, but wait again for the time (3 minutes). Now you can get a delicacy and treat friends and relatives.
For lack of apparatus, we smoke a fish in the manner described above. Use improvisation, you can literally build a simple smoking machine from improvised means.
Now consider a few options for recipes for brine for fish. Choose the one that is more preferable to you and use to please yourself and your loved ones.
Dry ambassador
Dried carcasses should be placed in a basin. Well season with salt and ground pepper on all sides. Do not forget about the abdomen: sprinkle salt in them too. Inside each fish, you can place fresh spicy herbs, such as thyme. Leave the fish for 30 minutes. During this time, she will salt as she needs, and will dry on top. Do not cover the dishes.
Dry with lemon
Mackerel will acquire a lemon flavor if you use the juice of this citrus in a dry salting. Calculation of products: one medium-sized carcass needs a medium-sized lemon and 100 g of salt. Rub the fish with salt on all sides and stuff with lemon slices. Pickling time is 8-12 hours.
After half an hour, we bind each carcass with twine and proceed to smoking.
In the marinade
The liquid contributes to a more thorough salting of the product. For 1 liter of water, take 6 tablespoons (without top) of salt and any suitable spices.
Pour water into the dishes. Add all the salt indicated in the recipe and spices, according to preference. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring the salt and seasonings for better distribution in brine. Keep on moderate heat for 3-5 minutes. Turn off the stove. Be sure to wait for the complete cooling of the resulting brine. Pour mackerel with cold marinade and cover the dishes with fish, send it for 3 hours to a cold place.
Before smoking, remove from the marinade and dry for half an hour in the air in cool. Now you can tie and smoke.
For those who do not want to consume too much salt, there is a simple way to get rid of its excess. It is enough to wash the fish in cold water, dry it with a paper towel, lightly wither it (half an hour or an hour) and you can smoke it.