Smoked fish?

[Kenneth Brown]

Didn't really know if it goes here or in Non boating but figure the mods do so they'll move it if I'm wrong.


Anybody ever smoke fish? How about crappie,white bass, or largemouth bass? Next weekend I'll be doing another BBQ contest. I'll have the normal entries of brisket,ribs, and chicken along with jackpot beans. Last contest I made an offshoot of the "armidillo eggs" (jalepenos stuffed with crayfish instead of shrimp, cream cheese, asst spices and wrapped in bacon) and took second place with it. This year I'm looking for first in everything. I want to smoke some crappie as its a sweet meat and different. Everybody always turns in some type of appitizer and I want to show how versitale of a cook I am. What better place to try it the first time than at a contest right? So tell me what I need to know if you can, it sure will come in handy.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Smoked fish?

probably about the same as smoking catfish or mullet.

 

[i386]

Re: Smoked fish?

Mmm smoked mullet. Pass the mullet row too. Good eatin' right there y'all.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Smoked fish?

probably about the same as smoking catfish or mullet.

I'd think so too but that didn't really help much. Could ya tell me how you would smoke a catfish or a mullet?

 

[oddjob]

Re: Smoked fish?

enterested about the mullet and catfish too.

I have smoked a steelhead and largemounth peacock bass. You just cant go wrong. I wrap it in foil and use a charcoal smoker. I'm sure some real pros will pipe in and give us something else to do.

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Smoked fish?

When younger my Dad and I used to smoke mullet on our dock after catching fdresh mullet. We had split and hinged a 55 gal steel drum and made a double grate for the coals and the fish. We used charcoal for the heat and wet hickory wood for the smoke. They took at least 6-8 hours, however. Also, some fish smoke better than others. Mullet is a natural for all the oils in the meat. Also mackeral, kingfish and bonita. These are all salt water fish, never tried smoking any of the softer, fresh water stuff. Probably would not take as long. The mullet were all 2-4 lbs. Hope this helps!

 

[thurps]

Re: Smoked fish?

The greasier the fish, the better it is smoked but, you can brush some olive oil a dry fish to absorbe more flavor and improve the texture. I personally prefer a rub to a brine and fruit woods to hardwoods. Whatever you do measure everything and write it down so that when you experment, eventually you will come up with your perfict recipe.

 

[Benny1963]

Re: Smoked fish?

hey kenneth whats up , ate some smoked mullet the other day was good but we eat anything down here,

 

[arboldt]

Re: Smoked fish?

probably about the same as smoking catfish or mullet.

Smoking catfish? Wow. How do you keep it lit?

Seriously, I can remember as a kid staying with my grandmother a few weeks during the summer, on the Mississippi about 20 miles upriver from the Quad Cities. For a treat, she'd get a smoked catfish for dinner.

And now in SW Michigan, smoked salmon are areal treat.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Smoked fish?

I smoke rainbows and German browns all the time. A couple of things I've learned is to prebrine for about an hour with 1 tbs salt in a gallon of water. That takes the slime away and loosens any membranes left so you can remove them. Make sure you don't put too much salt in the main brine. I've been using apple wood from a tree I cut down a few years ago. Your best bet is to experiment a bit and se what works best for you. Don't forget the basics about temperature. If you can't maintain 160 during the smoking process, you can allways finish it in the oven.

One thing I found out about salmon and kokonee. If you offer the fish to friends, you have to offer a full meal. But if you have smoked fish, you can allways eat it with cream cheese and crackers with lots of beer - that way you don't have to cook

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Smoked fish?

Smoking catfish? Wow. How do you keep it lit?

Seriously, I can remember as a kid staying with my grandmother a few weeks during the summer, on the Mississippi about 20 miles upriver from the Quad Cities. For a treat, she'd get a smoked catfish for dinner.

And now in SW Michigan, smoked salmon are areal treat.

I grew up in that area myself. where were you - Clinton, Cammanche, Follets, Fulton??? I'm originally from DeWitt. Believe it or not, I also get to SW Michigan quite often to go to Palisades and DC Cook.

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: Smoked fish?

I have tried all kinds of smoked fish and have done some rainbows for myself but the best smoked fish I ever had was smoked goldeye done by a friend I worked with. All the guys I worked with had their own version of smoking Goldeye but his was by far the best. When I asked him what his secret was he told me his old simple native recipe, here it is.

Using a 5 gallon bucket place a raw uncooked chicken egg in the container half full of water, while mixing add salt until the egg floats...remove egg. Ideally you should use a quail/prairie chicken egg as they require more salt. But in todays world we get enough salt in our diet so a chicken egg is fine.

Soak fillets in brine mixture overnight, dry on towels before smoking.

In the smoker start a fire using one year aged and bark peeled willow sticks, the sticks must not be bigger than 2 inches in diameter and no smaller than 1 inch, peeling the bark prevents a bitter taste and aging the wood for 1 year is important to develop the smoke flavor.

Smoke slowly for at least 8 hours, the longer the better but temps should not exceed 140. The fish should be hung in the smoker by the eyes, if the hooks pull out of the eyes while smoking...thats too hot. Lay the fish on racks if they fall off the hooks and turn down the temp.

The smoke flavor is subtle and changes as you eat the fish, its is the best I have ever had and I have tried all kinds of concoctions. The smoke flavor is not sweet and not tart and not smoky, its hard to describe but the best description I can think of is it tastes like it isn't smoked at all...just the best tasting goldeye you ever had.

The native Canadian story I was told is this, the Willow tree is the brother of the fish. The tree grows only on the banks of the river where the fish lives and as such only trees that grow in the area where you caught the fish should be used for the smoking, not the willow bush...only the tree. The Willow tree is where natives would cull branches for making the fishing rods, basically the tree would provide the fish. The bark of the tree is brewed as a medicine as it is high in salicylic acid (aspirin) which is well known, the wood is used for the smoking so nothing is wasted and the cycle is complete for the fish and the tree and the fisherman. Eating the smoked fish brings balance and pleasure to your life, the mother earth provides it for you so you can live healthy.

I don't know anything about Native Canadian Folklore or beliefs but the story is so quaint and simple as to not be true, once you try it you will say its the best smoked fish you ever had. I consider myself lucky to have known this person and he to share his forefathers beliefs and recipes with me, I hope you do to.

Let me know if you give the recipe a try, its very addicting!

 

[cgd7777777]

Re: Smoked fish?

Hey KB i don't think folks here know what you mean by smoked!
i have only cooked big redfish like that, fillet them and leave the scale side down spice to your taste and enjoy
I think that the smaller fish would be good and wouldn't take long at all

 

[cgd7777777]

Re: Smoked fish?

Well some of the judges might not have a clue how to eat fish like that and choke on the scales!

 

[Thad]

Re: Smoked fish?

The first thing I can and should tell you is, When you smoke fish, anything else in the smoker is going to have a fish taste. That being said, are you going to use two smokers? My dad and I smoke a lot. We have the large smoker for pork, beef, and chicken. And a smaller Brinkmann for fish. We mainly smoke salmon, although, Crappie sounds good. Might have to experiment. I would venture to say that they would not take but an hour or so. The fillets are thin by comparison. Unless you are going to head and gut. Which I think would be better, but as was said, would the judges know how to eat them? If this was the preparation, I would think around two hours to two and a half and on or near the top rack. My suggestion is to take some and do a trial run. Depending on your smoker set up, you should be able to test at intervals without loosing to much heat and time.
Now, for the main question to you. What do you plan to rub them down with? Or are you going to do a soak? I would think a good mild "wild game" rub might be tasty. A little light brown sugar, sage, paprika, and a hint of course black pepper and sea salt. MMMMM

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[mike64]

Re: Smoked fish?

I have nothing to add other than I'm enjoying the great info in this post! I'm definitely subscribing to this one. Kenneth, you should give back by posting your exact armadillo egg recipe that won 2nd place

 

[BLU LUNCH]

Re: Smoked fish?

Tried once but could not keep the pipe lit.

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: Smoked fish?

On my way down to the Keys last year, there was a small fishing village just before you hit Key Largo, take the small road called Card Sound Road. I don't remember the name of the village, all it is is one road that has water on either side, a bunch of fishing, shrimping, and crabbing boats. Being a rather fat man, I have a nose for good cooking going on around me. There was a small shack, with five or six cars out front, but the smell caught me a mile away. I had to stop, and offered to pay for some fish, they had the absolute best smoked trout I have ever had. It was still moist, and very flavorful. These people made a living off of fishing, and most of them live on their boats. Great way of life, I gotta say I'm envious. The old man would not share his recipe, but it was excellent.

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Smoked fish?

Well, I see this one is coming back around again. If anyone makes it to the Tampa/St. Pete area, the undeniably best smoked fish restaurant is Ted Peters in Pasadena, Fla.
Just their take out business rivals most of the restaurants in the area. Their dinners are great, with mullet, mackerel, mahi-mahi, salmon and smoked fish spread among the favorites. Their German potato salad and cheeseburgers are great as well. A little pricey, and up charges for sides, but what the hell, they have been there for about 60 years and don't seem to have a shortage of customers!
Damn, now I'm hungry.....

 

[akmoosehauler]

Re: Smoked fish?

Do them the native way.
Smoke kings,chums and silver salmon.
Same with all the whitefish species.
Do some others also.

Soak the salmon in a brine for up to 5 minutes.
Then set under a covered area to dry for a day or 2.
They then go into the smokehouse for 4 weeks or so.

We use local trees that grow up here.
Cotton wood,alder and another type.

The smokehouse is 16ftx12ft and can fit close to 150 slabs/strips.
There is nothing better than smoked salmon done the real way.lol