Smoking is a very old method of making foods like fish and meat last longer. Today, freezers and canned foods are replacing this technique, and smoked fish is considered more of an expensive delicacy. But smoking itself is not difficult, even for beginners, and you don’t need expensive professional equipment for a good smoked fish. In the following article, we will therefore explain to you what exactly you have to pay attention to when smoking fish.
Briefly, Explained: What Happens When Smoking?
Smoking is a process by which food is preserved with hot smoke. It is primarily used to make meat and fish last longer, but vegetables can also be smoked. The food is usually placed in a smoker or in a smokehouse and then cooked in the smoke.
Due to its chemical compounds such as phenols, formaldehyde, or acetic acid, the protein in meat and fish coagulates and thus becomes durable. Apart from being preserved, the food also acquires a special aroma. This is also directly influenced by the type of wood and can be spicy to mild. The wood is often used in the form of sawdust and is always adapted to the food to be smoked.
Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Smoke Fish Properly
Smoking fish is not necessarily difficult. When preparing, you have to be precise and then follow the instructions step-by-step. Then the freshly caught or bought fish will soon become a culinary delight. This is how it works best:
1. Salts
Before you can start smoking properly, the fish must be salted appropriately. There are two different methods:
- Wet salting
- Dry salting
In wet salting, the fish are placed in brine. Fish in a piece are better suited here. In addition, it is not a problem to put several fish in the brine at the same time. This method distributes the salt most evenly among the fish.
The mixing ratio is particularly important here. There are 60 grams of salt in one liter of water. For fatty fish, the salt content can be increased from 80 to 100 grams. In any case, the fish should remain in the brine for between eight and twelve hours. But it can also be longer.
Dry salting is the fastest. This method is often used on fillet pieces because wet salting can leach out the fillets. So they lose their taste. The fillets or fish are sprinkled with a salt shaker.
You simply double the amount of salt that you would otherwise use for seasoning when cooking and frying. This type of salting is often carried out by experienced smokers, as there is a high chance of oversalting the fish.
2. Drying
In the second step, the fish must be dried after their salt bath. They are washed clean and rubbed with some kitchen paper and dabbed dry. The fish can now be dragged onto the smoking hook or placed onto the grate.
Depending on the season and the weather, you can hang the fish on a clothesline or directly in the oven to dry them superficially. With a small starting fire and with the door open, they are allowed to air out briefly. You should then be able to feel that they are dry. This method is particularly beneficial in summer. The smoke keeps annoying insects away from the fish.
3. Cooking
Cooking is important for any smoker, no matter how it is built or what heat source is used. When the fish are hanging in the oven, the temperature is slowly increased. The optimal and desired cooking temperature should be 90 degrees Celsius.
But it is also very important that the oven is heated to over 90 degrees for a few minutes during the cooking process. The temperature should be around 100 to 110 degrees Celsius. This kills any germs and is indispensable from a hygienic point of view.
The cooking time will then vary depending on the size of the fish being smoked. The rule of thumb says that after half an hour the fish is completely cooked through. You can tell by the fish’s white eyes and the fact that the dorsal fin can be easily removed.
4. Smoking
The smoking or refining process takes place in the last step. The taste of the fish is already influenced by the choice of wood. Hard deciduous woods, such as beech or fruit trees, are particularly popular. Alder is particularly suitable for trout, while the Scandinavians traditionally use birch or juniper for salmon.
Resinous woods and softwoods are not good for smoking. If the wood contains too much resin, the smoke develops too intensely and a layer of resin can form on the fish. This then sticks to the fish like a film.
However, the smoke flour is decisive for the taste of the fish. There are hardly any limits to creativity here, as this can easily be refined with spices. Here, too, juniper can be added for a particularly mature taste.
During the smoking process, it is important that the inlet and outlet air of the oven remain well sealed. The fire should no longer burn but only smolder slightly. The optimum temperature in the oven is 40 degrees Celsius.
The intensity of the smoked flavor depends on how long the fish stay in the oven. After half an hour the smoke flavor is still mild, after three hours the aroma is already very strong. Low-fat fish, such as trout, taste best when they are slightly lukewarm from the smoke. Other fish only develop their special flavor profile after they have been removed from the oven and gently cooled.
Fish Suitable for Smoking
Fatty fish are generally better suited for smoking because they remain wonderfully juicy and aromatic in the hot smoke. It is better not to smoke fish with lean meat, otherwise, they will dry out.
Trout
Smoked trout tastes very good on its own, but the fish is best refined with a little lemon and horseradish. But smoked trout also tastes great as fillet strips on lamb’s lettuce, rocket, or another green salad. You can also puree the fillets and mix them with cream cheese or whipped cream to make a delicious cream.
But many also like to enjoy the whole fish right after smoking, when they are still lukewarm. You should take the fish out of the fridge half an hour before eating it because it tastes best at room temperature.
Char
You can usually buy smoked char whole. Before consumption, it should be warmed to room temperature, because then it develops its aroma best. It’s also easier to fillet. The fish tastes great on its own, but you can also put it on bread or eat it with a fresh summer salad.
Salmon
Smoked salmon is a well-known delicacy and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. The fish tastes delicious on its own but also goes well as an ingredient in smoky dishes. It tastes great with summer barbecues as well as in winter.
It can be made into a creamy spread or used as an ingredient in pasta. It should always be kept refrigerated and not left at room temperature for too long. Its taste is slightly fishy with smoky aromas and also salty.
Herring
Hot-smoked herring is also known as buckling and is very popular in Germany. You have to add it to an open flame because then the fish will open up and you can remove the bones. The flesh of the smoked fish can then be chopped up and cooked. It is important to adapt the recipe, as the smoked fish adds a lot of salt.
Mackerel
Smoked mackerel has been a delicious on-the-go snack for many centuries. Today you can get them shrink-wrapped in retail outlets or fresh at the snack stand. Smoked mackerel tastes delicious on its own, but also an ingredient for potatoes, beets, or horseradish.
It also goes very well with salads. The reddish flesh of the fish tastes best at room temperature or lukewarm. In Thailand, smoked fish is as popular as sausage in Germany and should not be missing from any dining table.
Plaice or Flounder
Plaice and flounder are popular as lean edible fish in German cuisine. But since you can only enjoy them fresh near the sea, the smoked form is also popular.
But even smoked, you can only keep them in the fridge for a short time and the fish should be eaten quickly. Smoked flounder is considered a delicacy on the island of Rügen. It is smoked freshly caught and mildly salted.
Fish That Are Not Suitable for Smoking
The following types of fish are characterized by their lean meat and do not lend themselves well to smoking. They are better enjoyed fried or boiled.
Cod
Cod is low in fat and has tender, firm flesh. It tastes subtly salty and is considered a delicacy in Germany. Cod fillet tastes very good fried or breaded, but can also be braised in the oven.
Perch
The perch is one of the most popular food fish in Germany. Consuming it raw is not a good idea as it mostly comes from standing water. Perch tastes delicious boiled, steamed, or fried. A whole perch tastes greatly fried, but fillets are also a great meal braised in the oven.
Zander
The zander is one of the most popular food fish in Germany. Its firm, white flesh is aromatic with little fat and bones. It tastes both crispy fried on the skin and steamed. The fish goes well with potatoes, vegetables, and spices such as garlic, dill, or paprika.
Predatory
The predatory fish also has white flesh with a pleasant consistency, which tastes very tasty. Pike tastes deliciously fried, cooked, or as dumplings. In terms of taste, pike mustard sauce, fresh herbs, rice, potatoes, and of course various vegetables or salads go well with it.
Difference Between Warm and Cold Smoking
In addition to the warm and hot smoking methods, cold smoking is also very popular. Salmon or salmon trout, for example, are particularly suitable for this method. Cold smoking is a preparation method that takes a lot longer than the other two smoking variants. The period of time extends from at least seven to ten hours up to 24 hours.
The aroma of cold-smoked fish is particularly fine and lasts a long time. In addition to the fine smoked aroma, the taste of the fish is better preserved. With cold smoking, very special flavor compositions can be conjured up with various spices.
Spicy juniper wood or laurel branches can be added to the ember box for that special something in the last third of the smoking process. But garlic and chili are also good for anyone who wants to give their fish a little more spiciness.
With hot smoking, the cooking process and the refinement take place in the same device. When cold smoking, the temperature in the smoker oven must never rise above 30 degrees. The oven temperature must always be below the coagulation temperature of the fish protein. A source of smoke external to the smoker is used for heat. Smothering the fire creates smoke by placing the smoke dust and sawdust on the embers.
Large smokehouses work according to this principle. However, this method is not so easy to implement for hobby smokers. In specialist shops, there are therefore external smoke generators made of metal or smoking snails that can be easily connected to a grill or smoker and can be converted to cold smoking.
Finishing in the Smoking Phase
As mentioned above in the instructions, the refinement in the smoking phase begins in the last and fourth steps. With internal firing, it is important that no more flames strike when the fire is extinguished with wood and smoke dust. It has to smoke properly for that.
The kiln is then closed and the fish must be smoked until they have acquired the desired color. In order for the smoke development to be really intense, a little more smoke powder can be added.
However, if the stove is fired externally, the tray with the smoke dust should be placed on the floor. This is the case, for example, with a gas burner. Here, with the hatch open, the fire has to be fired up until the beech wood begins to smoke. Only then can the hatch be closed and the heat supply stopped.
The optimal temperature is around 40 to 50 degrees Celsius and is a lot lower than during the cooking phase. Once the fish have reached the desired color, they can be removed and hung up to cool. The trout can also be eaten lukewarm. Sometimes the fish is also placed on a grid so that it can cool down better.
The smoke aroma unfolds in most fish only when they have cooled down and the meat has hardened. In addition to classics such as horseradish and cream, honey-mustard dips are also a delicious alternative.
Shelf Life of Smoked Fish
Of course, how long the smoked fish lasts depends on how it is stored. The fish can be stored in the refrigerator for up to seven days. They should be wrapped in wax paper as this will keep them fresh for the longest time. The fish stays fresh for between one and two weeks in the freshness container.
However, the best thing is to vacuum seal the fish in foil. It can therefore be kept in the refrigerator for up to six weeks and hardly loses its aroma because the foil is sealed airtight. Smoked fish can also be stored in the freezer. However, this should be eaten after two months, otherwise, it will lose most of its taste.
Frequently Asked Questions About Smoking Fish
At what temperature should you smoke fish?
During hot smoking or in the “finishing phase” the temperature should be between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius, but never exceed 60 degrees. When cold smoking, the temperature should be constant at 30 degrees Celsius, otherwise the fish protein will coagulate.
How long do you have to smoke fish?
Between half an hour and three hours, depending on how intense the smoke note should be when smoking warm. After half an hour the fish have a slight smokiness. When cold smoking, the fish should be smoked between 7 and 24 hours. It depends on the type of fish and the seasoning.
What is the best way to smoke fish?
The main thing here is which fish you want to smoke. Trout, eel, and mackerel taste best when warm-smoked. The cold smoking method is also well suited for the salmon, as the natural flavor is better preserved. The most important thing, regardless of whether the fish is smoked whole or as a fillet, is that the temperature in the oven is right. Whether you prefer to use a table smoker or a smoker is a matter of taste and depends on the amount of fish you want to smoke.