Ed Fast
09-21-2010, 12:19 AM
This is a post about how I use the Big Chief smoker.
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1079.jpg
I am no expert, nor do I claim to be. What this post is intended to show is that
basic fish smoking is easy. It's inexpensive and results in a tasty treat that can be great
for parties, gifts, scarfing at home and, most importantly, making your wife think it's
okay for you to go fishing! (truth is, they get sick of it after awhile)
I've been smoking fish for 22 years and have stuck with this basic method since it produces a basic, tasty product. There are lots of other methods. I will mention
them throughout the turorial.
I will be using one 8lb. Coho hen and a decent sized Coho jack that I caught two days before, for the demo. It took up 3 racks and the smoker comes with 4. The Big Chief will smoke 2 typical sized Steelies or Cohos, or 1 good sized Chinook.
Step One: Brining Your Fish
I'll keep it simple. A basic brine, or 'cure', usually consists of salt and sugar.
You can use a dry brine, or a wet brine. I will be using a wet brine.
I like to use one gallon Ziploc bags. Put one, cut up 8- 12 pound fish, or two smaller fish in the bag. If it seems like a tight fit, go ahead and split them up into two bags.
For each fish, put 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup non-iodized salt and 1/2 cup
of sugar in the bag. You can add other flavors at this time. I sometimes add a few good shakes of garlic powder.
Next, pour enough apple juice in the bag to almost cover the fish. For the dry brine, just leave the juice out. Carefully push the top of the bag down until the air is almost gone and close the bag. MAKE SURE THE BAG SEALED PROPERLY and DOESN'T LEAK!!!!
Flip the bag around until all of the ingredients are mixed. Place the bag on the counter and everytime you walk in the kitchen, flip it over. 12 hours is probably good. If you want to do it over night, put it in the fridge and flip it over in the morning. The curing process is much slower in the fridge than at room temp. I'll let it go as much as 24 hours in the fridge. Your cured fish will look like this:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1078.jpg
Dump the bags out into a large collander in the sink and rinse the pieces off with COLD water:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1085.jpg
Rinse the bags out and line the bottoms with paper towels. After the fish has
drained a little while, place it in the bag and put it in the fridge until you are ready to smoke your fish. Make sure you smoke it within a couple of days.
Step Two: Prepping the Cured Fish for the Smoker
Lay newspapers and the smoker racks out on your work area. I like to use the kitchen floor, because my countertops aren't large enough.
Next, wipe the racks down with an oil saturated rag:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1087.jpg
Now, spread the fish pieces out on the racks, skin side down. Don't get to close to the edges and don't
let them touch each other. Lay a paper towel over the pieces and lightly press it down on all of the surfaces, including the sides:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1095.jpg
Peel the paper towel off slowly and you will be amazed at how it absorbs up the excess moisture and cleans up the fish. If you want to add any seasonings, now is the time to do it.
You can sprinkle all kinds of stuff on your fish. I usually like to keep it simple, but sometimes like to experiment a little. I like pepper, allspice (good to add to your brine, as well), chili powder and garlic salt. Try a different seasoning on each rack and see which one you like best:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1104.jpg
Another good trick is to add a honey glaze:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1102.jpg
The next step is to dry the fish. You want the fish to get a tacky, glazed look before you
smoke it. Your finished product will be less likely to split open during smoking,look nicer and be more moist.
Put a fan in front of the racks. Set it on 'low' and run it for an hour or so. Make sure the fan is not dirty, or you might blow stuff on your fish:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1094.jpg
Now your ready to load up your smoker!
That part is coming later.
Ed
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1079.jpg
I am no expert, nor do I claim to be. What this post is intended to show is that
basic fish smoking is easy. It's inexpensive and results in a tasty treat that can be great
for parties, gifts, scarfing at home and, most importantly, making your wife think it's
okay for you to go fishing! (truth is, they get sick of it after awhile)
I've been smoking fish for 22 years and have stuck with this basic method since it produces a basic, tasty product. There are lots of other methods. I will mention
them throughout the turorial.
I will be using one 8lb. Coho hen and a decent sized Coho jack that I caught two days before, for the demo. It took up 3 racks and the smoker comes with 4. The Big Chief will smoke 2 typical sized Steelies or Cohos, or 1 good sized Chinook.
Step One: Brining Your Fish
I'll keep it simple. A basic brine, or 'cure', usually consists of salt and sugar.
You can use a dry brine, or a wet brine. I will be using a wet brine.
I like to use one gallon Ziploc bags. Put one, cut up 8- 12 pound fish, or two smaller fish in the bag. If it seems like a tight fit, go ahead and split them up into two bags.
For each fish, put 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup non-iodized salt and 1/2 cup
of sugar in the bag. You can add other flavors at this time. I sometimes add a few good shakes of garlic powder.
Next, pour enough apple juice in the bag to almost cover the fish. For the dry brine, just leave the juice out. Carefully push the top of the bag down until the air is almost gone and close the bag. MAKE SURE THE BAG SEALED PROPERLY and DOESN'T LEAK!!!!
Flip the bag around until all of the ingredients are mixed. Place the bag on the counter and everytime you walk in the kitchen, flip it over. 12 hours is probably good. If you want to do it over night, put it in the fridge and flip it over in the morning. The curing process is much slower in the fridge than at room temp. I'll let it go as much as 24 hours in the fridge. Your cured fish will look like this:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1078.jpg
Dump the bags out into a large collander in the sink and rinse the pieces off with COLD water:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1085.jpg
Rinse the bags out and line the bottoms with paper towels. After the fish has
drained a little while, place it in the bag and put it in the fridge until you are ready to smoke your fish. Make sure you smoke it within a couple of days.
Step Two: Prepping the Cured Fish for the Smoker
Lay newspapers and the smoker racks out on your work area. I like to use the kitchen floor, because my countertops aren't large enough.
Next, wipe the racks down with an oil saturated rag:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1087.jpg
Now, spread the fish pieces out on the racks, skin side down. Don't get to close to the edges and don't
let them touch each other. Lay a paper towel over the pieces and lightly press it down on all of the surfaces, including the sides:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1095.jpg
Peel the paper towel off slowly and you will be amazed at how it absorbs up the excess moisture and cleans up the fish. If you want to add any seasonings, now is the time to do it.
You can sprinkle all kinds of stuff on your fish. I usually like to keep it simple, but sometimes like to experiment a little. I like pepper, allspice (good to add to your brine, as well), chili powder and garlic salt. Try a different seasoning on each rack and see which one you like best:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1104.jpg
Another good trick is to add a honey glaze:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1102.jpg
The next step is to dry the fish. You want the fish to get a tacky, glazed look before you
smoke it. Your finished product will be less likely to split open during smoking,look nicer and be more moist.
Put a fan in front of the racks. Set it on 'low' and run it for an hour or so. Make sure the fan is not dirty, or you might blow stuff on your fish:
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr128/bluelureed/newpics1094.jpg
Now your ready to load up your smoker!
That part is coming later.
Ed