Smoking

[shark]

  Was wondering how many of you folks smoke your own fish, And what do you like smoking best.

  Mark

[DIRTBALL2]

I have smoked my own fish for years, even though it's hard to get that little filter to stay on.   Seriously, they taste so good that it's hard to pick a favorite. If I had to, it would probably be whitefish and tullibees. There is just something about the flavor of a smoked whitefish that starts my juices flowing. Any of the trout's, especially lake trout, make great table fare as well. I've caught nice big king salmon over in Lake Michigan and smoked them. Almost like eating a Virginia ham. There is one thing I have always wondered about smoking fish though. Since the fish need to be soaked in a strong salt brine solution before smoking, do any salt water fish need to be prepared in the same manner? Or do salt water fish not work very well to smoke? Don't have too much salt water here in Minnesota.

[Cider]

I smoke cubans and dominicans mostly.  I like Montecristo, Romeo & Juliet, Punch, and Cohibas.  Oh, wait!  You want to know about fish!!   

Mostly trout.  Rainbows in particular.  I like them to be around 10-15" in size.  Leave them whole.  Brine them overnight in salt-water, white wine, teriayke, a little liquid smoke.  The next day rinse them off and pat them dry.  Coat lightly with brown sugar on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with cilantro, sweet basil, and parsley and a small amount of butter.  Par-bake them in the oven just to melt the brown sugar into a glaze.  Then smoke over hickory and alder mixture for several hours.

Serve them cold or room temperature with the oldest (aged 2-3 years), sharpest cheddar cheese you can find and a glass of your favorite bourbon!!  Awesome!!

DB - I think you would have to treat saltwater fish just like any other fish as far as brining goes.  Maybe buzzbomb will chip in his opinion on this.  He seemed to be very knowledgeable about smoking fish and sausages.

[Smelt1]

I smoke mostly salmon. I use mostly fruit wood with apple being my favorite with grape vines coming in a close second. A wise old native american once told me to only use fruit wood on fish and use hickory,alder and mesquite on meats.I think he is right cause I've tried the hardwoods for smoking fish and they just don't taste as good.I've got a couple of peach trees in the backyard that need pruning this year has anybody tried smoking with peach?

[wny angler]

i smoke 3 to 6 lb trout (only silver ones)-brine e'm over night in salt & brown sugar mixture then smoke e'm 10 to 12 hrs with cherry wood and just a few pieces of hickory.

[TroutFishingBear]

I've never done it as I don't have a smoker.  But we used to give em (rainbows and lakers and browns) to this rib-guy as everyone called him. He smoked them with weird spices and gave them to us with lemons and limes. IT WAS GREAT. All I had to give him was a fish or two and he was happy to do it for me. a 10 lb smoked rainbow tastes a lot better than that packaged smoked salmon.

[fozsey]

I smoke cubans and dominicans mostly.  I like Montecristo, Romeo & Juliet, Punch, and Cohibas.  Oh, wait!  You want to know about fish!!   

Mostly trout.  Rainbows in particular.  I like them to be around 10-15" in size.  Leave them whole.  Brine them overnight in salt-water, white wine, teriayke, a little liquid smoke.  The next day rinse them off and pat them dry.  Coat lightly with brown sugar on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with cilantro, sweet basil, and parsley and a small amount of butter.  Par-bake them in the oven just to melt the brown sugar into a glaze.  Then smoke over hickory and alder mixture for several hours.

Serve them cold or room temperature with the oldest (aged 2-3 years), sharpest cheddar cheese you can find and a glass of your favorite bourbon!!  Awesome!!

DB - I think you would have to treat saltwater fish just like any other fish as far as brining goes.  Maybe buzzbomb will chip in his opinion on this.  He seemed to be very knowledgeable about smoking fish and sausages.

Hey, Where are you getting the Cubans from?? C'mon give it up.....

[HIMO]

How about some different recipes for the brine solution and amount of time to smoke a fish depending on it's weight. thanks in advance.

                                                     HIMO

[Cider]

This is the recipe that I use for 10-15" brookies and rainbows...

Brine:

    1/3 c  Sugar
    1/4 c  Non-iodized salt
      2 c  Soy sauce
      1 c  Water
    1/2 ts Onion powder
    1/2 ts Garlic powder
    1/2 ts Pepper
    1/2 ts Tabasco sauce
      1 c  Dry white wine  (RH Phillips EXP viognier)
 
  Mix thoroughly.  Brine whole trout overnight in the refrigerator in a large sealed container or ziploc bag.  Rinse thoroughly after brining and pat dry with a paper towel.  Lay the trout on a baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar, cilantro, sweet basil, and parsley.  Par bake the trout at about 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes to melt the sugar into a glaze.

Smoke over your favorite wood.  I use a mix between alder/hickory or apple.  As far as smoking time is concerned it really depends upon the temp of your smoker, size of the fish, and outside air temp.  I think I usually go anywhere from 3-8 hrs.  Just watch the fish, you will know when it is done! 

You can also add a little terriyake sauce and liquid smoke to the brine if you wish.  Play with it a little each time you do it until you get the desired flavor!!!

Recipe Credit: Luhr-Jensen

[HIMO]

thanks Cider. I will give it a try. hopefully I get alot of different responses to this question. nothing wrong with a bunch of finger lickin good smoked fish to set the mind right.

                                                             HIMO

[Smelt1]

Himo, Pack some of that smoked fish on a wheat thin craker,wash it down with your favorite beaverage (mine is a homemade nut brown porter with a bit of choc.malt added and steeped with haulletur hops)while watching your favorite sporting event,while slightly inclined in your favorite recliner,infront of a nice crackling fire and like me you'll be saying "there's no place like home"and life is good!

[HIMO]

I here you smelt1. the only place better than home is out on the water.

                                             HIMO

[raleigh]

 I bought a smoker today and I have a few questions. Keep in mind I have never used a smoker before. How long does it take for fish (trout) to cook? I just wanna know the basics to how to use it. If I can just get a few peoples 2 cents I might have a better idea of what I am doing. THANKS !!! Oh, and one last question. How do I use wood chips ? do I have to soak them in water for a half hour before? Do I put them in with the charcoal?

[TroutFishingBear]

raleigh, I can't give you any advice except this: run the smoker a couple of times with no food in there. That should get all the paint that may help smoke your fish (and poison you) out of the way. Clean it after that. My uncle bought a smoker at walmart and we bought tons of good ribs to smoke, and we smoked them, and I had just eaten one. Well, he was cleaning it and found loose paint strips. If i would've waited very long I wouldve had to go to the hospital. Lucky I made myself throw up or I could've died.

[Coldfeet]

Raleigh
Season the grill as you would a good castiron frypan as troutfishingbear said build a fire with charcoal in it and let it burn out. This will get rid of any oils or other impurities that came with the grill in shipping. Before you start smokeing anything, put vegtable oil on the racks this will keep the food from sticking. As far as the wood goes try to soak it as long as possable. I found overnight works the best. But a couple hours will be enough too. Keep your heat low as the longer you smoke the food the better the results. Also use a thermometer on the food so you dont under cook it. Also try not to use too much smoke as it will make the food too smokey a little goes a long way. As far as fish goes smoke it till the flesh flakes with a fork just touching it. Experament with a little food at a time so you donn't wreck it and the results come out to your likeing
Good Luck
Cold Feet