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- Author of the article: Alexey Danilov
- Article posted: February 9, 2016
Cold smoked mackerel, who hasn't tried it? Yes, there probably won’t be such people. Mackerel is a valuable commercial fish. Its meat is fatty (up to 16.5% fat), rich in vitamin B, without small bones, tender and tasty. This fish is always on sale and relatively inexpensive. Boiled and fried mackerel is a little dry. But in salted and smoked form it is wonderful. It is impossible not to recognize the taste of this fish. Let’s prepare mackerel today, or as Odessa residents call it, mackerel (with the emphasis on the last vowel), using the cold smoking method, with preliminary “dry” salting. There are two types of salting meat and fish.
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The first salting option is called “WET” (the products are poured with prepared salty marinade with spices), and the second option is “DRY” (the products are simply rubbed or sprinkled with salt and spices). It is with “DRY” salting that we will prepare our mackerel for subsequent smoking with cold smoke. The ambassador is very simple.
Smoking methods
There is a significant difference between types of smoking: cold and hot. Cold is, rather, a drying process at 25-30 degrees. It gives the dish a wonderful smoky aroma and delicate taste, and is a way of preserving and preserving fish. Hot - the product is cooked at a fairly high temperature (up to 120 degrees).
Benefits and harms of the product
Like any other product, cold smoked mackerel can bring both benefit and harm to the human body. But there are much more advantages to eating this dish than disadvantages.
Smoked mackerel is distinguished by the content of substances such as Ca, Fe, Na, K, vitamins A, E, D, B1 and B2. Proteins in fish contribute to the rapid restoration of tissues and cells of the body.
The fats contained in the product are easily digested, providing a boost of energy for a long time. Fatty acids help lower cholesterol levels, preventing the occurrence of atherosclerosis.
Minerals normalize blood composition and help strengthen bones and teeth. And vitamins help normalize the functioning of the nervous system and increase immunity.
Mackerel can harm people prone to hypertension, edema, and those suffering from kidney disease. Those who are overweight should consume smoked fish with caution.
Home smokehouse
Cold smoked mackerel at home is very well prepared in a homemade smokehouse. It’s easy to build from an old large saucepan (or one you don’t mind). We drill several holes on its sides at a height of fifteen centimeters. We insert a metal grid into these holes on which the fish will be located. The pan should also have a tight-fitting lid.
Preparation
Preparing mackerel for cold smoking involves several stages of processing:
- Defrosting
. Most of us buy this fish frozen. A container of cold water will help remove it from it. The procedure takes 1.5-2 hours. Please note that boiling water or warmer water is not suitable, otherwise the carcasses will become soggy and lose many of their taste qualities. You'll just make the mackerel obscenely soggy. - Cutting
. We cut off the head from the carcass. We scrape out the insides from the resulting hole and separate the black film from the ribs. - Ambassador
_ There is debate among gourmets about how to properly salt mackerel for cold smoking. The traditional point of view says that the dry method is better: you need to carefully rub coarse salt into the carcasses, not forgetting to process the insides. This fish should sit in the refrigerator for about 12-24 hours (depending on the size of the carcass). You can add sugar, dry garlic, black and allspice, and bay leaf to the salt. During the salting process, the fish will need to be turned over 2 times so that everything is evenly distributed. The wet method involves the use of brine. For our proportions (4 carcasses) you will need: 0.5 salt, 200 grams of sugar, juice of 1 lemon, allspice and black pepper. You can also squeeze garlic juice into it. All this needs to be added to 2.5 liters of boiling water, stirred and left to cool completely. The fish should spend 6 hours in this solution while in a cold place. All carcasses must be completely covered with marinade. - Drying
. After salting, mackerel must be rinsed to remove excess salt under running water. Then we wipe the carcasses dry with a paper towel and hang them in a well-ventilated area, protected from insects and animals. We insert matches into the stomach to push the sides apart and dry the internal parts faster. They should hang for 3 hours. But if you like a thicker product, then two hours will be enough.
The process itself
Place a layer of sawdust on the bottom of the pan. In this case, any non-coniferous species are suitable: cherry, apple, alder, oak - the most popular of them. Place the pan on low heat. Try to keep the prepared sawdust barely smoldering (to prevent it from burning, some cooks periodically water the raw materials with water from an ordinary spray bottle). Place pre-salted carcasses on the grill. Close the lid. Quite a lot of smoke should be generated, but it should not be too hot (maximum 40 degrees). Then cold smoked mackerel at home turns out tender and soft. And the cooking method will be cold.
If you have a private house or cottage, this delicacy can be prepared right in the yard, on the hearth, grill, campfire, or barbecue. If you are cooking in an apartment, open the windows wide (and warn your neighbors, as the cooking process creates a lot of smoke)!
Recipe for “Smoked mackerel in a smokehouse”:
First of all, we need to buy frozen mackerel from the store. From my own experience, I recommend choosing medium-sized carcasses for smoking; they are easier to clean and easier to smoke. In the photo you can see my test subjects.
The next step is defrosting the fish. Some people recommend soaking it in cold water for an hour or two, but I think it might soften there, so I just left it in the kitchen at room temperature for about 2.5 hours. You can see the result in the photo. Doesn't look very appetizing yet, does it?
The third stage is the nastiest. We need to clean the fish from its intestines and entrails. To avoid damage to the product, I do not recommend messing around. We cut off the heads and thoroughly clean all the insides.
A very important stage is salting the fish. There are several types of salting, I chose the simplest - dry salting. Place the fish in an iron container, cover it completely with salt, add 1 bay leaf to each fish, sprinkle fish seasoning on top, wrap the container tightly in something thick (I wrapped it in a bag) and put it in the refrigerator overnight. (Approximately 7-9 hours)
After this time, we take out the well-salted fish, wash it under the tap, and hang it somewhere in the kitchen for an hour to dry. (Personally, I hung it by the handles of wall cabinets) After an hour, remove the fish, wrap it with twine, and hang it in the smokehouse.
Smoked mackerel has a spicy taste. To properly smoke fish at home, carefully follow the advice in the article.
Marinade
Instead of pure salt, some housewives use marinade (brine). It's quite simple to prepare. You need to dilute half a kilogram of salt, a glass of sugar, lemon juice, a mixture of peppers, garlic in four liters of warm water and bring to a boil, but do not boil! If there is too much marinade, you can store the excess in the refrigerator for ten to fifteen days. By this time you might want to smoke something else. Place the mackerel carcasses or fillets in the prepared warm brine for an hour (or better yet, overnight, then the fish will be completely ready for smoking and will cook quickly).
Remove the fish from the brine. Dry with a kitchen towel. Place on a greased grate. We smoke on sawdust over the lowest heat. Remember that the smoking temperature should not be high!
How to smoke mackerel - proper storage
Depending on the method of preparing fish, its shelf life varies. This is how cold smoked carcasses have the longest shelf life. It is up to 60 days.
- The hot smoking process will preserve mackerel for a month.
- The shortest period of freshness is for smoked fish, which is prepared using onion skins, liquid smoke or tea.
- In addition, smoked carcasses must be stored in a cool place with low humidity. Ventilate the room frequently to provide fresh air.
- If you store the finished dish in the refrigerator, then you should wrap it in cling film. This way the strong aroma of smoked fish will not transfer to other products.
Smoking mackerel at home is easy. The main thing is to strictly follow the recipe and follow all the recommendations listed. Only then will you get fish with a rich taste and pleasant aroma.
See another recipe for smoking mackerel here:
Fans of fish dishes are well aware that the most delicious fish is prepared at home. The same applies to smoked mackerel. There is no need to use a smokehouse for smoking, since it is possible to do without it. All that is required is to acquire patience for 3-4 days, the result is smoked mackerel, the taste and external qualities will be much better than a store-bought product.
To smoke this fish at home, you will need the following components:
- mackerel – 3 pieces;
- water – 1 liter;
- onion peel - 1.5 - 2 handfuls;
- salt – 120 grams;
- sugar – 1 tablespoon;
- pepper mixture – 1 teaspoon;
- bay leaf - 2 - 3 pieces;
- liquid smoke - 1.5 - 2 tablespoons;
- Sunflower oil – as needed.
Cold smoked fake mackerel: recipe
To prepare the dish we will need: three mackerel fish, onion peels, half a glass of salt, two large spoons of sugar, vegetable oil, liquid smoke (for those who do not know, this is a water solution of wood smoke).
First we prepare the mackerel. You can take carcasses without heads, it will be much easier. There is no need to cut off the tails. They will also come in handy when preparing cold smoked mackerel at home.- Place the onion peels in a saucepan (you can take about a kilogram of onions and just peel them). Add water (about one liter). Cook over low heat for ten minutes. In this case, the liquid will acquire a brown tint. Turn off, then cool. Remove the boiled husks and add salt, liquid smoke and sugar to the water.
- Now we need a container for smoking (in marinade), where all the carcasses could fit well. Fill them with the solution and leave them in the cold for several days. Periodically turn the mackerel so that it is thoroughly cooked. In the same way you can make fillets and rolls from this wonderful fish. Bon appetit everyone!
Description of preparation:
I suggest you learn how to smoke mackerel in a cold smoked smokehouse.
Preliminary preparation of the fish plays a significant role in the successful preparation of smoked mackerel. First, defrost the fish, gut and remove the heads, rinse and sprinkle generously with salt. Leave in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, then rinse and hang to dry. Then place the mackerel in the smoking chamber and smoke for 24 hours. Ready smoked fish can be served immediately or stored in the refrigerator. Bon appetit! Main ingredient: Fish and seafood / Mackerel Dish: Appetizers
Possible questions and problems
Sometimes novice smokers have questions. We have collected them in this article.
How to fix over-salted cold-smoked mackerel
The problem can be solved simply by soaking. Naturally, this must be done before smoking begins.
The fish is kept in cold water for 1 to 2 hours, changing the water periodically. Finish soaking when the excess salt is gone (periodically taste the fillet).
If smoked fish is too salty, you can use it to make salads and appetizers.
Is it possible to freeze cold smoked mackerel?
Yes, in this case its shelf life increases to 3 months. You only need to freeze it in vacuum packaging, otherwise the smoked fish will lose its taste, and the food lying nearby will smell.
Methods for salting mackerel
Wet salting: for 1 liter of water you need to take 10 grams. sugar and 100 grams of salt. Boil water with salt and sugar. Then add spices to taste. When the water has cooled, pour in the fish, put it under pressure and put it in a cold place for two days. Dry salting: take 100g of salt for 1kg of fish. Spices - to taste and desire. It is possible without spices. Sprinkle 0.5-1 cm of salt onto the bottom of the container. Place about 1 tablespoon in the belly of each fish. Lay the mackerel in layers. Sprinkle a little salt on top. We put it under pressure and put it in the refrigerator for two days. Periodically we change places of fish for even salting.
Next, you need to prepare the mackerel for smoking. To do this, wash the fish thoroughly after salting under cold running water. We taste a small piece from the belly for salt. If it’s a little salty, soak it in cold water for 2 hours. If everything is okay, move on. We insert spacers into the belly of the washed fish (as for ramming). We hang it, covering it with gauze to prevent dust and flies. Leave to dry for two hours.
Let's move on to smoking. Preparing the smokehouse: Pour in alder chips. For aroma, you can add fruity notes in the form of apple, pear or cherry chips. We smoke for 8-12 hours at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees.
After smoking, leave the mackerel to ventilate from the harsh smoke for 2 days. During this time, the smoky aroma will have time to disperse throughout the fish.
We store the finished smoked mackerel in the refrigerator, wrapped in paper. Here is another similar recipe, which contains only mackerel and salt. There are no specific proportions, all ingredients are taken by eye. You can take as much fish as you feel comfortable smoking. Spices (if necessary) are also taken to taste.
We recommend: Cold smoked pink salmon
Rub the mackerel generously with salt on all sides, including the belly. Place tightly in a container, press down with a plate, cover with a lid and put in the refrigerator for 12 hours. When time has passed, wash the fish under cold water and taste for salt.
We smoke at a temperature of 25 degrees during the day.
Let the fish air out and put it in the refrigerator.
Cooking hot smoked mackerel in the oven
If you don't have a smoker, smoked mackerel can be prepared using your home oven. For this you will need: a cauldron with thick walls and a lid, alder chips, foil, a metal round grill.
Preparation:
- Sprinkle a handful of alder chips evenly onto the bottom of the cauldron.
- Place foil on top of the wood chips to create a plate with sides. Pierce the foil in several places with a needle.
- Place a grill over the foil where the mackerel will be smoked. You can use a hot stand or an old dumpling maker.
- Place the marinated fish on the grill and close the cauldron with a lid. To prevent smoke from escaping from under the lid, you can put a piece of foil under it.
- Preheat the oven to 180⁰C, place a cauldron with fish in it. Smoke for 45 minutes.
- Afterwards, let the dish cool completely in the cauldron. Then we take out the aromatic delicacy and start tasting.
