Chips For Smoking Fish: On Which One Is Better To Smoke Mackerel And Other Fish In A Cold And Hot Way, How To Prepare Chips And Choose

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

The result of smoking fish directly depends on the quality of the smoke. Before starting, you should figure out what effect the chips have on the product. Visible smoke only affects the appearance of the fish. The most important process of flavor conversion is invisible to the eye. Chips can be purchased or prepared independently from wood of a certain species.

How to choose?

Residents of the southern part of the country often use apricot or chestnut for smoking fish. In the middle lane, oak, alder, poplar, ash and willow wood are more popular . Experienced smokers add needles to the main chips. Only wood in this case is wrapped in gauze. Otherwise, tar will settle on the fish, imparting a bitter taste to the product. You can smoke any fish - even mackerel, even pink salmon. It is easy to prepare woodchips with your own hands, it is very convenient for home cooking of smoked products. It is just as easy to buy material, it is always in stock and has a low cost. The taste and color of the fish is directly related to the type of wood used to create the smoke.

The apple tree makes the meat sweetish, and the ash tree adds richness . Hazel has a significant effect on the aroma of the fish, making it more pungent. Smoking on oak chips gives a special yellow-gold hue. Juniper, rosemary, eucalyptus can be added to the main chips to improve the taste. It is worth using hard wood. For hot and cold smoking, they take fuel of different moisture content. Raw wood smolders longer, but at a lower temperature. At the same time, too wet cannot be used. Otherwise, there will be thick white smoke, which will not be able to bring the fish to the desired state.

And also it should be borne in mind that raw firewood more affects the color of the product and gives a tart aroma . Dry ones provide a more delicate taste and a golden hue to the crust. Hardwoods are considered the most versatile. But it is better to refuse birch - it will give the fish a taste of tar. However, this variety can be used as an additive to the main chips. Birch is used without bark, it contains resin. Fruit woods are better suited for smoking fish. Chips from apple, pear, plum are especially popular. This fuel will make the fish flavorful and sweet.

If you want variety, then you can add live branches of currants, blackberries, eucalyptus and grapes to the main chips . And you can also add some hornbeam branches. Aspen as the main chips will give the fish a subtle flavor. Beech will make the crust golden, change the smell, but not at all affect the taste. When combining several types of wood, you should give preference to fruit. This fuel should be at least 50-60%.

Diseased wood with rot, mold and mildew must not be used. When burned, it will make the fish bitter and may release toxins.

How to do it yourself?

Chopped chips are used to smoke fish. In this case, the smoke is more fragrant, which means the product will be better. You can prepare chips from any wood. It is easier to use branches, but large elements will work as well. You can grind it in several ways.

• Form long splinters . Cut the log with an ax. You need to work along the fibers. The chips themselves are split across. The result is wooden cubes. They should be made about the same size.
• The easiest way to collect wood chips is after lumbering or sawing wood . If necessary, you can trim the size with an ax. The same wood chips will burn much better.
• It's pretty easy to work with branches . They can be shredded with a garden pruner. This is the easiest option for home smoking.

The fuel should be about the same size, but not very small. Otherwise, the fish will be slightly bitter and the rind color will deteriorate. The unevenness of the smoke with different chip sizes is guaranteed. So the product will be, on the one hand, damp, and on the other, overexposed. Cubes measuring 20x30 mm with a thickness of 10 mm are best suited for processing fish. This size is optimal, it allows you to maintain the desired temperature for a certain time. In this case, all heavy fractions will remain in the smokehouse and will not come into contact with the fish. Only harmless substances that can not harm the body get into the smoke.

It will take only 30-40 minutes of free time to prepare the chips. For frequent smoking, you can make a lot of fuel for future use. If cooking in this way is rarely carried out, then there is no need for large volumes.

For storage, you can use bags made of polyethylene or paper. There must be openings for free air circulation.

How to use when smoking?

Before cooking, you must gut the fish. All entrails are carefully removed, and the carcass is washed and dried . The fish can be rubbed with salt and various spices and herbs. The abdomen is sometimes completely stuffed with spices. In a word, the method of preparing the fish itself can be any. The processed product should be sent to the smokehouse. Processing time directly depends on the method. So, with a quick smoking it will take about 30-50 minutes, with a hot one - 1-4 hours. The cold method is rarely used at home. The fish must be kept in the smokehouse for about 2-15 days.

It is important to place the fuel evenly across the bottom of the smoker . Usually about 2-3 handfuls are enough. If necessary, you can add fuel during the smoking process. If the chips are dry, then they are moistened with clean water. Otherwise, the burnout will be too fast. If done correctly, the fuel will slowly smolder and maintain a certain temperature in the smokehouse. More chips will be needed with the cold process. You can't add a lot of fuel at once, they just put it in as it burns out.

It is worth listening to the advice of experienced smokers

• Fish with a light steppe aroma can become a highlight of the table and help to surprise the guests. To do this, you need to add a small amount of hay to the chips. Thyme is laid on top.
• Prune or noble laurel leaves will give the dish a special aroma and pleasant aftertaste.
• Pepper and lovage branches have a beneficial effect on the taste.

The temperature in the smoker will be too high if dry wood chips are used . The heat will trigger the release of fat. As a result, the fish will be too dry and bitter. And also the fuel can be combined. Combinations make it possible to influence both the appearance and taste, aroma of the product at the same time. Sometimes you need to adjust the humidity level yourself. Freshly cooked wood chips can be soaked in clean water to soak well. Then the fuel is dried to the desired state. The hot method involves the use of wood chips with a moisture content of 50%, and the cold method - 15%.

What can be replaced?

Wood chips are considered the best fuel for a smokehouse. It is easy to procure and use it at home, even without experience. Burning characteristics guarantee a special aroma and taste of fish. However, it is not always possible to use this option, so there are alternatives. Sawdust and shavings can be used. Typically, this material is collected after processing sawn timber . Sawdust is less commonly used at home. They need a smokehouse with additional heating. If this option is not suitable, then thin branches are used.

It is forbidden to use materials from the woodworking industry. Such wood is treated with harmful chemicals. When burned, all toxins will enter the fish and make it hazardous to health.