Smoked Fish Recipes

Smoking is a great way to prepare a wide variety of fish. But to many people it is not clear how to smoke fish. Before we dive into the recipes, we’ll take a high level look at the process and the benefits.

All types of fish can be smoked. The best smoked fish recipes however seem to be from fish that are a bit oily in nature. Lake trout , rainbow trout, salmon and other members of the Char family are often the best freshwater fish you can smoke!

The method for smoking begins with soaking the fish in a brine of salt and spice for a few hours. Brining causes the fish proteins to be drawn to the surface of the meat. You will notice a thin film when this happens. The fish is then taken from the brine and the proteins are given a chance to dry slightly which helps to seal and protect the fish during the smoking process.

The next stage is to place the fish in the “smoker”. There are two different methods for smoking fish; “cold” smoking and “hot” smoking. Normally a temperature below 85 degrees Fahrenheit works best for cold smoking. Hot smoking normally happens at a level of about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything warmer than 180 degrees is borderline “cooking”.

Cold smoking is often used for ham, bacon, sausages and some fish and can take up to two weeks to finish the process. Most people use the hot smoking method. It involves a little bit of cooking which is enough to cook a fish thoroughly. Some smoked fish recipes may need to be finished off in the oven – but the overall preparation time is tremendously shorter than cold smoking!

There are many advantages for smoking fish. It prolongs the “shelf life” of the fish once it has been smoked. Many people swear it enhances the flavor when used in sauces and soup. If you catch a number of fish at a time, it allows you prepare and store the fish for consumption at a later time.

Keep your smoked fish in the fridge and make sure you consume it within two weeks after smoking. If you are freezing the fish, store it in the freezer for no longer than sixty days.

Last but not least, smoked fish is a great way to get omega-3 fatty acids. There are numerous studies showing positive effects of these acids on the prevention of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

OK, enough delay. Onto a couple of dandy smoked fish recipes...

Sweetly Smoked Rainbow Trout

Ingredients :

5 pound rainbow trout

Kosher salt

1.5 Liters soy sauce

2 Cups of brown sugar

1 Cup of honey

2 Tbsp ground pepper

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Cut the trout fillets into chucks about 6 ounces each. Make sure you keep the skin on. Using the kosher salt, completely coat the fish. Set the coated fish in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Be careful not to leave much longer as the fish will become too salty.

Next, remove the fish from the fridge and rinse with water removing all the salt. You will notice the fish has become firm.

Mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, pepper and lemon juice. Marinade for up to 36 hours (the longer in the marinade, the more flavor). Put the fish in the smoker skin down. For best flavor try smoking using bark-less Alder wood. Do this for six to seven hours. Benchmark time for a small home smoker is 160 degrees Fahrenheit for six hours. A larger smoker may require a longer smoking time.

Enjoy!

Smoked Lake Trout

Ingredients:

5 Pound lake trout

2 Cups non iodized salt

1 Gallon of water

1 1/4 Cups of white sugar ¾ Cups brown sugar Freshly squeezed lemon

2 Teaspoons of garlic powder

2 Tbsp liquid smoke

Small bottle of pickle spice

5 diced green onions

Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients listed above to form the brine.

Soak the trout fillets on the skin in the brine for 24 to 36 hours. Rinse the fish in clear water. Pat dry with paper towels. Let the fish sit in the open air for 1 hour, or until a film forms. Smoke for four to six hours at 190 degrees.

Using mesquite charcoal or hickory mesquite – soak in water for 2 hours before using. As something a little more adventurous, try cutting apple chunks as mixing in as well.

This is a good one.

Thanks for checking out our smoked fish recipes. We have a number of recipes on this website for a wide variety of Canadian freshwater fish. Take a look!

Thanks for reading.

Good luck with your smoked fish recipes.