Smoking is a simple process that turns fish into a highly valued product. The most common fish used is salmon and steelhead though any kind can be used. A few ingredients, a smoker and a little technique is all that’s needed to produce this prized treat.
What you’ll need
- For every 2 lbs. of fish:
- One batch of bbqPDX “Simple Dry Brine”
- A smoker unit capable of operating between 140 and 160 degrees.
- Shredded wood chips. Smaller is better.
- Gallon size resealable bags.
- A flat bottomed container large enough to hold the gallon size bags when placed on their sides.
- A strainer big enough to hold the fish while rinsing the brine off.
- A remote digital thermometer. (Not necessary but recommended). I like the Weber Remote Thermometer.
Preparation:
Whatever fish you select, make sure that the piece/pieces are approximately the same size or can be cut to the same size to ensure uniform consistency. I find that pieces that are 2″ by 2″ and 1″ thick are good single serving sizes. I prefer to smoke the tail section of fillets due to the uniform thickness, less fat content and absence of bones.
Depending on what characteristics your after in the end product, you’ll need to decide is whether or not to remove the skin on before brining.
Leaving the skin on:
Adds moisture provided by the fat layer that lies underneath.
But…
The skin prevents brine and smoke from penetrating the meat reducing flavor. (recommended for eating by itself or in cooked dishes like pastas.)
Removing the skin:
Provides maximum surface area exposure for brine and smoke and gives the fish a sweeter and smokier taste.
But…
The lack of moisture from skin fat, added salt salt absorption from the brine and more meat directly exposed to heat. Pieces will be firmer on the outside and drier inside. (recommended for using in dips or fillings.)
After cutting to appropriate size, thoroughly rinse each piece under slow running cold water. Place the pieces on top of several layers of paper towels and pat the top side dry with more paper towels. When all pieces are dried off, cover them with a few layers of paper towels to catch any additional moisture. Let the pieces rest while you mix the ingredients for the “Simple Dry Brine” in a large bowl.
NOTE: If you plan on adding additional ingredients to the brine, be conscious of ones that contain high levels of salt. For example, if you want to use soy sauce for flavor you should reduce the amount of salt used in the brine.
Lay the resealable bags on their side and scoop enough “Simple Dry Brine” to cover the bottom of the bag. Place a single layer of fish (skin side up) on top. Continue to layer the brine and fish until all of the fish is used. Additional bags can be used if necessary.
NOTE: When layering, try to avoid letting the flesh sides of the meat from coming into contact with each other or the bag without a layer of brine between. This will prevent the brine from transferring into the meat evenly.
Make sure to leave enough brine to cover the last layer in the bag as you will be flipping the bag over a few times during the process.
Use a paper towel soaked with hot water to clean out and brine that may have fallen into the sealing “track” and remove as much air from the bag as possible before sealing.
The bag(s) should be laid flat in another container before placing in the refrigerator in case the bag leaks. Believe me, you don’t want to clean up that mess.
Place the container in the refrigerator, flipping the bag(s) every 6-8 hours. Brining is finished when the outer flesh has become slightly “tough” to the touch. This can anywhere from 1 to 3 days depending on the flesh surface area to brine ratio and the thickness of the pieces used.
IMPORTANT: If the fish is not fully brined before smoking, the internal moisture will be able to rise to the surface during smoking. The liquid will prevent the smoke from fully penetrating into the meat.
The salt will cause excess moisture in the outer layer of the meat to be replaced by the brine solution. This will lock moisture inside the fish while adding flavor to the outside.
Move the bags to the sink and empty the contents into a strainer. Run each individual piece of fish under slow running cold water using you hands to clean off all of the brine solution from the meat. Place the rinsed pieces on a lint-free towel skin side down if possible. When all the pieces are rinsed, use another towel to thoroughly pat dry and cover them.
This is what the brined fish should look like:
Before placing the fish in the smoker, either let them sit covered for an hour or in front of a fan for 1/2 hour to remove as much surface moisture as possible. Remember, moisture prevents smoke flavor from fully penetrating the meat.
Fan drying fish on the smoker rack:
Smoking The Fish
You don’t have to pre-heat the smoker before introducing the fish. In fact, any heat produced pre-smoke will help dry out the fish even more. Place the fish (skin side down if it was left on) on to the smoker’s racks with at least 1/2 inch of space between the pieces.
NOTE: If you have a remote digital remote thermometer you should place the probe into the thickest part of the thickest piece of fish before adding wood to the fire.
IMPORTANT: If you don’t have a digital thermometer, you should press down on the thickest piece of fish so you know what raw fish feels like when pressure is applied. Why is this important? You’ll need to be able to tell the difference between the “squishy” feel of raw fish and the “firm” texture of cooked fish to tell when smoking is done.
The quantity and interval that you add wood to the smoker will depend on what kind of unit you own. Smokers that operate automatically should be set to run as close to 150 degrees as possible. Smokers that require you to add wood as needed require a little bit more attention. If you own a manual smoker you should add no more than 2 cups of wood chips at a time (or less if recommended by the manufacturer). Dump the ashes if possible and add more wood chips when the smoke produced by the unit has obviously slowed down.
NOTE: I recommend that shredded wood chips be used. Larger pieces take too long to heat up and get too hot in the smoker and can catch on fire. The chance of the wood catching on fire can be lessened by soaking the chips in water. Unfortunately when the water evaporates out of the wood it creates water vapor which will stick to the fish preventing smoke penetration and slowing the cooking process.
The time it takes to smoke fish depends on it’s thickness, temperature of the smoker, outside temperature and wind conditions, how much brine was absorbed and if the skin was removed or not. This process has taken me anywhere from 2 to 8 hours to complete. It sounds like a lot to consider but there’s two simple ways to tell when it’s done.
If you’re using a digital thermometer, the fish is done when the internal temperature of the thickest piece reaches 150 degrees.
If not, press down on the piece of fish. If it feels “squishy” then the center is still raw. You’re looking for a “firm” feel to let you know that the fish is fully cooked. If you’re not sure, you can always pull apart the meat and look for the opaque color of cooked fish as opposed to the translucent color of raw fish.
This is what the finished product looks like:
If you don’t plan on eating the fish right away it should be chilled as quickly as possible to help prevent over cooking. If you plan on freezing it I highly recommend that you use a Food Saver unit to prevent freezer burn.
Recipes that use smoked fish:
Coming Soon
Recipe Credit:
This is a bbqPDX.com original recipe!