How to make hot smoked fish in a smokehouse. How to smoke fish in a smokehouse in the country using alder sawdust

In this article we will tell, and you will learn how to cook fish with one of the methods of hot smoking.
Cooking smoked fish is quite easy. But as always, in any easy task there is a whole bunch of wisdom, rules, if you want laws, following which you will get a first-class result. After all, every culinary specialist wants his dish to be not just edible, but tasty, fragrant, pleasing to the eye and delighting everyone around.

What absolutely cannot be done

smoke eel, in case you don't know how to do it correctly (raw blood can harm a person's health and even endanger his life);
try to cook different-sized fish in a smokehouse in one run;

smoke on any combustible raw materials;
open the lid of the smokehouse, which is on fire or just removed from it (there is a great risk of instantaneous ignition, as well as various burns);

In addition to prohibited actions:

be sure to understand the modes of smoking. The strength of the fire and the exposure time for each size of fish prepared for smoking;
make it a rule that next to the smokehouse must be a container of water in case of fire. Also take care of the presence of a first-aid kit from possible burns;
refuse the help of outside advisers. Let them have even the best intentions - one should command;
make sure that no one approaches your smokehouse during operation. Children are a special risk group.

How to prepare fish for smoking

Stage 1 - processing

There are two options and both are good. Some gourmets prefer gut the fish, since the insides give a certain bitterness and this is true. The second are those who like to smoke with the insides, believing that this way the fish will be juicier. And bitterness is present only in the abdomen and it is even pleasant. Their statements are also true.

So lay the smoker this way and that to please all gourmets at once.

Stage 2 - salting fish

It's time sort the fish into large, medium and small. Now we fill it with salt, remembering that we are not preparing it for drying and the duration of salting is shorter here. No loads on top!

Salting duration:

large - 2-2.5 hours;
medium - 2 hours;
small - 1-1.5 hours.

The main sign of readiness in all three cases is the appearance of a brine (yushki).

Stage 3 - wash, dry, oil

After salting, rinse the fish in clean water and hang to dry. When we see that it has begun to dry out, we lubricate it well ordinary sunflower oil (any other oil gives a worse result). Lubricate the grate in the smokehouse and put the fish at intervals(fish should not touch). You can start the process of hot smoking.

What kind of smokehouse should be

The most suitable material for a smokehouse would be stainless steel. Lid should fit well and exclude the possibility of oxygen getting inside the smokehouse. Size and shape do not matter. The main condition is that the height of the chamber does not exceed 50-60 cm. Otherwise, the upper mesh of the fish may remain damp when the lower one is already burning.

After 5-10 batches, the smokehouse must be cleaned of resins and soot. The grate is cleaned after each use.

It is better when the box has convenient handles for removing the smokehouse from the fire. And try to get a stand for an oil lamp 30-35 cm high, since you can’t always find stones near a reservoir, and logs constantly burn out.

The choice of firewood for the bookmark

IN ideal used for smoking alder, a bit worse - willow. Only with the help of this wood are ideal taste qualities smoked fish.

If there is nothing, use a young hornbeam, ash, oak or birch. Although the right smoker always carries firewood with him. A few branches of juniper are also added to the bookmark to give the fish a bronze hue, a dizzying aroma and a touch of gin.

Rules for laying smoking material

Proper styling provides both aroma and aesthetic appearance of the dish.

At the bottom, lay about 2 cm of hewn wood chips mixed with twigs of centimeters 5 cm long and as thick as a pencil. Then we pour a centimeter layer of bark on top. We fill the rest of the space up to the lower lattice with leaves. Ideally, if they are young, and the sticks are only cut down.

Here is such layered cake provides an optimal mode of smoking fish.

When to start smoking and working with fire.

Most often, fish is smoked on a fire, although a camping gas stove can be used with the same success.

Install a smoker, and under it make a fire so that the flame evenly heated the bottom. The fire should be strong at first and keep it that way until a steady white smoke appears from the breather or from under the lid. It is this smoke that is a sign of the beginning of the smoking process.

After 6-7 minutes, we reduce the fire, but not so that only a thin stream comes out from under the lid.

In rare cases, when bluish or bluish smoke escapes from the oil lamp, your bedding has burned down and needs to be changed.

Carefully remove the smoker from the fire and let it cool down a bit. Remove the fish on the grills, replace the filler and repeat the procedure again. This can happen when smoking very big fish.

How to determine the time for smoking and the degree of readiness of fish

According to practice, 2 kg of fish from the moment it is put on fire until it is ready requires 25 minutes. This figure may change slightly. Let it serve as your guide, and dance already in accordance with your conditions.

I remind you: it is forbidden to open the lid of the smokehouse on fire and the one that has not yet cooled down. Removed, cooled, looked inside.

If the fish is light golden or pale in color - it should still be smoked.

There are cases when all the fish are “normal”, and one or two are pale and not of that color. This is a wake-up call that these specimens have begun to deteriorate - perhaps they have been processed incorrectly or were prone to some kind of disease.

Get rid of them immediately, and also disinfect the grate with alcohol or burn it on fire.

When the fish becomes dark or golden colors so she's ready!

If you are a fan of smoked fish, then do not rush to go to the market for another serving. Products on the shelves are not always distinguished by freshness and compliance with manufacturing technology. To try guaranteed delicious and fresh fish, you just need to know how to smoke fish at home. After all, it is not difficult at all. Consider the most popular recipes.

Cold smoked mackerel

To prepare fragrant mackerel at home, you will need the following ingredients:

fresh mackerel, 2 pcs;
liquid smoke, 100 ml;
onion peel, 2-3 handfuls;
bay leaf, 2 pieces;
sugar;
salt.

Knowing, at home, from these ingredients you can get a wonderful fragrant mackerel. So, onion peel rinse thoroughly and fill with water. Add sugar and salt, let it boil. The broth should boil for about 20 minutes. Then it must be filtered, added liquid smoke, bay leaf and leave with a tight closed lid for half an hour, so that the broth is infused. After the specified time, we take out and put the prepared mackerel in a saucepan. should be cooled down room temperature and then send to cool in the refrigerator for two days. It must be remembered that the mackerel should be turned over periodically to evenly distribute the marinade. Two days later appetizing and delicious fish ready.

How to smoke fish at home?

The previous version was a simplified version of cooking smoked mackerel, so-called cold at home. However, if you are a fan of hot smoking, this is not an obstacle in cooking such a fish at home. It will only be necessary to build a smokehouse, the basis of which can serve as a metal barrel. In addition, smoking is impossible without sawdust. Experienced craftsmen Those who know how to smoke fish at home are advised to use any sawdust other than coniferous ones, since fragrant resin is released from them. The best option- sawdust from birch or alder. You can use any fish for such smoking, to your taste. So, hot smoking at home requires the following ingredients:

fish;
sawdust;
seasoning for marinating fish;
salt;
allspice;
Bay leaf.

So, the fish must be thoroughly cleaned and marinated in seasoning in advance. Pour sawdust into the smokehouse and mark the fish on a special grill. small fish can be smoked whole, not even gutted. Large can be pre-stuffed with spicy herbs. A fire is made under the smokehouse and the temperature is carefully monitored. So, first, the fish should be dried at a low temperature, and then directly smoked. The temperature in the smokehouse is easy enough to check - you need to drop water on the lid. If it boils, then the heat is high and it is worth lowering the temperature a little. The smoking process can take from 40 minutes to several hours, depending on the size of the fish and the heat in the smokehouse. At first, you will need to remove the fish and try it periodically, but then, when you already remember well how to smoke fish at home, everything will become much easier and faster.

Bon appetit!

it is necessary to properly build a device for smoking fish - a smokehouse;
prepare the fish by properly salting and gutting it;
make a high-quality bookmark of firewood;
maintain the recommended temperature.

Smokehouse

The smokehouse can be sealed completely and partially. To smoke fish at home, a partially sealed device is usually used. Smoke fish in field conditions it is inconvenient in a sealed smokehouse, because if the rules for using it are not followed, the structure can be deformed when heated.

Cylindrical smokehouse

It is advisable to use a stainless steel apparatus:

keeps the temperature inside well;
not affected by corrosion;
does not let air through.

The optimal height of the device is 50-60 cm, at which you can properly smoke the fish. The smokehouse is placed on supports that can be replaced with ordinary bricks or stones.

There is a device for vertically hanging fish and placing it horizontally on shelves made of metal mesh, the distance between which is at least 15-20 cm. The smaller the smoking box, the smaller the flame should be under it.

A common version of a smokehouse with a water seal

The distance of the lower shelf with the horizontal placement of the fish from the bottom is at least 30 cm.

In small-sized structures, it is desirable to have a pallet:

dripping fat does not fall on smoking branches;
holes in the pan help maintain a constant temperature in the smokehouse;
when smoky branches ignite, the fish is protected from burning;
the hot air cools down a little as it passes through the holes in the pan, which enhances the flavor of the smoked fish.

Do-it-yourself smokehouse

You can buy a smokehouse ready-made or make it yourself from improvised material:

Hot smoked fish

How to smoke fish better way hot cooking, then choose lean varieties fresh or thawed fish. fit river views fish and sea:

carp, carp, pike, catfish, eel, bream, pike perch, and others;
herring, pollock, mackerel, sardine, herring, capelin, cod, sea bass, flounder and others;
red fish, sterlet.

Before smoking, it is recommended to prepare the fish: gut and salt. Predators up to 400 grams can not be gutted, because, unlike other types of fish, their stomach contents do not spread over the stomach under the influence of heat and do not create a bitter aftertaste. It is not recommended to clean the scales - it protects the fish meat from soot and soot.

For one bookmark in the smokehouse, raw materials should be selected approximately the same size and one type. The temperature and time of smoking depends on the weight and type of fish.

How many and which fish can fit in the smokehouse at a time depends on the size of the device:

The technology of smoking fish in a hot way begins with its salting, the quality of which largely envy the taste of the finished product.

Basically, a weak salt is used so that the salt concentration is 1.2-1.5%. For 16 kg of fresh fish, the recipe advises putting 1 kg of salt. It is necessary to carefully rub the skin covered with scales with salt by hand. If the back is thick enough, then it is recommended to make longitudinal cuts along it, filling them with salt, you should also salt the gutted abdomen and head, while the cook himself decides to remove or leave the gills.

cooking recipe oily fish advises wrapping each salted carcass in parchment or film so that the fat does not oxidize in the air, while losing taste. It is advisable to lay the fish in a slide in a basin, using the lid as a small load, securing it with wire or placing oppression on top. The resulting brine must be drained.

Preparation for smoking large fish lasts for 2-3 days, small enough for 12-24 hours. If thawed carcasses are used, then they can be prepared in 3-4 days.

Chips for hot smoking

Alder and juniper are considered the best firewood used for smoking. But during the event, those that grow in the area are used. Large wood chips, sawdust, young twigs are used, which are placed on the bottom of the smokehouse.

Coniferous branches and logs should not be used, as they contain a lot of resins that will spoil the taste of the dish. Hardwoods are used: willow, poplar, beech, fruit and fruit trees, which give smoked products original aroma and taste. In the absence of juniper, you can add its fruits to the raw materials for smoking. Raw materials from alder or mountain ash are considered the best, which makes up at least 3/4 of the total amount.

The addition of spices helps to diversify the aroma - cloves, coriander, black pepper, bay leaf. Some gourmets fill the belly and head of the carcass with garlic, onion, dill, parsley. Various recipes help to feel the aromatic bouquet of the dish.

The smokehouse is placed on the base, kindling a fire below. You can adjust the heat by height above the flame, by adding logs to the fire, or by shoveling burning coals. Under the influence of heat, chips or sawdust in the middle of the smokehouse begin to smolder, enveloping the fish in hot fragrant smoke. It should be ensured that the wooden raw materials do not catch fire, otherwise the fish may burn, spoiling the taste.

The process taking place inside can be identified by the color of the smoke emanating from the structure:

whitish indicates evaporation of the liquid;
yellowish can signal the burning of raw materials;
after half an hour, dry smoke appears with an aroma characteristic of the finished product.

The readiness of the fish is determined by its characteristic appearance - a golden brown crust. When broken, the meat should be free to lag behind the bone and have the color of a boiled product. There should be no traces of blood near the spine.

Safety when smoking fish

When working with hot products, safety precautions must be observed to prevent burns:

touch the smokehouse during cooking should only be in mittens-tacks;
when opening the structure, do not lean over the lid to protect your face and eyes from steam damage;
ensure that unauthorized persons, especially children, are not near the heating device.

Hot smoked fish is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4-5 days. IN room conditions store more than 2 days is dangerous for poisoning.

appetizing delicious fish hot smoked is obtained if you make it yourself using home smokehouse. To do this, you should know the features of the technology: choose the right meat, pick up sawdust for the smokehouse, observe the temperature and humidity conditions. If everything goes right, the dish will be eaten instantly.

How to smoke fish in a hot smoked smokehouse

Beginners will be interested to know how to smoke hot smoked fish using a smokehouse. Hot smoking refers to smoke treatment high temperature. The technology is based on a short salting time and short-term smoking on very hot smoke with a temperature of over 100 degrees. The smoking time is no more than 3 hours, sometimes less, depending on the thickness of the carcass and its fat content. finished product It has appetizing taste and color - smoked and baked at the same time. It does not last long, but is eaten immediately.

The main stages of smoking are:

prepare the fish - clean, remove the gills, rinse, marinate with a solution or salt by rubbing;
after washing comes drying;
baking;
actually smoking.

For a large carcass, the salting time is increased - up to 12 hours, and to prevent falling into pieces during processing, it is additionally tied with twine. It is not forbidden to add spices: pepper, dill, spices, fennel, cumin, especially in the recipe for mackerel. In addition to the smoker, you can use the oven gas stove- the temperature there can reach 90 degrees, and the duration is several hours.

How to smoke fish in a smokehouse

An important point on how to properly smoke fish in a smokehouse is the choice of wood fuel. It can be firewood, shavings, sawdust obtained from hardwood trees without resin. Birch is unsuitable for a smoking recipe, but there is an option to prepare a dish using beech, hornbeam, maple, alder, poplar, ash, apple. At home, it is possible to replace the chips with gas and electricity, but the resulting product will differ in organoleptic properties.

Firewood for a smokehouse should be taken dry - with a moisture content of no more than 25%, if it is over 50%, then the product will turn out to be unattractive in appearance, the taste will be bitter and tarry. At higher humidity, the product cannot be smoked - it will turn out boiled, it will become an unpleasant dark color. It is better to choose firewood than sawdust because it produces more smoke, and this is an important ingredient in the success of hot smoked fish.

It is important to monitor the density of the smoke - if it is thick, then the fish will become dull, dark brown in color, with a bitter and sour taste. With a low density of smoke, the product cannot be smoked to a golden color, it will turn out with a faint aroma. The amount of firewood needed for the technology depends on the duration of cooking - a minimum layer of 4-6 cm is needed, which will be maintained throughout the entire production.

What fish in the smokehouse will be delicious

When asked how to smoke fish in a hot smoked smokehouse so that it is tasty, you need to consider the breeds:

whitefish, grayling, carp, trout, pike, eel are suitable - but their strong aftertaste should be softened with seasonings;
local reservoirs will give large perch, pike perch, bersh, sterlet, sturgeon, bream, asp, sabrefish, crucian carp;
non-frozen fatty breeds will be tasty: capelin, mackerel, halibut, horse mackerel, catfish, flounder, silver carp, catfish, burbot.

How long to smoke fish

Home lovers delicious meals will be interested in how much to smoke fish in a hot smoked smokehouse. The time will depend on the fat content of the carcass, the selected firewood and tools. A stationary large smokehouse in nature suggests a cooking time of up to 12 hours, and small portable barbecue grills can smoke a product from 20 minutes to several hours. The fattier the meat, the longer it will take to cook it.

This time does not take into account the duration of salting, which must be carried out to enhance the taste of the dish. small fish salted in brine for 1 day, large - up to 3 days, if you take a frozen material, then it must be thawed in salt water - this process lasts up to 4 days. Salt or just pickle the carcass - the cook decides. After salting, the meat is dried for 60 minutes, washed for the same amount if the carcass is large (mackerel) and a few minutes for small.

The hot smoking itself lasts half an hour or an hour for small ones, from 1.5 to 3 hours for large ones. You can understand that the meat is ready by the golden-tea color of the scales and the dry surface. Maximum storage time ready recipe- 3 days without cold, but if you cook it in a small amount, then the carcasses will be eaten by households and guests in a matter of minutes. Better to eat ready meal immediately, while it is fragrant and soft.

smokehouse for hot smoking of fish.
fire source - wood / coals, gas burner
sawdust - which is better for smoking.
hot smoked fish, preparation, recipe for hot smoked perch and bream

Smokehouse

A smokehouse for hot smoking is an iron box, without holes, with a tight-fitting lid, which is necessary to prevent oxygen from entering and burning sawdust during the cooking process of fish. It is completed with a pallet - a flat iron sheet - is placed directly on the sawdust, prevents them from burning and does not allow dripping fat to fall on them, and grates on which the fish is directly placed.

The requirements for a smokehouse for fish are not particularly different from the requirements for a barbecue. The thicker and better the steel, the less likely it is to lead when overheated. The thickness of the iron is especially important for the bottom - there are sawdust on it, and like a frying pan, the thicker the iron, the more uniform the heating of the sawdust and the less chance of sawdust burning at one point and untouched at another, with an uneven flame.

Smokehouses for hot smoking of fish can be divided into 2 types. In one case (as a rule, these are all small shop smokehouses), the fire source is located outside from below, warms up the bottom of the smokehouse and causes sawdust to smolder inside. The second type of smokehouses, as a rule, is larger in size, similar in design, due to big size the following use is possible - a flame is ignited directly inside the smokehouse, a thick layer of hot coals is formed, as for a barbecue, “buns” from a sawn tree trunk, up to 2 cm thick and up to 5-20 cm in diameter, are placed directly on the coals tightly and evenly, in order to leave as few open coals as possible and create a kind of pallet, and sawdust is poured directly on top of the “buns”, the fish is placed on the grate, and the lid is closed. I use a regular store-bought smokehouse 25x25x50 cm, it seems to me convenient and compact, it allows me to successfully smoke perch 300-1000 gr, small bream up to 1 kg, the fire is naturally outside, so I can’t describe in detail the features of using smokehouses with coals inside, although in general smoking fish in them is not particularly different, the criterion that there is heat inside the smokehouse, as a rule, is the heating of the lid - it is not possible to hold the hand of pain for 1-2 seconds.

Pay special attention to the lid of the smoker - it should close tightly, tightness is not required, but a gap of 1-2 mm can already cause burning of sawdust and fish.

During operation, a coating of resins forms on the pallet, walls and lid of the smokehouse - I prefer to remove its excess, it seems to me, if this is not done, the smoked fish acquires a bitter taste and deteriorates a little appearance, namely the color of cooked perch or bream. I do not clean to pure iron, it is enough to remove the excess with a metal plate, for example, an old chisel, after which I usually pour a little rock salt and briefly rub with a dry cloth or dish sponge, removing excess resin.

A mandatory rule for all smokehouses - you can’t open the lid until the smokehouse has cooled down a bit - a sharp hit of oxygen on hot sawdust can lead to their ignition and injury (I really haven’t seen it myself, but I believe and I won’t check the advice)

Fire

For smokehouses with coals inside, the process is similar to cooking coals for barbecue, a layer of coals, the degree of burnout is selected empirically, the criterion for sufficient heat inside the smokehouse is heating the lid - the inability to keep fingers on it for more than 1-2-3 seconds.

For smokehouses with an external heat source, wood and gas burners can be used. Technically, a gas burner is preferable, compact, clean, a huge advantage - it allows you to choose the optimal flame, which will not change in the future throughout the entire smoking process, it is easier to distribute the fire over the bottom area. There is only one drawback - the lack of romance and entourage.

The main requirements for a fire under a smokehouse are the uniformity of heating the bottom and the stability of the flame. Too strong a flame, especially touching the walls of the smokehouse, is not desirable, this will lead to burning of fish and sawdust. The flame should be only under the bottom of the smokehouse, evenly distributed over its entire area, burn stably, respectively, small firewood flares up quickly and strongly, but soon burns out is not suitable. The criterion for the correctness of the strength of the flame - the smoke from sawdust moderately emitted from under the lid, and the heating of the smokehouse lid - is determined by touch, the most accurate criterion is the result of smoking fish. To install a smokehouse over a fire, as a rule, the height of the bricks placed on the edge is sufficient. If you place an additional sheet of iron or cast iron under the bottom of the smokehouse, then it is possible to achieve more uniform heating of sawdust and level the effects of an unstable flame, or its accidental temporary attenuation.

Sawdust, or rather, shavings, for hot smoking fish

The component is extremely important, directly determining the taste of smoked fish, whether it be perch, bream, carp or pike perch. Ready-made sawdust is sold in stores, as a rule it is alder, which is considered a classic wood species, but it gives a bitter aftertaste, which, personally, I don’t like, the second minus of purchased sawdust is that they cost money :). I prefer sawdust fruit trees- cherry, apricot, apple tree - they do not give bitterness. It is possible to manufacture a mixture of sawdust - in general, a creative question and entirely depends on personal preferences.

You can make sawdust yourself from stovolov and thick tree branches. The process is not difficult. It is necessary to lay the logs on a clean surface, cellophane, oilcloth (rags have the disadvantage that sawdust clings to them and wood dust, it is difficult to clean them afterwards). The first option is to cut it with a chainsaw - you get excellent sawdust, very similar in structure to the store ones. I don’t have a chainsaw, so I use an electric drill, I drill holes in the tree with a 22-23 mm spade drill, I get excellent sawdust, in my opinion even more correct than from a chainsaw, and there is no smell from the drill. The process of harvesting sawdust for 1 smoking takes me no more than 10-15 minutes.

There is an opinion that sawdust for smoking should be moistened - I did not find the need for this.

Hot smoked fish

For me, the number one fish for hot smoking is perch. This is due to the fact that I believe that smoking is the simplest and most tasty way cooking perch. It is also important that, when smoking, the perch does not need to be cleaned. In second place is bream. Pike perch, bersh are very tasty in smoked form. Smoked pike, crucian carp are too dry. Small carp are successfully smoked - but I prefer this fish in the ear.

The most convenient for me is perch 400-800 gr, small bream 800-1000 gr. This is partly due to the fact that the given size of the fish is most successfully placed in my smokehouse.

When laying fish in a smokehouse, it is advisable to select fish similar size for one smoking - this will avoid a situation where a small fish has dried up and a large one is not yet ready. A moderate variation in size is acceptable if you are just learning to smoke, laying different size fish, you can determine in one smoking that 20 minutes is excellent for perch 300 g and not enough for 1 kg, which needs to be smoked longer, that is, it is faster to choose smoking modes.

Recipe for preparing fish for smoking

It is not necessary to clean the scales, and even harmful.

All preparation of fish for smoking comes down to gutting and salting.

It is most convenient to gut a perch in the following way. The gill cover is bent, from the back to the lower jaw, a thin membrane is cut with a knife or scissors, connecting the last gill arch with the body on both sides, a thin jumper is cut with scissors, connecting the body with the lower jaw, the place of attachment of all gills to the lower jaw is dissected. The head of the perch is slightly bent towards the back, all the gills are grasped by hand, separated from the place of attachment to the head from the side of the upper jaw. Further, holding the separated gills as a single block together with the pharynx, we begin to pull out the insides of the perch for them. As a rule, it is possible to completely remove all the insides, the risk of damage to the gallbladder is minimal. If desired, abdominal fat, swim bladder, caviar can be put back into the stomach. Gutted bream classically.

Next, you need to salt the fish. Can be made concentrated, bitter saline solution and put the fish in it for an hour or two, then take it out, rinse, dry and smoke, this method quicker. I prefer to pour salt into the stomach of the fish, rub salt on top and leave for 12 hours - a day (this method is especially good when you return from fishing late in the evening), although in principle it salts out in 4-6 hours. After the fish has been salted, depending on the time spent in salt and the desired salinity, it must be washed from salt and can be soaked for 15-30 minutes in water. Personally, I perch 400-800 gr, after a day in salt soak for 10 minutes. After the salt is removed, it is very important to wipe the fish from moisture and let the water drain, for which I hang the fish upside down for 30 minutes. Excess moisture during smoking gives the fish boiled taste and makes the meat less dense.

Recipe for smoking fish using perch and bream as an example

So, the fish is caught, salted, washed and dried. Sawdust and a fire are made. Let's start smoking!

While the fire burns out and a steady moderate flame is formed from thicker logs, you can load the smoker. Sawdust is laid on the bottom of the smokehouse in a uniform layer of 1-2 cm, a pallet is placed directly on the sawdust. The fish is laid out on the grill. Perches are placed in the gaps between the grates vertically, back down, belly up - this allows fat and juice not to flow out. Perches weighing 400 grams fit perfectly in my smoker, larger perches need to turn their tails.

The bream is placed worse in the smokehouse, therefore it is placed on its side, nothing terrible happens from this. The grate with fish is installed in the smokehouse, a prerequisite is that the fish should not touch the walls of the smokehouse, otherwise it will burn badly. If desired, the fins can be trimmed for the bream so that they do not burn, large perch have fins on the tail. The smokehouse with fish is closed tightly with a lid and set on fire. Keep the fire going evenly. After 5-10 minutes, smoke should begin to break through from under the lid of the smokehouse, if there is any doubt, you can check it by slightly bending the lid a millimeter or two along the free edge and immediately releasing it (protect your hands from burns!) - at the moment of releasing smoke comes out. From the moment the smoke appears, you can track the time of smoking and focus entirely on maintaining the “right” fire. One of the criteria for correctness is the heating of the lid, which allows you to touch it, but does not allow you to hold your hand for more than 1-2-3 seconds. The smoking time is selected to taste. I prefer the next duration. I smoke perch 400-500 gr for about 20 minutes, 700-800 gr for 25-30 minutes, bream 800-1000 gr for 25-30 minutes. Toward the end of smoking, a wonderful smell of smoked perch or bream may appear. The time is up - I remove the smokehouse from the fire, you should not open it right away - suddenly the sawdust flares up - I wait 10-15 minutes. I open the smokehouse - a divine moment! - the magnificent smell of smoked fish hits the nose, and perches lie on the grate. Properly cooked fish has a characteristic copper color. If you are not satisfied with the result, you can close it and put it back on fire.

Someone likes to eat while the fish is still hot, someone from the refrigerator, I like it best when it cools down and is slightly warm. Hot smoked fish is stored in the refrigerator, not for long, several days, it is not worth wrapping it in a bag. And remember, hot-smoked fish is very tasty, but not healthy, it is believed that there are carcinogens in the resin, and the dish itself can exacerbate cholecystitis, pancreatitis and contributes to atherosclerosis, and if eaten with bones, then you can pierce the intestine :). Plus, you can get burns from a fire and smokehouse. But I wouldn’t trade smoked perch for oatmeal!