Mackerel smoked with chips. How to smoke mackerel at home, simple recipes

Hot smoked mackerel at home in a smokehouse is cooked very quickly. This is an ideal fish for smoking, the meat is fatty, tasty and there are few bones.

Smokehouses for smoking mackerel in a hot way

At home, use any hot smoked oil lamps. If there is no portable smoker, you can buy special packages for hot smoking (express smoker). It is convenient to cook in an apartment (oven), on a fire.
Cold smoking of mackerel is a long process, the smokehouse must be large and, as a rule, stationary. As an option, you can

How to smoke mackerel in a hot smoked smokehouse

The actual recipe for hot smoked mackerel is quite simple, the main thing is to follow temperature regime and cooking time. A fish without scales, a great heat under the smokehouse and the mackerel will dry out, the skin will crack, turn black.

The average temperature is about 45/50 degrees (semi-hot smoking), the smoking time depends on the volume of the smokehouse, an average of 20-30 minutes (spring-summer).

How to prepare mackerel for smoking

Before smoking, the carcasses are gutted, it is better to make an incision a little higher than the abdomen, and cut off the head or remove the gills (bitterness). Rinse the ridge until the blood is completely removed and salt the fish in a dry way or marinade. The addition of spices / spices depends on the taste of the smoker. Salt + a little black pepper is enough for hot smoking. For a half-kilogram mackerel, take about a tablespoon of salt (with a slide). It is enough to salt with dry salting for 3/4 hours, in the marinade for 12/24 hours. It is not necessary to rinse after salting, it is enough to wipe. The carcasses must be dried to remove moisture; in a good wind, the fish dries for about an hour.

How to smoke mackerel in a smokehouse

Wood chips or thin branches of any fruit trees / shrubs are placed in the smokehouse. You can smoke on alder, mountain ash (without bark), willow, acacia, sea buckthorn .... It is best to mix different branches / chips, in the process of hot smoking, each gives the mackerel a special flavor. They put so much to just cover the bottom, excess smoke is bitter sour + black fish! It is advisable to put a tray on the chips so that the dripping juices do not give the fish a bitter aftertaste.

Mackerel smoking process

First, the smokehouse is set over the fire, when white smoke appears, a grate with mackerel is inserted. In a small smokehouse, be sure to release moisture. After ten minutes, remove the smoker from the heat and open slightly, otherwise the fish will boil and the skin will burst. The appearance of transparent steam during hot smoking indicates that the mackerel is ready. We take out the grate with the fish and, salivating, wait until it cools down. The melted fat / juice will be absorbed into the mackerel, the meat will get stronger and will be very tasty.

Hot smoked fish - mackerel, pink salmon, trout or herring, for sure, everyone likes. You can buy it in the store, but you can’t always buy real smoked fish, as it can be processed in the store liquid smoke. Real smoked fish can be cooked at home using a smoker. I want to offer a hot smoked recipe. The fish in the smokehouse is very tasty, juicy and fragrant.

Products:

• fresh frozen - 3 pieces;
• spices for fish - 1 sachet;
• salt to taste.

Smoked mackerel in a smokehouse - recipe

Defrost freshly frozen mackerel. It is advisable not to buy too much big fish, but of medium size. Large mackerel may not be smoked in places. Then gut the fish and rinse thoroughly.

Then you need to prepare a saline solution. For 1 liter of water, 50 grams of salt. Pour mackerel brine so that the solution lightly covers the fish. Leave to salt for 1.5 hours. If you like not very salty, then you can rinse it with water. And if you want saltier, then do not rinse.

Next, rub the mackerel with fish spices on top and inside. Tie the fish with a thread so that it does not fall apart when smoked. Now prepare the smokehouse. To do this, pour alder chips of the same size on the bottom of the smokehouse. Alder chips can be bought at the store.

Then place a drip tray to prevent the fat from catching fire and adding a bitter taste to the fish. Then install the grate on which lay the mackerel belly down. This allows the fish not to break and have a marketable appearance.

You need to smoke fish on a medium flame. After 10 minutes, open the smoker lid to release excess smoke. Then close the lid again and smoke for another 15 minutes. On average, the fish is smoked for 20-25 minutes. After the smoking time has elapsed, remove the smoker from the heat and let it cool slightly. Everything, mackerel is ready. Remove it from the smoker and carefully remove the thread from the fish. Serve both hot and chilled.

You should buy mackerel only in trusted stores so as not to accidentally buy damaged goods. The quality of fish can be determined as follows. Firstly, it is unacceptable that it has an unpleasant odor and friability. Secondly, it should not be covered with a thick layer of ice (this is how stores mask poor quality goods). fresh product will be elastic, strong and without a pronounced odor.

Having bought mackerel for cold or hot smoking at home, you first need to prepare it. It is advisable to gut the carcass, remove the head and intestines. After that, dry with a towel. By the way, you can leave the head. Clean and processed fish can be pickled or salted.

How to pickle mackerel?

It will be easiest, for this you will not need to look for special ingredients and spend a lot of time. It is enough to cover the mackerel with a thick layer of salt and black pepper. Other spices intended for fish can be added if desired.

The easiest way to salt is to cover the mackerel with a thick layer of salt.

The container in which the carcasses are located will need to be covered with a plate or cling film. After that, you need to leave it in the refrigerator for about 10 hours. It is undesirable to reduce the time, otherwise the fish will not have time to pickle.

Before cooking it in a smokehouse, you need to shake it off. extra salt. All right fish absorbed in a day, and now it remains only to hold it in the smoke. This recipe is suitable for both hot and cold smoking at home.

Easy marinade for mackerel

Marinade for hot smoked mackerel is useful in case you want to make the fish more fragrant. It is easy to prepare, the main thing is to follow the instructions.

Ingredients:

• fish - 1 kg;
• water - 2 l;
• lemon juice;
• Bay leaf;
• salt - a glass;
• sugar - a glass;
• garlic - 2-3 cloves;
• black peppercorns;
• onion peel.

Boil water, add salt, sugar, put bay leaf and onion peel into it. Lemon juice (about 20 ml) and chopped garlic should also be added. Cook for about 10 minutes, then turn off and cool.

In the resulting brine, fish carcasses should be lowered and left there for at least 2 hours. After that, the meat must be taken out and dried. Now you can start the process of hot or cold smoking.

Marinade with bay leaf and coriander

Anyone can pickle mackerel for smoking. To do this, you do not need to have special skills in cooking. The brine is made extremely simply and quickly: it usually takes 10-15 minutes to make it. Some are wondering why you need a marinade for cooking fish in a smokehouse? Of course, you can do without it, but it is he who provides unique taste. Spices, salt, and other elements make the fish fragrant, juicy, soft and tender. It is this product that will delight guests and loved ones. You can't buy it in a store - it's made according to a unique recipe.

Ingredients:

• fish - 2-3 pieces;
• water - 1 l;
• sugar and salt - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• pepper;
• coriander - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• bay leaf - 5 pcs.;
• carnation.

Marinade at home is prepared as follows. Pour a liter of water into the pan; if there are a lot of fish, then the amount of liquid can be increased. Put on fire and start boiling. When bubbles appear, add salt and sugar. No need to be afraid that sweet ingredient spoil the taste. Sugar just helps to make the carcasses absorb spices and salt faster, so it is needed in small quantities.

Marinade at home

Put the remaining spices into the water. If you wish, you can add your own seasoning, there are no restrictions on this - the main thing is that it does not spoil the product. Fish need to be soaked for about 12 hours, you can increase the time to a day. Before smoking, hang it by the tail for about 1-2 hours. This is necessary so that all the liquid is glass. Now the carcasses can be immediately sent to the smokehouse. If you cook in a hot way, then you can start the meal in 30-45 minutes. By this recipe the dish is tasty, fragrant and spicy.

Mackerel is ideal for smoking. Mackerel can be smoked hot and cold. The first way is to cook fish at a temperature of 80–120 °C. Hot smoked fish cannot be stored for a long time, no more than 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Cold smoking mackerel is a longer process at around 30°C. Is not heat treatment, and saturation of the product with smoke. Cooked at home will be stored - 10-14 days.

At home, it is best to smoke mackerel in a smokehouse in a hot way. It's easier, faster and safer because the fish is cooked.

Hot smoking

To smoke mackerel in a smokehouse, you will need the following ingredients:

• oily fish (several pieces of the same size);
• ground black pepper;
• seasoning for fish;
• salt.

How to cook:

1. Prepare the fish: remove the insides of the fish, the heads can be left. Rinse under running water and dry with towels.
2. Grate the carcasses with moths, pepper and seasoning.
3. Put the fish in a bowl and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for at least three hours, ideally overnight.
4. Pour a thin layer of wood chips into the smokehouse. You can take alder, bird cherry or apple.
5. Lay the currant leaves on the grate so that the fish does not stick, then the carcasses (head to tail) so that there is a distance between them.
6. Close the smoker and smoke over low heat for about 20 minutes.

Mackerel cooks very quickly and turns out juicy and tasty, saturated with the aroma of smoke and spices.

Pickling methods

You can pickle mackerel for smoking in other ways.

with spices

Smoked mackerel recipes differ in the composition of marinades.

To make a marinade with spices, you need the following ingredients:

• a tablespoon of salt;
• a teaspoon of granulated sugar;
• three pieces of cloves;
• ½ teaspoon turmeric;
• one bay leaf;
• five grains of coriander;
• seasoning for fish (optional).

Cooking:

1. It is better to cut the fish until it is completely thawed - it is more convenient. Gut her, cut off her head, wash her.
2. Mix salt, turmeric and sand. Grate the carcasses both inside and outside, put coriander, cloves, chopped bay leaf in the abdomen.
3. cover the fish cling film and refrigerate overnight.
4. In the morning, rinse the fish under running water, dry and send to the smokehouse for 30 minutes.

If you do not like the bitterness of turmeric, you can not put it in the marinade.

in brine

To prepare it, you will need the following components:

• 4 liters of water;
• 250 g of granulated sugar;
• 0.5 kg of salt;
• 75 ml lemon juice;
• allspice;
• garlic powder;
• two teaspoons of white ground pepper;
• a spoonful of onion powder.

Mix all the ingredients so that the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.

Cut the mackerel into fillets and place it in a container (only not metal) and pour the marinade so that the fish is completely covered with brine. Put in cool place for half an hour

While the fish is marinating, prepare the smokehouse. Grease the grate with oil so that the mackerel does not stick. Remove the fillet from the brine, rinse, air dry and lay the fillet skin side down. Close the smoker with a lid, after the appearance of smoke, smoke for about 20 minutes.

Benefit and harm

Smoked products, including mackerel, cannot be classified as healthy. It is tasty, but harmful, so you can’t eat a lot and often. If fresh fish- source useful substances, then pre-salted and treated with smoke, it acquires many harmful properties.

The main harm of smoked mackerel in high content salt and carcinogens. It should not be eaten by people with hypertension, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys.

In onion skins

This mackerel is not actually smoked. She reminds her thanks to onion peel and tea leaves, which give it a characteristic color.

What do you need:

• two large mackerels;
• two large handfuls of onion peel;
• three large spoons salt;
• one and a half tablespoons of sugar;
• ½ cup of strong brewed tea;
• 1 liter of water;
• black peppercorns;
• allspice peas;
• a teaspoon of coriander seeds;
• two bay leaves.

Marinade preparation:

1. Pour water into a saucepan and place on the stove.
2. When it boils, put the onion peel and cook for about 10 minutes. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes, then strain.
3. Add sugar, salt, coriander, pepper, parsley to the broth and mix. After that, pour in the tea leaves, cover with a lid and let cool.
4. Cut the mackerel: gut, cut off the heads and rinse thoroughly.
5. Put the carcasses in a bowl of suitable size and pour over the brine, put a flat plate on top and put the load. Refrigerate for two to three days. Mackerel needs to be turned over periodically so that it is evenly salted and dyed.
6. Remove the fish from the marinade, place on a paper towel and leave to dry for 1-2 hours. To make the process go faster, sometimes turn over. Fish can be hung by their tails to make the liquid glass.
7. Lubricate the surface of the carcasses vegetable oil, after which you can cut and serve.

By appearance such mackerel is very similar to smoked and has an original taste.

Cold smoking

This is a more responsible process that requires precise adherence to the cooking technology.

If for the hot method you need a smokehouse, in which the source of smoke is located directly under the food chamber (you can smoke on the grill or on the fire), then for the cold method you need another unit, where the hearth is at a distance so that the smoke has time to pass through the chimney during its passage through the chimney. cool down.

A cold smoked smokehouse consists of a compartment for products, where there are grates or hooks for hanging products, remote from the source of smoke, and a chimney connecting the smoking chamber to the source of fire.

Both the preparation process and the recipe for smoking mackerel are different. It is important to remember how much to smoke in time. If everything is done correctly, the fish will not disappoint.

What is required for dry salting:

• mackerel - a few pieces;
• salt - 100 g per 1 kg of fish;
• sugar - 10 g per 1 kg of fish;
• Bay leaf;
• garlic;
• peppercorns.

Gut and wash the mackerel. Grind all the ingredients for salting and mix. Grate each carcass inside and out with a dry mixture, put in a bowl, sprinkle the fish with salt on top and put in the refrigerator for two days. It is important not to forget to periodically turn the fish over.

Wet salting involves the preparation of a brine, which requires the following ingredients:

• 120 g of salt per 1 liter of water;
• bay leaf and other spices to taste.

Bring water to a boil, put salt, bay leaf and other spices into it. When the salt dissolves, remove the container with brine from the stove and cool. Put the prepared mackerel in a bowl and pour over the brine so that the fish is completely covered with it. Three medium carcasses take about 1 liter of marinade. Keep in the refrigerator for two days.

When two days pass, you need to check how the fish has salted. To do this, cut small piece and try. If there is too much salt, the fish should be soaked for about two hours. Then properly rinse the mackerel in running water and hang it to dry by the tails, parting the abdomen and inserting matches.

When excess moisture drains, the fish can be placed in a smoking chamber prepared for work - hung on hooks or laid out on grates

The smokehouse closes, the countdown will begin from the moment when smoke breaks out from under the lid.

The process should take place at a temperature of 20 to 30 °C for 12-24 hours.

If smoking is carried out using a smoke generator, then you need to pour wood chips into it, set it on fire and turn on the compressor.

After the process is completed, hang the fish on fresh air for a few hours. Only after airing you can try cold smoked mackerel.

You can store such fish for no more than 14 days in the refrigerator.

None festive feast not without fish. Especially often smoked mackerel is served as an appetizer. It goes well with vegetables and other products, is part of many salads. Mackerel sea ​​fish very tasty and useful. On the shelves of shops you can easily buy this fish, but often its quality leaves much to be desired. And to avoid buying poor quality product, we offer to make your own cold-smoked mackerel at home.

This delicacy is not difficult to prepare. Even a beginner can do it. If you are not the owner home smokehouse, then as an option, you can use other recipes using liquid smoke, or cook delicious mackerel in onion skins for three minutes. In any case, your mackerel home smoked it will turn out unique, fragrant, tender and very tasty, and your family and friends will thank you very much.

How to cook smoked mackerel at home

Cooking classic mackerel cold smoking consists of several stages: selection of fish, defrosting, cutting, salting, smoking and resting. Special attention worth paying attention to the choice of fish. Usually fish is sold frozen and it is quite difficult to determine its quality. Good fresh mackerel dense, without mucus. Doesn't have bad smell, the gills should be pink and clean, the eyes should be transparent. If there is a lot of ice in a frozen briquette, it means that it was thawed and then re-frozen. Such fish should not be used for smoking. To preserve the taste of mackerel as much as possible, it is necessary to defrost it slowly. You can do this in the refrigerator or in ice water.

Recipe for classic cold smoked mackerel

Ingredients:

• Mackerel - 1 kg;
• Salt - 100 gr;
• Sugar - 10 gr;
• Allspice - 3 pcs.;
• Black pepper - 10 pcs.;
• Bay leaf - 3 pcs.;
• Black tea - 15 gr;
• Carnation - 3 pcs.
• Water - 1 l.

Cooking:

1. Defrost mackerel by placing it in cold water.
   
2. Open the bellies, remove the insides inside the fish, clean from the black film. Cut off the heads, although you can smoke with the heads, in this case, cut out the gills. Rinse the carcasses again and pat dry. paper towel.
   
3. Ways to properly pickle mackerel for cold smoking

   There are two main recipes for salting mackerel: wet salting and dry. Competent salting of fish in the end result will give a unique, tender and fragrant taste. At wet method pickles are being prepared salty marinade with spices and spices, fish is placed in it for several days. With dry salting of fish, salt and the rest of the ingredients are rubbed into the carcasses and inside, laid in layers, pouring salt over each row. Our recipe involves wet salting, as at home with a small amount fish is easier to cook.

4. 
   
5. Pour water into a saucepan, heat to boiling water. Pour tea into a glass and brew it with water from a saucepan. Pour salt, spices, bay leaf into the rest of the water. Sugar does not need to be added, it caramelizes when boiled and can spoil the final taste of the product. Boil the marinade for 10 minutes, cool, add sugar, stir until completely dissolved.
   
6. Place the fish in a suitable dish and pour over the brine. Put oppression on top, so that the fish is completely covered with marinade. Place the container in a cold place with a temperature of 4-6 C. In the refrigerator on the top shelf, it will be the very place. Mackerel is salted for cold smoking for 2-3 days.
7. After 3 days, remove the fish from the marinade, rinse with running water. If it tastes too salty, then keep it for 2-3 hours in cold water. Hang in a ventilated cool place. Insert matches or toothpicks into the abdomen. If airing takes place on the street, then it is necessary to cover the fish with gauze, protecting it from insects. Drying lasts 10-12 hours, usually hung out at night. During this time, the fish will dry out and be ready for the next step.
8. Place mackerel in. Place the carcasses loosely one at a time, so that they do not touch each other in the smokehouse. Pour wood chips into the smoke generator. The taste of finished smoked fish also depends on the quality and choice of wood.
9. Each type of wood chips gives its own taste and aroma to smoked meats. Most often for smoking fish products use alder or beech chips. Fruit tree chips, apple, cherry, plum, etc. can be added to the base chips. With experience, the selection of wood chips is simplified for each smoking recipe, its own specific mix is ​​selected. As natural supplements flavorings for the individual taste of mackerel, you can use juniper berries, leaves and twigs of fruit trees.
10. Set the smoking temperature to 20-25C. Submit smoke and smoke for 8-12 hours, sometimes the process of cold smoking stretches for a day. The time of smoking fish for each individually how much cold-smoked mackerel is smoked depends on several parameters, including the volume of the smoker, the mass of the fish, the flow of smoke supplied. Readiness can be determined by color, it should be slightly golden.
    
11. After smoking, it is necessary to ventilate the fish for at least a day. During this time, the pungent smell of smoking will pass, the taste will be balanced and distributed throughout the product. After such a daily exposure, you can start tasting a delicious delicacy.
    

How to store smoked mackerel

How long smoked fish is stored and under what conditions. Cold smoking in itself prolongs the shelf life, as the smoke is an antiseptic. But still there necessary norms storage that must be observed so that the product does not deteriorate. Mackerel and other cold-smoked fish at a low temperature of -2 - 5C can be stored for 45-60 days. In the refrigerator, it can be without consequences from seven to ten days, it is advisable to wrap it in foil so that the rest of the products do not smell of smoke from smoking.

Mackerel in onion peel - a recipe in three minutes

Sometimes it is not possible to smoke fish in a smokehouse. And here they help out more simple recipes, allowing you to get practically classic taste cold smoked mackerel. Salted mackerel in onion skins it cooks very quickly, as a result it turns out appetizing snack for a few minutes. golden color, attached to onion peel and tea leaves. Such a fish can be quickly prepared for a picnic or an unplanned holiday. Unlike long-term smoking, mackerel in onion skins will be ready in 3 minutes.

Compound:

• Freshly frozen mackerel - 1 pc;
• Onion peel 2-3 handfuls;
• Black tea - 1 tbsp. l;
• Water - 1l;
• Sugar sand - 1 tbsp. l.;
• Salt 3 tablespoons;
• Coriander - 0.5 tsp;
• Allspice - 2 pcs.;
• Carnation - 1 pc.;
• Bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
• Vegetable oil.

How to do:

1. Defrost fish, wash, dry with napkins. Pull out the insides, cut off the heads and fins.
2. Prepare marinade. Pour water into a saucepan, add tea and onion peel, spices, salt, sugar. Bring the brine to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes.
3. Turn off the marinade and put the fish in it. Mackerel in 3 minutes in onion peel, will be ready.
4. Get the fish, remove the husk. Let dry and brush with oil. Serve either hot or chilled.

Mackerel Liquid Smoke Recipe

Another easy way to cook mackerel without smoking is to use liquid smoke. This flavoring will give the fish the appropriate color and smell.

For cooking you will need:

• mackerel - 3 pcs.;
• salt - 80 g;
• liquid smoke - 50 ml;
• black pepper - 1 tsp

How to cook:

1. Defrost the fish. Remove all entrails, rinse cold water and dry.
2. Rub the mackerel with salt and pepper.
3. Place in a flat container and fill with liquid smoke. Put the weight on top and place in the refrigerator.
4. After two days, the salting of mackerel stops. Take out the fish, rinse with water, dry with napkins. Hang for a few hours in a cool place to weather.

The benefits and harms of smoked mackerel

The most useful mackerel This is a cooked mackerel at home with your own hands. This sea fish contains a lot of vitamins and a bunch of useful substances. Fish meat is very tender and rich in vitamins (A, B 12, D, E) fatty acids, trace elements (iodine, potassium, magnesium). Cold smoked fish is much healthier than hot smoked fish. At cold working preserved more useful substances and vitamins are not destroyed hot temperature in the process of cooking.

Smoked mackerel:

1. Improves the work of the digestive tract.
2. Improves metabolism;
3. Improves memory;
4. Strengthens the nervous system;
5. Increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood;
6. Equalizes cholesterol levels;
7. Strengthens immunity.

Of course, there are contraindications to this product. smoked mackerel Very high-calorie product, 100 grams of fish accounts for 150 kcal. Therefore, it should be abandoned for people suffering from obesity. It is also contraindicated in people with acute diseases of the kidneys and liver, as well as hypertensive patients. Nutritionists advise eating this delicacy no more than 1-2 times a week. And a day to eat no more than 50-70 grams. Otherwise, there is a danger of harming your body.