When we start talking about smoked fish, which would be affordable and inexpensive, for some reason we remember mackerel. This representative of mackerels has truly won the love of our consumer, and not only because of the price. Mackerel meat is quite fatty, which makes it unusually tender and soft, and a small number of bones makes it possible to feed even small children with fish.
Useful qualities of mackerel meat
Mackerel can be cooked in any form, and in any form, a deliciously prepared product is obtained, which, moreover, has great benefits for the body, and a detailed analysis chemical composition- confirmation of this. Mackerel meat is rich in proteins, fats, vitamins and trace elements.
Proteins have never hurt anyone, and for those who are active, they are simply necessary. Some dieters try to exclude proteins from their diet. Here they make a gross mistake. It has already been scientifically proven that vegetarianism does not benefit the body, but all because plant foods do not contain those amino acids that are generated from meat. About the protein is already out of the question to replenish daily allowance, you will have to eat an incredible amount of "grass". The fish is able to fill the body with half the norm.
Fats are broken down very quickly, and they are not deposited in pure form, this means that it is simply impossible to gain weight from fish. Even the calorie counts prove this statement. 100 grams of mackerel gives an energy output of 190,000 calories. Of course, for fish, the indicator is even lower, but in relative terms, this is not much.
The complex of vitamins contained in mackerel covers all groups. It is even difficult to imagine another such universal product, from which the body would replenish its pantry. Medicine claims that it is vitamins that can normalize everything vitally. important processes. So, vitamin A has a direct effect on visual acuity, vitamin B stabilizes the central nervous system, improves memory, vitamin C is responsible for immunity, vitamin D is needed for children in the formation of the skeleton.
Microelements also play an important role. In addition to the fact that quite rare metals are present in fish, it is also difficult to find them in their pure form in other products. Smoked fish is one of the cooking methods. Despite the fact that smoked meats in large quantities It is not recommended to use, the benefits from them are greater than the harm. When smoked, a lot is preserved useful substances, which cannot be said about boiling or frying.
It is not a problem to buy smoked fish in the store, but hot-smoked products, as you know, will not be stored for a long time, so you are buying a pig in a poke. And, what is important to emphasize, home-cooked hot-smoked mackerel looks much more presentable, and it has no competition in taste.
Choosing fish for smoking
Unfortunately, not every supplier or seller can boast of an impeccable reputation. Today, there are many ways to imitate the freshness of a product that has long expired. That is why when choosing a fish you will have to rely only on your knowledge.
Any literature will indicate that the best raw material for home smoked is live, freshly caught fish. In central Russia, mackerel on the counter can be found smoked, pickled, chilled and frozen. For obvious reasons, the first two options are not considered. Next, I want to give preference to chilled fish. But look at the map, find the zone of its commercial production, and then compare the period of transportation with the period of storage of chilled carcasses. Have you changed your mind?
Unfortunately, freezing is considered the best and safest storage method. But if you are sure of the freshness of the fish, then, of course, you should buy chilled mackerel. There is simple rules selection of fish that, perhaps, are suitable for each species. If in doubt about the expiration dates indicated on the price tag, then pay attention to the following signs:
- carcasses should not be covered with a sticky opaque substance;
- the film on the eyes is transparent, the eyes themselves are not sunken;
- there is no foreign smell;
- when you press your finger on the meat area, the depression should quickly disappear, which indicates proper conditions storage.
Popular recipes for preparing for smoking
Before proceeding to the description of specific actions that should be performed step by step, let's talk about what is meant by the recipe, because the ability to supplement the dish with your own fantasies depends on this understanding. If the smoking process always proceeds in the same way, then it is impossible to say the same about salting.
There is a basic principle that allows you to cook meat or fish so that they become suitable for consumption, it is based on the need to salt the product, and then expose it to temperature. As a result of this, the structure of the protein changes, and the fish can be eaten.
All differences in the process are aimed at the use of certain ingredients that can only emphasize the taste, add smell, increase the shelf life. But the preparation of the carcass itself remains the same.
- Work begins with defrosting. Under no circumstances should fish be soaked. hot water Or put it in the microwave. In this case, the structure of the fibers is disturbed. If there is no time to wait for the natural melting of ice, then the correct and fast way defrosting consists in immersing the carcasses in cold water.
- We cut the fish by extracting the entrails and the separation is ready. The black film covering the cavity must be removed, otherwise it will spoil the delicious delicacy, adding bitterness. The resulting carcass is properly washed in water. Now you can start implementing the recipes.
The most trivial way to salt mackerel at home is to use a dry marinade. It includes salt, as the main component, black pepper (ground) and other seasonings to taste. These seasonings can be replaced with chopped bay leaves.
To navigate the proportions, you should calculate the ingredients as follows: for 100 grams of salt, there are 5 grams of pepper and 10 grams of seasonings.
Salting mackerel for hot smoking takes place within 5-6 hours after each carcass is abundantly sprinkled with the prepared mixture. This ambassador is also called dry pickling. For more effective preparation of fish, you can salt it with oppression. Oppression promotes the release of moisture from the fibers, which mixes with salt and re-impregnates the meat. After lying in the refrigerator, the mackerel is ready for laying in the smokehouse, but first it will have to be dried or, at least, wiped dry with a napkin. Note that this recipe does not require soaking carcasses after salting. The thing is that fish meat does not absorb too much salt, so you can do with the usual wiping.
The following recipe will allow you to pickle fish at an even lower cost, because for properly prepared natural mackerel, only salt is needed. Experts say that extra seasonings will only break the bouquet that is typical for fresh fish meat especially for mackerel. The manipulations here are simple: it is enough to rub each carcass or each piece abundantly, and put it all into enamelware. The fish should lie down for a day, and after that it is washed in water, dried and sent to the oil lamp.
It goes well with the taste of fresh and smoked fish, the aroma of lemon. But not everyone knows at what stage and in what form this ingredient should be added. To marinate fish in this way, in addition to the traditional ingredients, you need to prepare one lemon. The fish is rubbed with salt, as in the cases described above, and the lemon should be cut into slices and placed in the abdominal cavity. After 10 hours, the fish is dried and you can start smoking. But mackerel should be smoked with this method of hot smoking directly with lemon. Its juice will saturate the fibers without harming them, but it will make the meat more fragrant and juicy.
We will tell you how to prepare a liquid marinade. With such salting, less salt is required, and the process itself will be faster. It is necessary to add 50 g of salt and those spices that you consider necessary to water brought to a temperature of 80 ° C degrees. hot marinade must cool, and only then they are filled with fish. It is salted within a couple of hours, and the degree of salting can be slightly adjusted. If there is a desire to make the fish lightly salted, then you will have to soak it in water.
hot smoking process
Not every sawdust will be appropriate in a smokehouse. It is advisable to use fruit trees(apple, cherry). But the easiest way to get alder chips, it is sold in the store and is inexpensive. One bookmark will require three handfuls, so it makes no sense to buy large volumes. Wood chips are spread evenly on the bottom of the box, which, in turn, is installed on the grill. So that the sawdust does not flare up, they are pre-soaked in water.
Directly under the sieves, where we will cook our fish, we will have to place a pallet. This can be a ready-made dish or a bowl made of foil, which serves to collect liquid, because the ingress of juice from fish carcasses into wood chips is unacceptable.
Cooking smoked fish in an apartment is quite possible, but technically requires a more complex fixture. The lid of the smokehouse must be equipped with a water seal. There is a ready-made convection oven that blows smoke into a special chamber. You can also simulate smoking with liquid smoke, soaking carcasses in it. Heat treatment is carried out in the usual way in the oven. But the process itself, and the result of smoking in nature, in the country can not be compared with any imitation.
One way or another, after 30 minutes of smoking, the product will be completely ready. But they are in no hurry to extract it from the smokehouse. First you need to wait for the box to cool completely, and then it is advisable to ventilate the fish from excessive smoke. It is noteworthy that hot smoking will allow you to enjoy your favorite dish on the same day when cooking was started.
It is difficult to imagine a feast without smoked mackerel, as it has long become an indispensable attribute holiday table. But the quality of the fish on our shelves raises many questions, and in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, it is better to cook it yourself at home.
How to choose mackerel
“There is only one freshness - the first, it is also the last. And if the fish is of the second freshness, then this means that it is rotten! - wrote Mikhail Bulgakov
Mackerel, in the vast majority of cases, is frozen on store shelves, which allows it to be stored for quite a long time. So, what should you pay attention to when choosing mackerel:
- The carcass should be even, without visible damage. You should not buy fish deformed, out of shape - this means that it has been re-frozen
- Fins without damage, pressed to the body
- Eyes are not cloudy, clear and transparent
- Yellow spots - oxidation fish oil- the fish is not fresh
Mackerel Smoking Recipes
Cold smoked mackerel
Ingredients:
- Frozen mackerel
- Salt
We slowly defrost the mackerel, for this you need to remove the fish from the freezer and put it on a plate or other suitable container and place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Thawed fish will need to be gutted and the head removed. It will be much more convenient if the mackerel is not completely thawed, in this state it has a firmer texture, is easier to cut, does not crumple and does not tear.
Gutted fish is generously rubbed with salt and put in the refrigerator for 12 hours. After the time has passed, wash off the salt from the fish. cold water and hang by the tail to dry in a cool place. We put the dried fish in a smokehouse. We smoke at a temperature not higher than 25 ° C, in 24 hours our mackerel will be ready.
Hot smoked mackerel
Ingredients
- Mackerel
- Salt
- Pepper
Defrost the fish slowly as in the previous recipe. We gut, take out the gills and wash the mackerel well with cold water. Rub with a mixture of salt and pepper and put in the refrigerator for 5 hours. Before smoking, dry the fish well by spreading it on a dry napkin.
For smoking, we use a handful of wood chips from alder or fruit trees. We lay out the fish in a smoker so that it does not touch each other, cover the lid. We smoke on moderate heat for 25-30 minutes.
Smoked mackerel without smoker
Ingredients:
- Frozen mackerel 4 pcs
- Black tea in a bag 2 pcs
- Onion peel - a handful
- Salt 4 tbsp. l
- Sugar 1.5 tbsp
- Liquid smoke 1 tbsp
- Water 1 l
While the mackerel is defrosting, add all the ingredients except for the water and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes. After the liquid has cooled, strain it and add liquid smoke. We put the gutted and headless fish in a tray and fill it with the prepared broth, cover with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for three days, turning over every day for even salting. After the salting time has elapsed, the mackerel must be dried by hanging by the tails for 5-6 hours. To give a brighter color, the fish can be rubbed with vegetable oil.
Storage of smoked fish
After smoking, the fish, for some time, is left in a ventilated room or in a draft. Smoked fish is stored in a dry, clean and cool place at a temperature of 2-10 ° C. The shelf life of cold-smoked fish is up to two weeks, hot-smoked fish is 4-6 days.
Wood for smoking mackerel
It is used for smoking hardwood without bark, as a rule, it is: alder, plum, apple, pear, cherry. The type of wood affects the color of the product. Coniferous wood is not used because it has a large number of resins that impart bitterness to foods. An exception is juniper, but it must be used very carefully and in small quantities.
Smoked mackerel has long been considered an almost indispensable attribute of the festive table, and this fish will add variety to an ordinary weekday dinner, as it goes well with many products. Having prepared smoked mackerel on your own, you can get truly unique dish with a unique taste and delicious aroma. But in order for the fish to turn out successful, you need to know some of the subtleties of its smoking.
Mackerel can be smoked both cold and hot, using any available oil lamp for this. Before starting smoking, it is necessary to select a quality product and properly prepare it for further manipulations.
Smoking mackerel begins with the acquisition of fish. Usefulness depends on its quality and taste qualities ready meal, therefore, it is best to buy mackerel in trusted stores, where it comes in frozen form. In doing so, pay attention to the following details:
- the carcass should not be deformed, flattened - this means that the fish has been re-frozen, which means it has lost its useful qualities. Perfect option- a smooth fish without visible damage to the body;
- mackerel eyes should be transparent and clear. In the presence of turbidity, it is better to refuse such a purchase;
- the fins of a properly frozen mackerel are pressed against the carcass, without signs of damage;
- gills of fresh fish are pink, clean, without signs of mucus;
- there should be no yellow spots on fresh fish - this is a sign of fat oxidation, which indicates a clear stale product;
- the absence of strangers unpleasant odors from the carcass.
Fish preparation
Acquired frozen mackerel must be properly thawed. This can be done as naturally leaving it for a while room temperature and placed in a container of cold water. Defrost fish in hot or warm water it is strictly forbidden - most likely, the bones will move away from the meat, and the meat itself will soften. This will cause the fish to simply fall apart during smoking and become unusable.
Hello again!
Today in our program hot smoked mackerel. Please love and respect!
And not to love smoked fish somehow it doesn't work! Yes, even made with his own hands and eaten in the fresh air!
In general, we somehow bought a smokehouse. The device is quite simple and is a hermetically sealed ... well, ALMOST hermetically sealed box with lattice-shelves inside.
The physics of the process is simple: a material is placed at the bottom that gives aromatic and caustic smoke, a grate shelf is placed on top, the product and the smokehouse are closed with a lid on it.
We kindle a fire and put all this balancing act on it. Gradually, the smoke-producing material begins to emit smoke, and in this fumes and heat, the product acquires a unique taste.
So what do we do. First, we buy or catch (as it is easier for anyone) mackerel. In principle, pike is good and other fish, but mackerel is a fatty creature and, as a result, it turns out to be very juicy.
Everything we need from the products, you can see in this photo:
- Mackerel
- Seasoning for fish
We cut the fish, wash it, salt it abundantly and sprinkle spices on all sides:
Leave for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator:
After the fish is salted, wipe it dry with a napkin:
At the same time, we kindle a fire:
Pour some water into a bowl:
and pour it there previously bought, or planed by the maniacs with our own hands (since it’s still a busy thing to manually plan hardwood in required quantity))) shavings or chips. V this case the store had apple, but it is better to use alder.
After the chips get wet, pour it (without water, the stump is clear) to the bottom of the smokehouse and distribute it in an even layer:
We put the first grate and cover it with foil so that it is under our fish, and there are openings for smoke along the edges. Fat will drip onto the foil:
We put the second grate, and so that the fish does not burn on it, we put leaves on top (in our case it is currants), and we burst the belly of the skumbrievich with chopsticks:
We close the entire structure and put on a strong fire:
After a while, smoke will come out of all the cracks. This is good! The main thing is that it should not be yellow - this is a sign that the wood chips have begun to burn, while they should smolder, exuding acrid and odorous smoke. After 10-15 minutes, you need to slightly open the smokehouse to bleed it.
ATTENTION!!! Do this with extreme caution, as a sudden influx of oxygen can cause the wood chips to flare up.
Our smokehouse has a sliding lid and it is convenient to open it a little bit, preventing air from drastically penetrating inside:
Inspecting our mackerel. Good!
We close it again and reduce the fire a little under the smokehouse. For this regulation, we needed coals, which I added to the firewood. With their help, it is very convenient to control the temperature by pulling out or, conversely, adding under the smokehouse:
We wait 15 minutes and open:
Ready! Bon Appetit(do not eat the skin - it is bitter and carcinogenic)!
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 (in this way, poor quality goods are masked in stores). A 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. Everything 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, pour salt, sugar into it, put bay leaf and onion peel. 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? Without it, of course, you can do without, but it is he who provides a 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. a 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 the sweet ingredient will 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. According to this recipe, the dish is tasty, fragrant and spicy.
