Smoking Fish

[Jimmy_D]

Hi all,
I'm a keen fisherman but have never bothered smoking fish before. There is lots of info on the web about smoking fish and lots of comments about the properties of smoking with different woods. What I haven't been able to find is any info on where you can get all these different woods.
Can anyone offer any general advice? It would be much apprecieated.

[Derek_Bullock]

Hi

I use the Aussie Fish Smoker/Cooker to hot smoke my fish. http://www.southern-metal-spinners.com.au/smoker_new.htm

I brine the fish for a few hours in half a cup of both brown sugar and salt mixed with a litre of cold water.

I use hickory shavings. I find that most good camping and fishing stores sell a variety of shavings. Spotted gum is also a good one.

Photo below of smoked snapper. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


Derek

[Jimmy_D]

Hi Derek,
Thanks for the info. Looks like I'll have to find myself a better camping store. Your snapper looks ace. We're catchin a few good sized ones around at the moment so I better get onto it sharpish.

[1337]

Hi Derek,

What does brining the fish for an hour do? Does it simply add a tad more flavour to the fish?

Regards
CT

[Derek_Bullock]

Yes it gives it that nice salty flavour you get with smoked fish. I believe the sugar helps the smoke flavour to adhere to the fish.

Works for me. Also only takes about 8 minutes to cook.


Derek

[turkey_beach_boy]

Hy jimmy most good takle stores sell wood shavings.I have also heard dried corn cobs are good stuff.Dont use any pine that has been treated.

[turkey_beach_boy]

That pic is making me hungry, might have to visit the fridge ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[1337]

Sorry I forgot to ask before Derek but should, or is it the aim to actually get the half cup of salt and sugar to dissolve in the cold water?

Regards
CT

[land-lubber]

hey guys
i enjoy whole smoked bonito flaked off the bone and put through a cold sallad. yummo, and thats from a guy that doesnt eat much fish.
i got a butcher friend to do them for me
he soaked it in brine and smoked it with hardwood shavings from the sawmill. in his big smoker.
i have also heard that banksia wood and pods work well.
cheers

[JewseeTHAT]

CT, leave it in the brine for 20 mins to 2 hrs, your choice. Completely dissolve the sugar and salt before adding the fish.The book says to then pat the fish dry and let it get a tacky finish.Can't say I've ever noticed any real difference tho'. Even the brine seems to be pretty optional. Also read a recipe that suggested no brine, instead brushing oyster sauce over the fillet. Haven't tried it myself.. yet. My favourite wood is the prunings from the apple tree, used green is fine, if it's later in the yr and the've dried out I soak them for a couple hrs so they don't burn too fast. Banksia pods crumbled up work a treat too, as a last resort those commercially available woods are fine. If you can find someone with pecan trees that'll let you take the prunings you'll be set, apparently they work well too. Enjoy!

[2iar]

Hi Jimmy,

As the others have said, good camping and tackle stores have various woods for smoking, but I'd also point out you can get them in bigger places like Barbecues Galore. Normally near the Webber/Kettle BBQ's.

Good luck,
Mike

[glennmit]

YOU USUALLY USE A STRONG BRINE IF YOU ARE GOING TO PRESERVE THE FISH BY COLD SMOKING.ALL YOU NEED TO DO IF ARE GOING TO USE THE FISH STRAIGHT AWAY AND YOU ONLY WANT TO HOT SMOHE IT FOR FLAVOUR IS USE A MILD BRINE OF SALT AND BROWN SUGAR OR HONEY FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO LEECH THE BLOOD OUT OF THE FISH.THEN LET THE FISH DRY IN THE BREEZE UNTIL IT IS TACKY.I LIKE TO USE IRONBARK OR MACADAMIA HICKORY IS GREAT BUT YOU USUALLY HAVE TO BUY IT .DON'T USE ANY GREEN GUMS AS THEY MAKE THE FISH BITTER AND LEAVE A BAD AFTER TASTE

[Jimmy_D]

Thank you all for your advice and comments. It looks like I'm going to have a lot of fun trying all the different ideas you've given me. All I need now is the fish and at least it's comming into peak period here.

Thanks again

[Duyz72]

Look foward to seeing a few pics of your results!

[snappa]

i have just started smoking snappa fillets and so far they taste great ..
i have not used the brine as yet .. next time

smoker is one from BCF at lawnton ...

[skookumchuck]

go to www.cabelas.com then smoker/cookers and look at the premium series. gas type. they are the best smoker/BBQ's i've used. had one for years and i've used all sorts. and if you're into fishing, camping , hunting they have the works.

[fish2eat]

I just picked up a cheapie galvanised Jarvis Walker smoker to try it out, because eveyone on this site and elsewhere raves about smoked fish.

If it works half as good as others claim, I'll invest in a better version.

My research on the web says hot smoking should be done for a few hours, yet the instructions with the smoker, and in the posts above recon that 15 to 20 minutes is all that is needed. A bit confused but as soon as I get some fresh catch I'll start experimenting. ;D

[freddyfish]

fish2eat,

How's it going.

I do alot of smoking fish and if you are doing fillets in a small smoker usually smoke them till the metho burner burns out. Obviously this applies to normal sized fillets you would see in a fish shop.

fillets over 20mm thick take longer. Mackeral , tailor and mullet are good starters and dont dry out too much. Look up some recipes for fish brine on google and experiment. lots of different woods to use but I prefer a straight hardwood sawdust.

A good smoked fillet and people can't stop eating it.

Cheers
Brad.

[fish2eat]

Thanks Brad, the smoker came with a generic hardwood sawdust, but I was thinking of getting some different types of wood to experiment with. Gotta find someone with apple trees, maybe take a drive to Stanthorpe after a big hailstorm LOL

Since I'm booked out with social comittments this weekend, I'm probably not going to be able to get any fresh tailor.......I might have to BUY some fillets to start off.

I believe people even do red meats in these things as well as fish, chicken.

I also bought an oven thermometer, just out of curiosity, so I can find out what sort of temperatures are generated in the smoker. It does have a metho burner, so I wouldn't have thought it would get too hot, but I'm busting to find out.

[jaybee]

Home made ham isnt too bad either, buy a pumped leg of pork, (usually pumped with pineapple brine) and smoke away for 6 to 8 hrs works out to be a very cheap ham, also pumped legs of mutton make nice picnic hams.
cheers
Joe

[freddyfish]

mmmmm...ham

[2DKnBJ]

Joe
Where do you get your pumped pork from.Wouldn't mind giving that a go in the Webber.
Cheers Dazza

[jaybee]

Dazza i buy them from the big gun butcher at slacks creek. depends where you live. most of the larger stores have them, they pump them in the store. hope this helps
cheers
Joe

[2DKnBJ]

Thanks Joe
Will have to have a look around and see who has them.
Cheers Dazza

[Darryl]

I always end up with wet tallyho's and cant light the bastards. :D

Have you ever bloody tried to roll a bream and smoke it? :D :D


Hhaha sorry i'l go now.

[roz]

I've never tried this before but you've certainly got me interested and I think I will give it a go.

One question. I occasionally go pig shooting on my brother-in-law's property. Can anything be done with pork, I usually just take the back legs for baking and they are always excellent.

Roz

[jaybee]

Roz if you don't want to pump it, butchers who pump meat on the premises will do this for you either for free or a small charge. you can also do what is known as a pulled pork. its not pumped but cooked very slowly over a smokey fire to the extent it can be pulled apart by hand or if cooked a little hotter sliced. temperature is the main thing though. if you do a google for pulled pork you will find some interesting recipes. hope this helps.
cheers
Joe.

[Jimmy_D]

Hi all,
A further comment since I first looked for help - and found lots, thank you all. Since then, I pinched my Dads old Webber that wasn't being used any tried it out with hickory I bought from a camping store. I've tried a number of different fish - Snapper, Whiting and Flathead, all nice eating fish in their own right but believe it or not, the one I found best for smoking was Trevally, not a great eating fish normally but I figured that rather than mess up with nice fish, I'd experiment with one that would be no loss if I messed up - I think it comes up so well because it's a bit oilier than the others.
The queue of people to pinch fillets when I fire up the smoker grows each time. I'd recomend it as great fun and very nice eating too.

[Tony_N]

I have found this link very useful in getting started - especially if you have a webber-style BBQ

http://www.marinews.com/fishing/Cooking/c_smokefish.html

Tony

My favourite is leftover livies - slimy mackerel not used for livebait