Smoked fish.
Two main smoking methods. Cold view, in which fish smoking occurs at a temperature of 20 - 40 degrees for several days, and hot - 80 - 120 degrees. Acceptably higher, up to 170 with a duration of 1.5 to 4 hours. The higher the temperature and less humidity, the more actively smoke substances penetrate inside and the product is sufficiently dehydrated. When finished, the fish meat is dried, it is covered with a dense tight crust, which helps to maintain shape and is an obstacle for contaminants to enter the product. Choosing a smokehouse according to purpose is easy, just take into account the thickness of the metal of the case, and the level (preferably high) of fire safety.
Smoke.
Inside should get as little air as possible. For this, smoldering fuel (wood chips, chips) is observed, and not open fire. Although a little flame needs to be maintained if you smoke in the open air, and the weather is wet or rainy, then the flame maintains the temperature needed for cooking in the smokehouse so that there is more smoke. The lightest smoke is light, its density can be checked by the visibility of the product, if the blanks suspended in the smokehouse are visible, then everything is fine. Smoke constituents formic and acetic acids, formaldehyde, phenol, and other volatile substances give the product a smoked effect.
Salting fish.
Or just rub with coarse salt the entire surface of the fish, and from the inside, too. If the fish is with a thick back, we make an incision along the spine in it, rub the salt. Fish with fatty meat - capelin, mackerel, horse mackerel, flounder, silver carp, catfish, already rubbed with salt, should be transferred with tracing paper, parchment. Fold in enameled dishes and weight with oppression. As for the salting of frozen fish, the process is longer than with fresh fish - 5-7 hours or a day. After salting - the fish meat is ready for food.
Smoked product.
Ready-made smoked meats are characterized by a characteristic smoky odor, a pleasant wood - oil color, and a specific taste. What phenols, their derivatives, some fractions of aldehydes and resinous substances influence. In addition, formaldehyde, phenol, cresol, xylene, toluene, resins and acids in smoke have a disinfecting and preservative effect. Smoked meats are without a doubt a culinary product (checked by measuring the temperature inside the product), fully cooked, the only thing you should not experiment with is the duration of their storage.
What affects the color when smoked?
The resulting color when smoked can be adjusted by the cooking time (to ensure that it does not burn), resinous substances in the smoke, depending on the type of fuel wood. Fruit give light shades of pinkish-yellow color, mahogany - golden color. Oak, alder from bright yellow to brown. Beech, linden, maple and other deciduous trees are light golden yellow.
Cooling, storage.
It is advisable to follow the recipes, because they are calculated on the properties of meat. For tender meat without bone, it is better to cool slightly in the smokehouse with the lid closed. And other types of fish need rapid cooling and drying (due to the inadmissibility of coating soft skin with burning). Cooked smoked fish is usually hung out at a temperature of 10-12 degrees, or packaged (to maintain softness and aroma) and put on the lower shelf of the refrigerator for 4-7 days. At this final stage, there is a final decrease in humidity and proper “salting out” in the smoked product.
The text was provided by an online store of smokehouses and barbecues