Sturgeon is truly a royal treat. Especially if his carcass is cooked whole by the method of hot smoking. With such a dish, the table setting will transfer to the palace chambers, but at the price it will correspond to them. It is much cheaper and tastier than hot smoked sturgeon, which is cooked at home.
Why exactly sturgeon?
The sturgeon was still liked by our ancestors, because it can undoubtedly be called the royal fish. She has a rather impressive appearance with an upturned elongated nose and bony rows of tubercles on her back. In addition, the white meat of sturgeon is very nutritious and tasty in any form. Sturgeon is rich in amino acids, easily digestible fish oil, iodine and vitamins.
By the way, a kilogram of hot smoked sturgeon in Moscow costs an average of three thousand rubles. While the price of fresh carcass will be two times lower. Therefore, it is more advisable to smoke the fish yourself. In addition, at home it is not difficult to do this. The task is within the reach of even novice cooks.
Smoking temperature
Smoking is a common type of canning. The fish is first salted, then dried and processed in a smokehouse. Depending on the temperature, three cooking options can be distinguished. It is hot, semi-hot and cold smoked. In the first method, it is recommended to process fish at a temperature of plus 90-100 degrees. But in this case, in order not to spoil the dish, the carcass should be fat enough. Semi-hot smoking is carried out at a temperature of plus 50-80 degrees. The advantage of this method is that the fish is especially tasty and has a long shelf life. Cold smoked sturgeon is prepared at temperatures up to plus 45 degrees. With this method, the moisture evaporates longer, and the fish turns out to be a little dry.
Carcass selection
If you want to cook hot smoked sturgeon at home, then pay special attention to the choice of fish. It is best to take chilled rather than frozen carcasses. It can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days. Freshness is easy to determine by the eyes - in stale fish, the pupil will be cloudy. Also, when choosing, try to press on the side with your finger. If the dent disappears immediately, then the sturgeon is fresh. But the size of the fish does not matter, both large and small specimens are suitable for smoking.
Smoking preparation
If you want to surprise your loved ones with a spectacular dish, then smoke the whole sturgeon. Leave the head and growths on the back, and remove the scales and entrails. In general, sturgeon is butchered in the same way as any large fish. First you need to clean it, gut it, and only then cut off the head and growths on the back. Chefs recommend observing just such a sequence. If the fish is too large, it is best to cut it into pieces up to five centimeters thick so that the carcass is better marinated.
Now you can go to the recipes for hot smoked sturgeon. The article will discuss how to cook it in a smokehouse, oven and with liquid smoke.
Sturgeon in the smokehouse
The following ingredients will be required per kilogram of sturgeon:
- A tablespoon of salt.
- Half a teaspoon of sugar.
- Pepper and other spices to taste. It is important not to overdo it with spices so as not to overshadow the delicate taste of hot smoked sturgeon.
- 100 grams of cognac (or dry white wine).
Fold the prepared fish in a pan or deep bowl. Add salt, sugar, spices and mix well. Cover tightly and put in the refrigerator for about a day.
When the sturgeon is salted, fill it with alcohol. Put in the cold again for one or even two days. Then remove excess salt from the fish and let it dry.
At the bottom of the smokehouse, lay out a little wood chips previously soaked in water for about half an hour. Turn on the fire, and as soon as there is enough smoke in the smokehouse, it is recommended to set the temperature to 80 degrees. Sturgeon will be smoked for about two hours, but from time to time check the readiness so that the dish does not dry out. When you put out the fire, do not immediately remove the fish. Let it sweat under the lid for about half an hour.
Sturgeon in the oven
Prepare the following foods per kilogram of sturgeon:
- A tablespoon with a good slide of salt.
- Half a teaspoon of granulated sugar.
- 70 grams of cognac.
Cooking hot smoked sturgeon at home, start by cutting fish. After that, rub it with salt, sugar and put in a bowl. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least ten hours, and even better - for a day. Cooks recommend periodically turning the fish over (3-4 times).
When the fish is salted, you will see that liquid has been released. It must be drained. Now add cognac to the sturgeon and put it back in the refrigerator for six hours. Do not forget to turn it over!
Once the fish is marinated, lay it on the wire rack. Let it lie an hour so that it dries. At this stage, you can dress the carcass with threads so that it does not fall apart. But this is not necessary if the fish is quite dense.
Now you can go directly to the hot smoking of sturgeon. Preheat the oven to 80 degrees and turn on convection. Put the fish in the cabinet for about an hour. Turn the carcass over and leave for another forty minutes. Note that the cooking time must be adjusted depending on the size of the sturgeon. Remove the wire rack from the oven and leave it on the table until it cools completely.
Smoking sturgeon with liquid smoke
At the initial stage, hot smoked sturgeon is prepared in the same way as in the previous recipe. Fish must be cleaned and salted. When it is time to add alcohol, pour a tablespoon of liquid smoke with it. Put the carcass in the refrigerator for about two days.
When the sturgeon has dried up, put it on the wire rack, and put it on the baking sheet. It is recommended to pour the brine in which the fish languished. Optionally, add another tablespoon of liquid smoke to the pan. Preheat the oven to 80 degrees and cook the carcass in it for about two hours.
As you can see, it’s very easy to smoke sturgeon at home. You will get a delicious, and most importantly, a natural and fresh festive dish. In addition, in stores the price of hot smoked sturgeon is quite high. Therefore, it makes sense to cook such fish in your own kitchen.