Content
When choosing products for fish dishes, few people stop their attention on the river perch, which at first glance looks inconspicuous. And in vain. Recently, such a delicacy as hot smoked perch has become increasingly popular. Moreover, it is very easy to prepare at home.
Many people will like the fragrant smoked fish
Is it possible to smoke perch?
The prey of fishermen is often river perch - a medium-sized (15-30 cm) greenish-yellow fish with black transverse stripes and spiny fins.
Compared to other types, it may seem a bit dry. In addition, it contains a lot of bones. However, the pleasant delicate taste allows you to smoke river perch with both hot and cold smoke. Smoked fish has an interesting taste, characteristic only of this species. By the way, you can smoke perch not only in a specially equipped smokehouse, but also in your own personal plot.
The average weight of fish is 200-300 g
Composition and value of the product
River perch, whose meat is not particularly fatty, is a dietary product. 100 g of fillet contains only 1 g of fat and about 20 g of protein. Like other species, river perch contains Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial for the human body.
Fish meat contains vitamins A, C, D, E, P and group B, as well as minerals - potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, etc.
Benefits and calories
The beneficial qualities of river perch are determined by its chemical composition.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids present in fish meat:
- have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
- help normalize blood pressure and prevent the development of thrombophlebitis;
- help improve brain activity and are also a good preventive measure for psycho-emotional disorders;
- improve skin health;
- Being a good antioxidant, they help remove harmful substances from the body.
The protein present in this fish is a building material for the cells of musculoskeletal and connective tissues.
Due to the content of a large amount of vitamins and minerals, regular inclusion of perch in the menu helps maintain the vitamin and mineral balance of the body and helps strengthen the immune system.
People suffering from kidney, liver and gallbladder diseases should consume smoked fish with caution.
River perch is included in the group of low-calorie foods. 100 g of boiled or baked fish contains only 109 kcal, and fried fish - 180 kcal. The calorie content of hot smoked perch is 175 kcal per 100 g of product.
Low energy value allows you to include fish in your diet for weight loss
Principles of smoking perch
The principle of smoking fish is to process the carcasses with cold or hot smoke. There are two types of fish smoking - cold and hot. The cooking principle in the two cases is almost the same, the only difference is the temperature of the smoke entering the tank and the cooking time of the product.
Smoking temperature of perch
To properly prepare hot smoked perch, a temperature of 70-90 °C is required. For cold – 15-45 °C. It is necessary to control the degree of heating of the smoke at all times. Its increase or decrease can cause damage to the product.
How long does it take to smoke perch?
The duration of hot processing is 25-35 minutes. Provided the correct temperature conditions are observed, this time is enough for the pulp to be well baked and easily move away from the bones and skin.
Treatment with cold smoke will require more time - at least 7 hours. Cold smoked largemouth bass is smoked even longer, about 24 hours.
Temperature control is an important condition for smoking
How to select and prepare perch for smoking
To make perch tasty, you need to choose the right starting product. Ideally use live fish. If this is not possible, you can buy frozen.The main thing is that the product is fresh.
When choosing perch for smoking, you need to pay attention to its appearance and aroma. High-quality specimens have no external damage or unpleasant odor.
The next step is cutting the fish. Some fishermen advise not to cut up perch before smoking. Indeed, small fish can be smoked whole. But it’s better to remove them from the large insides, because they can impart a bitter taste to the finished product. There is no need to remove the scales.
Cut the fish as follows:
- An incision is made along the abdomen between the fins from the head to the tail.
- Remove the insides by hand or with a knife. This must be done very carefully to prevent damage to the gallbladder and leakage of the contents into the cavity of the perch (otherwise the fish will be bitter). Milk and caviar are also removed.
- The carcass is washed and dried with a paper or cloth napkin.
It is recommended to cut off the upper fins
How to pickle perch for smoking
Before the smoking procedure with both cold and hot smoke, the fish is salted or marinated. The simplest method is dry salting. There are no special restrictions on the use of salt, therefore, to salt perch for hot or cold smoking, it is simply rubbed inside and on top with salt and your favorite spices, and then placed in a common container for salting. Cover the dish tightly with a lid and put pressure on it.
Fresh fish is salted for about four hours, frozen fish for at least 12. To ensure even salting, the carcasses are periodically turned over.
Before smoking perch in a hot or cold smokehouse, wash off the salt from the carcass and then dry it with a paper towel.
The fish must be well salted
How to marinate perch for smoking
To make the taste of the smoked product more spicy, the fish is pre-marinated.
For the marinade:
- 1 lemon cut into thin half-slices;
- 1 onion is chopped into half rings and combined with lemon;
- add 2 tbsp to the mixture. l. table salt, 2-3 pcs. bay leaves, 1 tsp. granulated sugar and the same amount of ground black pepper;
- pour 2 liters of cold water into the dry mixture and bring to a boil, after which the marinade is cooled;
- Pour the prepared marinade over the fish and leave for 12-14 hours.
Before smoking, the carcasses are dried well with a paper towel.
Spices in the marinade will help enhance the taste of the finished fish.
How to smoke hot smoked perch
To smoke hot-smoked perch at home, you will need: a smoking chamber, approximately 2 kg of pre-salted or pickled perch, wood chips, firewood or coals.
Ideally, use a ready-made store-bought smokehouse, which is a metal box with two lids and two grates.
Alternatively, you can use a conventional oven for smoking. In this case, the fish will have to be baked first and then treated with liquid smoke.
Recipe for hot smoked perch in a smokehouse
Making hot smoked perch at home is quite simple. The main thing is to properly salt or marinate the fish and adhere to the established smoking technology.
For smoking perch fish:
- Fill the wood chips with water for about 40 minutes. When the water turns yellow-red, it is drained.
- They light a fire. The firewood should burn to such an extent that it remains intact, but continues to smolder (or add coal to the fire). You can use bricks, cinder blocks or wet logs to build the fireplace.
- The bottom of the smokehouse is lined with wood chips. The layer thickness is about 1 cm. Large sawdust, shavings or small branches of fruit trees can be used as wood chips. Cherry is best suited for this, but it is better to avoid nuts, which can give smoked perch a persistent aroma of iodine.
- Install the first grate in the smokehouse.
- Remove the fish from the marinade or brine, carefully wipe it with a napkin towards the edge of the scales and place it on the installed grill.
- They put a second grid and put perches on it too.
- Close the smoking device with a tight lid, and then place it on smoldering wood or coals.
- After 10 minutes of processing, slightly move or lift the lid to allow steam to escape. After another 10 minutes, to ensure uniform smoking, the grates are swapped.
- After another 10 minutes, remove the smokehouse from the fire.
The degree of readiness of hot smoked perch, as can be seen in the photo, is determined by the color of the fish and the condition of the wood chips, of which at this moment only coals remain.
The taste of perch will become more refined if, in the last minutes of smoking, sprinkle it with lemon juice and add a little dill.
The color of the finished perch is red-golden
How to smoke perch at home
It is best to cook hot smoked fish outdoors in a special smokehouse.If this is not possible, it makes sense to use liquid smoke, which is a flavoring obtained from the smoldering of wood and dissolved in water. Before cooking, the fish is treated with liquid smoke and then baked in the oven.
Liquid smoke will give a golden color and a smoky smell.
Cold smoked perch recipe
The process of smoking with cold smoke is simple, but quite lengthy, and also requires the use of a large smokehouse. That is why perches are smoked with cold smoke mainly in production.
For smoking:
- pour wood chips into the smoke generator and use a special tube to connect it to the smokehouse tank;
- salted or pickled carcasses, depending on the structure of the smokehouse, are strung through the eyes onto an iron rod or laid out on metal grates;
- set fire to the wood chips, then turn on the compressor;
- smoke fills the chamber, the smoking process occurs.
You can make a smokehouse yourself
Storage rules
In order for smoked fish to retain its freshness and taste as long as possible, it must be stored properly.
The shelf life of hot and cold fish may depend on:
- correct salting, salt helps destroy protozoa;
- integrity of fish, whole carcasses are stored longer than chopped pieces.
Hot smoked perch, the recipe for which involves heat treatment, can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than four days. The temperature should not be higher than +4 °C. The shelf life of “cold” fish is much longer. At the same temperature it will remain fresh for 10-15 days.You can increase the shelf life if you pack it in parchment and put it in the freezer.
It is better to eat hot fish in the next couple of days
Conclusion
Hot smoked perch prepared with your own hands can be a good treat for both family members and guests. The portability of the smoking device and the simple cooking recipe make it possible to smoke this delicious fish not only in your own home or yard, but also while relaxing in nature.
