Hot and cold smoked omul: recipes, photos, calories

Omul is a commercial Siberian fish of the Salmon family. Its meat is surprisingly tender, tasty and incredibly fatty. In terms of taste, omul is not inferior even to salmon. It can be baked, boiled, salted, smoked and fried. One of the dishes that is loved not only by residents of Siberia is smoke-treated omul, cold smoked and hot.

Hot and cold smoked omul - a real Baikal delicacy

Composition and calorie content of smoked omul

Omul meat contains a large amount of minerals, trace elements and vitamins. The fish feeds mainly on plankton and crustaceans, so its fillet contains an increased amount of various microelements.

Omul is a low-calorie fish, despite the fact that the meat contains a large amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids. 100 g of fresh fish fillet contains only 100 kcal; the finished product contains slightly more calories.

The calorie content of cold smoked omul is 190 kcal, hot smoked omul is on average 223 kcal per 100 g.

Nutritional value of 100 g of omul meat:

Beneficial features

When consuming cold-smoked omul meat, the human body can receive both benefit and harm. It is recommended to be used for a variety of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Even with the most severe obesity, omul can be completely harmlessly included in the diet. The meat of this Baikal fish is rich in essential and non-essential amino acids, which are the “building material” for all cells of the human body.

Omul meat is rich in the following beneficial substances:

• potassium, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and other internal organs;
• Omega 3 polyunsaturated acids improve metabolism, nervous and cardiovascular system functioning;
• phosphorus helps strengthen tooth enamel;
• vitamins A, PP, D influence redox processes and help fight sleep disorders;
• B vitamins are necessary for the full functioning of the reproductive and central nervous systems.

Also, omul fillet contains microelements such as chromium, chlorine, nickel fluorine, zinc and molybdenum. They are active participants in all processes occurring in the human body.

The only contraindications to eating omul are individual intolerance to seafood and food allergies.

Preparing omul for smoking

According to experts, cold and hot smoked omul can outshine many fish delicacies with its taste. Freshly caught fish or frozen raw materials are used for smoking. The main thing is that the omul is not spoiled. The shelf life of frozen carcasses is 6 months. Omul is prepared for smoking in the same way as other fish. Preparation consists of cleaning carcasses, gutting, removing gills and scales (optional). Then the fish is washed, salted or marinated, depending on the method chosen.

Salting or pickling

All smoking recipes require dry salting or marinating. Omul carcasses are salted for an average of 1-3 hours. The time depends on the size of the fish and personal taste preferences. Dry salting involves rubbing carcasses with salt, inside and out. Then the fish is placed under pressure and placed in a cool place.

Sometimes the recipe calls for salting without pressure. When choosing one method or another, you need to understand why it is being done. Pressure helps remove moisture from the fibers of the fish. When mixed with salt, a strong brine is formed, called brine. Thus, when using pressure, liquid is removed and the meat is salted.But to get more juicy pulp, it is recommended to simply sprinkle the omul with salt and put it in the refrigerator for a day.

You can also use black pepper, mustard, various herbs and lemon juice for dry salting. These seasonings will not only give the fish an original taste, but will also help break down the fibers and mask the characteristic fishy smell.

You can also marinate omul before smoking. Prepare a marinade based on water, with the addition of salt and bay leaf. In order for the seasonings to completely dissolve and release their aroma, the brine must be heated and brought to a boil.

In terms of time, marinating should last less than salting, since the salty brine penetrates into the fish meat much faster. After removal from the marinade, excess salt must be removed from the carcasses. This can be done by soaking in clean water for several hours. Then the carcasses should be dried by hanging in a cool, ventilated area.

To keep the omul meat juicy, hang the fish upside down

Drying time will depend on the size of the fish. A few hours will be enough for small carcasses, while large omul sometimes have to be dried for about a day. Undried fish should not be smoked, as the result will be a product unsuitable for consumption.

Cold smoking Baikal omul

Cold smoking is the most popular method of preparing omul, as it allows you to preserve the taste of the fish as much as possible.The product prepared in this way will be stored for a long time, while retaining almost all useful substances and vitamins.

Cold smoking of omul (pictured) is a process of a kind of “simmering” at a low temperature, about 25-30 °C. It lasts for several days.

Using alder or fruit tree wood for smoking, you can give the finished product an original taste and aroma.

Classic smokehouse recipe

Traditionally, cold smoked omul is prepared in a smokehouse. Its design provides for the passage of smoke over a distance of 1.5-2 m. In modern smokehouses, cold smoke is created using a special smoke generator. The process cannot be interrupted, but even if this has to be done, the breaks should be short.

When cold smoking omul, be sure to monitor the temperature in the smokehouse. The temperature should not rise above acceptable limits, otherwise the taste of the finished fish will not be smoked, but boiled. The process can be interrupted only after 6-8 hours from its start. It is not recommended to interrupt until this time, since during this period the fish is especially susceptible to bacterial damage. The degree of readiness of omul is determined by the characteristic golden color of the carcasses.

In a marching way

In camping conditions, you can smoke omul using a metal bucket with a lid. Inside it, several shelves are built from a mesh woven from wire with a diameter of about 3 mm. Such shelves will not collapse; the bucket is shaped like a cone.

Sawdust or other smoking material is placed in the middle of the camp smokehouse and suspended over the fire. The internal temperature is checked by the evaporation of droplets on the bucket lid.If the smoking process is carried out correctly, the water should evaporate and not hiss. Temperature adjustment is carried out by adding wood to the fire or raking the coals.

At home without a smokehouse

You can smoke omul at home without a smokehouse using the Liquid Smoke flavoring agent.

Recipe:

1. Gut the fish carcasses and cut off their heads.
2. Roll them in salt and wrap them in white paper sheets.
3. Wrap the carcasses in several layers of newspaper.
4. Leave in a dark and cool place to pickle for 4 days.
5. Make a smoking solution at the rate of 50 ml of “liquid smoke” per 1 liter of water.
6. Leave the fish in the prepared mixture for 24 hours.
7. The carcasses are washed and dried.

Hot smoking Baikal omul

Different peoples of the North have a large number of different recipes for preparing hot smoked omul. There are also those that have been preserved since ancient times. Baikal fishermen also have their own cooking secrets.

Classic smoking in a smokehouse

Before smoking, fish must be washed to remove excess salt. It is then placed in the smokehouse for approximately 40 minutes. Smoking temperature + 80 °C. It is best to smoke omul on wood chips from garden trees, poplar or willow.

Step-by-step instructions for preparing hot smoked omul as in the photo:

1. Wet the wood chips.
2. Spread the wood evenly over the bottom of the smokehouse.
3. Place a drip pan on top to drain the fat.
4. Place racks with fish over the tray.
5. To cover with a lid.
6. Place the smokehouse over an open fire.

To prevent the cooked omul from becoming bitter, after 10 minutes from the start of smoking it is recommended to release the steam by slightly opening the smokehouse lid

At the stake

Omul can be smoked in nature, immediately after catching. Smoking can be done without any special equipment - over a fire using willow leaves. Branches are not suitable for this. The preparation time for hot smoked omul is about 20 minutes.

Step-by-step cooking process:

1. The fish carcasses are sprinkled with salt and left for 2 hours.
2. They light a fire so that the wood burns out while the salting is in progress.
3. Willow leaves are harvested.
4. Wash and dry the salted fish.
5. A 10 cm thick layer of willow leaves is laid on the coals.
6. Fish carcasses are placed on top of the leaves.
7. The fish are also covered with leaves on top.
8. Make sure that the fire does not flare up.

Fish prepared in this way cannot be stored for a long time; it must be eaten as soon as possible.

On the grill

You can cook hot smoked omul on the grill. For this, the fish must be prepared in the traditional way - cleaned of scales, gutted, washed and dried inside with a napkin. Next you should follow the recipe:

1. Sprinkle the carcasses inside and outside with salt and sugar.
2. Transfer the fish to a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
3. Rinse the carcasses and dry in a well-ventilated area for about 24 hours. Drying longer is not recommended, as the belly may dry out.
4. Light the coals in the grill and after they burn out, sprinkle shavings of some aromatic wood, such as cherry, on top.
5. Place the fish on the grill, after inserting spacers - toothpicks - into the belly.

You need to smoke fish for an average of about 40-50 minutes, periodically turning the carcasses for even smoking on all sides.

Storage rules

Cold and hot smoked omul must be stored correctly. Failure to comply with the rules can not only worsen the taste of the product, but even lead to its spoilage. Hot smoked omul can be stored for no more than 3 days, and it must be kept exclusively in the refrigerator during this entire time. The shelf life of cold-cooked fish is about 4 months. Omul smoked using “liquid smoke” can be stored for about 30 days.

Smoked fish is best stored in vacuum packaging. Thus, sterile conditions will be created for the product, which will accordingly significantly extend its shelf life. But even when storing omul in vacuum packaging, do not forget about the recommended periods. After their expiration, eating fish is strictly prohibited.

Conclusion

Cold smoked omul, just like hot smoked omul, is a tasty and healthy dish. This Baikal fish can be prepared in different ways, both traditional and quite original. There are a large number of different recipes for preparing this smoked delicacy, using which everyone can enjoy a delicious fish dish.

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