Cold smoked mackerel recipes at home

Smoking fish is a preservation method that increases the shelf life of the product due to the salt and chemical elements contained in the smoke. Preparation of raw materials and process technology depend on the cooking temperature. After marinating, cold smoked mackerel is treated with cooled smoke, therefore it retains all the amino acids and acquires an attractive presentation, taste and smell.

For cold smoking, whole or processed mackerel is used; the cooking technology does not change.

General technology for cold smoking mackerel

Fish processed cold or hot is classified as a snack food. To obtain a high-quality product with high gastronomic characteristics, it is necessary to smoke mackerel correctly, following the sequence of cold smoking technology:

1. Choose good quality fish, purchase fresh or frozen, and process it. Can be cooked whole or peeled (without the head).
2. Before cooking, mackerel is salted or marinated, using brine or a dry method.
3. After marinating, the fish is washed and tasted; if there is a lot of salt, then it is soaked. They dry it and insert spacers into the gutted one so that the raw materials are better ventilated.
4. Each carcass is placed in a special mesh for cold smoking, this will make it easier to hang the mackerel so that it does not touch each other.
5. Not all wood is suitable for cold smoking. For mackerel they take alder or beech.

After cooking, the mackerel is hung in a ventilated area for a day.

At what temperature should you smoke cold smoked mackerel?

The cold smoking process is longer and the product is not subjected to heat treatment. The temperature inside the container should not exceed +30 ⁰C. In the classic case of cooking, equipment with a smoke generator is used, the optimal smoke temperature is +20-40 ⁰WITH.

The duration of the process will depend on this indicator; if the mark is higher than normal, the cooking will go faster. If it is lower, it will take longer, but the nutritional value of mackerel will be higher. Presentation also directly depends on temperature conditions.If the indicator is high inside the equipment, there is a risk that the fish will disintegrate; the preparatory stage of raw materials for cold smoking is different.

How long does it take to smoke cold smoked mackerel?

It will take longer to smoke cold-smoked mackerel than at high temperatures. The indicator depends on the chosen method:

1. To get a product that tastes close to cold-smoked mackerel, a recipe using a marinade based on onion skins will take 5 days. The raw materials are marinated for three days and dried for two days.
2. Using liquid smoke, a finished snack is obtained in 48 hours.
3. Using an oven or slow cooker will take 12 hours.

Cooking mackerel in the traditional way using special equipment will take no more than 16 hours and will require another day for weathering. But here, too, the time will depend on the size of the fish, the dimensions of the equipment and the intensity of the smoke.

Is it possible to cook cold smoked mackerel without a smokehouse?

Special equipment can be used outdoors. In the stationary conditions of a city apartment, this method of cold smoking is difficult to use due to the smell of smoke and the duration of the process. Not everyone has a summer house and smokehouse. You can prepare mackerel that tastes just as good using liquid smoke, onion skins or tea leaves.

To give a similar look, after cooking you can coat the surface with sunflower oil. The taste of the fish will not differ from a carcass aged in a smokehouse, it will just take longer until it is ready.

They also use an oven or a slow cooker; here the preparation and cooking technology will differ from the classical method. The easiest way to give mackerel a cold-smoked flavor is to use a plastic bottle. This option is suitable if you need to prepare a small amount.

Both fresh and frozen fish are suitable for processing

Selection and preparation of mackerel for cold smoking

To get a quality product with good taste and smell, you need to choose the right raw materials. It is easier to determine the quality of fresh fish. It must meet the following criteria:

• surface without mechanical damage;
• the color is light gray, with clearly defined dark lines on a bluish background along the back;
• The fresh product has a mother-of-pearl sheen throughout the whole carcass without mucus;
• if yellow tones are present, it means the fish is not fresh; the color comes from fish oil starting to rust;
• Mackerel has no smell. If it exists, and even more so if it is unpleasant, you should refuse the purchase;
• the eyes are transparent, neither protruding nor sunken;
• there are no traces of blood on the surface;
• gills with a pink tint. If they are white or gray, it means the raw materials are of poor quality.

The freshness of frozen carcasses is difficult to determine by smell, so they also rely on visual signs. If there is a lot of ice, it means the product has undergone secondary freezing. The color should not be in doubt.

Cleaning

Frozen mackerel must be thawed before processing. This is done in cold water; it is not recommended to use warm or hot water, as the process will not speed up, and the taste and density of the fiber structure will be impaired. The raw materials are taken out of the freezer, placed in a deep container and filled with plain water.Leave until the fish is completely defrosted.

The surface of mackerel is without scales, so cleaning is not necessary. The carcass is gutted, the entrails and black film from the walls of the peritoneum are removed. The head is cut off or left, the caudal fin is not touched. This is a complete treatment. If cold smoking involves using mackerel in its entirety, it is washed well and the gills are removed.

Pickling

Salting is a mandatory condition of the preparatory technology. Use medium-ground table salt, preferably without iodine additives. Make a mixture of sugar – 10 g and salt – 100 g, per 1 kg of fish. You can use bay leaf or allspice as flavorings. If cold smoking will take place on alder, you can add lemon juice to the pickling mixture. The smoke from the beech chips itself gives the product a slight acidic taste.

Subsequence:

1. Prepare a container for fish, preferably enamel or plastic.
2. The carcass is covered with a layer of pickling mixture on the outside and inside.
3. If there is a lot of raw material, it is distributed in layers, each sprinkled with salt.
4. A small amount, place the prepared dishes and pour the remaining mixture on top.

The raw materials are covered and refrigerated for 48 hours.

Pickling

You can prepare mackerel for cold smoking in a saline solution. To marinate 3 carcasses you will need 1 liter of water and 125 g of salt. The marinade is prepared as follows:

1. Place the container with liquid on the stove.
2. Add salt before boiling.
3. You can add bay leaf and peppercorns to taste.
4. The brine boils for 5 minutes, then the gas is turned off.

The processed mackerel is placed in a container and filled with cold solution

Place a weight on top so that the raw materials are completely covered with the marinade.Place in the refrigerator for two days.

Withering

After salting, mackerel is washed with cold water (preferably running). Cut a small piece from the carcass and taste for salt.

If the concentration is not satisfactory, the fish is soaked in cold water for 4 hours. Then you need to dry it:

1. The mackerel is placed in a special net, it can be wrapped in gauze and dried without using any improvised means.
2. If the carcass is gutted, insert a spacer into the belly area and use matches or toothpicks.
3. Place the workpiece for cold smoking in fresh air or in a ventilated room.

When the moisture has completely evaporated from the surface, the raw material is ready for cooking.

Hanging fish to dry by the tail fin

How to cook cold smoked mackerel

There are several ways to get a high-quality cold fish appetizer. With or without the use of equipment special for this purpose. A large number of recipes are offered, where the emphasis is on the composition of the marinade. Several options will help you make the best mackerel with a cold-smoked flavor, with or without natural smoke.

Cold smoked mackerel in onion skins

The cooking technology is simple, the main thing is to maintain the proportions of the marinade. The result is an appetizer that is not inferior in gastronomic quality to the traditional cold smoking method.

Set of components for marinade:

• onion peel - 2 cups;
• mackerel carcasses – 3 pcs.;
• water – 1 l;
• coarse salt - 2 full tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 20 g;
• peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves - to taste and desire.

Preparatory work:

1. Pour the liquid into a container and put it on fire.
2. The onion peels are sorted so that there are no black fragments and washed.
3. Place in water and boil for 20 minutes.
4. Add all the ingredients of the marinade, leave to simmer for 5 minutes, turn off.

The processed carcasses are placed in a container, filled with cold brine, pressure is set, and closed. Place in the refrigerator (if it is summer) or on the balcony (in autumn), the temperature should not exceed +6 ⁰C. Keep the raw materials in the marinade for 72 hours.

Then the brine is washed off the surface and hung by the tail fin on a plot or balcony. In the summer, it is recommended to wrap the carcasses with gauze to protect them from insects. Mackerel is dried for two days until ready. If you have a smokehouse, after drying for 2 hours, prepare it using cold smoking technology.

The finished dried product does not differ in color from smoked fish

Cold smoked mackerel with liquid smoke

Fish prepared in this way does not differ in taste from a naturally cold smoked product. The recipe is convenient because you can process a large amount of mackerel at the same time.

For marinade for 6 fish take:

• water – 2 l;
• liquid smoke – 170 ml;
• salt – 8 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 2 tbsp. l.

Recipe technology for delicious cold smoked mackerel:

1. The fish is processed and can be marinated whole or cut into pieces.
2. Boil water along with salt and sugar until the spices are completely dissolved.
3. When the solution has cooled, liquid smoke is poured into it.
4. The fish is placed in a container and filled with marinade, and the weight is installed.

Maintain at a temperature of +4-5⁰ C three days. They are taken out of the brine and hung by the tail fins to dry.

After removal from the marinade, the mackerel is not washed

How to smoke cold smoked mackerel in tea leaves

Tea leaves are used to add color to the finished product. To prepare 3 pcs. mackerel take:

• water – 1 l:
• salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
• tea leaves – 3 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 3 tbsp. l.

Recipe:

1. Pour the tea leaves into boiling water and maintain the boiling process for 3 minutes.
2. Add salt and sugar and leave on fire for another 5 minutes.
3. The household appliance is turned off.
4. Gutted carcasses (without heads) are placed in a bowl and poured with cooled and filtered marinade.

Immerse the mackerel completely in the cold solution using pressure. Keep in the refrigerator for three days. You can serve it as is or use a smoker.

Mackerel according to this recipe without cold smoking will be lighter

Cold smoked mackerel in the oven

You can make cold smoked mackerel using the oven. The technology eliminates heat treatment, so a household appliance is used to dry the pickled product:

1. To prepare the raw materials, make a brine from 100 g of salt per 1 liter of water.
2. The liquid is boiled and left to cool.
3. Add 80 g of liquid smoke to the brine.
4. The mackerel is poured with marinade and kept for three days.
5. After this period has expired, wash and place on a baking sheet.
6. Turn on the oven at 40 ⁰C, they put the fish.

Leave for 40 minutes, this time is enough for the appetizer to dry and take on the appearance and taste of cold smoked mackerel.

The finished fish is coated with olive oil, wrapped in a napkin and left for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Served with vegetables and herbs

How to smoke cold smoked mackerel in a slow cooker

It is not possible to cook the carcasses whole; after processing they are cut into pieces. Pieces of 2 mackerel are placed in a container and sprinkled with salt and spices. Leave it in the refrigerator for a day. Take out and wash off the salt.

Cooking sequence:

1. The workpiece is placed in a baking bag.
2. Add 3 tbsp. l. liquid smoke, shake so that the flavor is well distributed throughout the bag.
3. Pour water into the multicooker bowl.
4. Place a grate on top for steaming.
5. Place the workpiece on it.
6. Turn on the appliance to the “Steam cooking” function.

The required time for smoking mackerel in a slow cooker according to the cold smoking recipe is 20 minutes. On one side – 10 minutes, then the bag is turned over and kept for the same amount of time.

Take the product out of the bag and leave it indoors for several hours to remove the excess smell of liquid smoke.

Recipe for cold smoked mackerel with a smoke generator

This is a classic version of preparing the product. The fish is used whole, gutted and the gills are removed.

Pickling:

1. Salt is taken in any quantity, peppercorns and basil are added to it.
2. Rub the carcass, paying special attention to the place where the gills were located.
3. Place the preparation in a saucepan and sprinkle a bay leaf on top. It is first broken into pieces.
4. They place a plate on top and press on it.

Then they are taken out and the salt is washed off. Hang out to dry. To speed up the process, you can direct a flow of cold air from a fan onto the workpiece.

Smoking:

1. Wood chips are poured into the smoke generator.
2. The fish can be hung in any container, a wooden or cardboard box, an iron box, the main thing is that it is hermetically sealed, and a pipe for supplying cold smoke can be placed into it.
3. The mode is set to automatic.

Cold smoked mackerel should be smoked with a smoke generator at a temperature not exceeding +30⁰ C.The process time until ready is 12-16 hours (depending on the volume of raw materials).

After the process is completed, the fish is aired out for at least a day in a cold room with good ventilation.

Cold smoked mackerel in a bottle

A plastic bottle with a cut off top is used as a preparation container. A 1.5 liter container contains 3 medium-sized carcasses.

Ingredients of the marinade:

• water – 1 l;
• salt – 3 tbsp. l.;
• onion peel - 2 cups;
• sugar – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
• brewing tea – 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation of brine:

1. Pour water into a saucepan and add onion peels.
2. After boiling, add spices and tea leaves.
3. Keep on fire for 5 minutes.
4. After cooling, the liquid is filtered.
5. The carcasses are processed, the head and entrails are removed.
6. Place in a bottle, fill with cold marinade, add 3 tablespoons of liquid smoke. Tie the top with a plastic bag.

Place in the refrigerator for 72 hours. Take it out and dry it.

The cold appetizer is sprinkled with onions on top and served with boiled potatoes.

Why is cold smoked mackerel soft, how to fix it

The main reasons why the mackerel turned out soft:

• low-quality raw materials, the fish was frozen several times;
• the temperature regime during smoking is not observed;
• the product is pre-dried poorly, the residual liquid creates a film through which smoke does not pass well, so the fish will be soft;
• defrosting conditions were not met: an oven or microwave was used.

If the product tastes good and does not have an unpleasant odor, it can be included in the menu. It is almost impossible to correct the situation after cold cooking in a smokehouse. If the quality is in doubt, it is better to refuse use.

Storage rules

Store mackerel in the refrigerator for no more than two weeks.The fish is placed in a bag or container so that nearby products are not saturated with the smell. You can freeze, this method will extend the shelf life to 3 months, but be sure to place the carcasses in a vacuum bag and remove the air from it.

Conclusion

Cold smoked mackerel completely retains its beneficial chemical composition because it is not subjected to heat treatment. Before being placed in the smokehouse, the carcasses are salted or marinated, dried and only then cooked. To fully develop the taste, after the process the mackerel is aired for at least 24 hours. In the video you can watch cold smoking of mackerel at home from the moment of defrosting until it is ready.

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