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Homemade fish preparations allow you to obtain excellent quality delicacies that are not inferior to high-level restaurant dishes. Cold smoked muksun can be prepared even without serious culinary skills. You just need to correctly select and prepare all the necessary ingredients, and then follow the simple instructions.
Composition and calorie content of smoked muksun
Most fish of the Salmon family are considered delicacies. When smoked, muksun meat becomes very tender and soft. When preparing the product at home, you can get not only a tasty, but also very healthy dish. The most valuable components are the following:
- a large amount of natural protein;
- fatty acids that lower cholesterol and improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
- vitamin D for the central nervous system;
- microelements - calcium and phosphorus.
Smoked muksun is not only tasty, but also a very healthy dish
Scientists and doctors note that periodic consumption of smoked muksun significantly improves the general condition of the body. Consumers also report reduced stress levels and improved sleep quality. The main advantage of the delicacy is its rather low calorie content and, as a result, its use in various diets and nutrition programs. 100 g of cold smoked muksun contains:
- proteins - 19.5 g;
- fats - 5.2 g;
- carbohydrates - 0 g;
- calorie content - 128 kcal.
Adherents of the most healthy food can significantly reduce the fat content of the finished dish by preparing it in a different way. When hot smoking, more fat comes out of the fish, leaving no more than 2 g for every 100 g of weight. Calorie content in this case changes to 88 Kcal.
Preparing muksun for smoking
The best fish for cooking, regardless of recipe and type, is freshly caught. Considering the rather specific habitat of muksun, most residents of the country will have to be content with a frozen product. When choosing fish, the first thing you should pay attention to is the glaze layer - a large amount of ice often indicates repeated defrosting or non-compliance with transportation technology.
When purchasing chilled fish, it is important to correctly evaluate its appearance. Supermarkets often sell thawed muksun under the guise of such a product. A bad product shows an uneven shine, the presence of mucus and an unpleasant odor emanating from the carcass. It is also worth examining your eyes - they should be clear, without clouding.
Before you start cooking, you need to defrost the carcasses. It is best to leave them overnight in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4-6 degrees. If you need the fastest possible processing, a microwave or oven with a defrost function comes to the rescue. In order not to lose a large amount of natural juice, it is not recommended to put muksun in hot water.
The abdominal cavity must be thoroughly cleaned before smoking.
The next step is cleaning the fish. Her belly is cut open and all her insides are removed. Particular attention is paid to the dark film, which can cause bitterness in the finished dish. The head is left or removed as desired. It is best to leave the scales to protect the muksun from overly aggressive smoke.
Regardless of the chosen cooking method, the fish needs pre-salting. There are 2 traditional options for this processing for muksun - dry and wet. In the first case, the fish is rubbed with salt and a mixture of various seasonings to taste. Wet salting for smoking is done in a special salt solution or marinade.
Before the final stage, the muksun is washed with running water to remove excess salt. Then the carcasses are hung on ropes and dried from moisture. The finished fish is placed in the smokehouse and cooking begins.
Cold smoked muksun recipes
A long process of smoke treatment at low temperatures allows you to turn fish into a real delicacy. On average, a cold smoked muksun dish will take from 12 to 24 hours.Considering the low temperature during cooking, it is important to follow the recommendations for pre-salting - a lack of salt can lead to the preservation of harmful microorganisms in the finished product.
When cold smoking, special attention should be paid to the selection of spices when salting or marinating. Excessive amounts of aromatic herbs can worsen the taste of muksun. The ideal addition would be salt, as well as a little pepper and bay leaf.
Classic recipe
The traditional method of preparation involves minimal use of spices and a long period of treatment with cold smoke. Before smoking, muksun is thoroughly washed and gutted. For 1 kg of salt add 50 g of ground black pepper. The resulting mixture is rubbed on the carcasses outside and inside, after which they are left for 2-3 hours. Muksun salts out quite quickly - you shouldn’t leave it for a longer time. The fish is washed, dried with a paper towel and greased with sunflower oil.
A minimal amount of spices will preserve the natural fishy taste
For the smokehouse, a large fire is lit in order to be able to periodically add firewood. As soon as there are enough coals to maintain the optimal temperature in the device, it is placed on top. Apple or cherry chips soaked in water are poured into the bottom of the smokehouse. The fish are hung on special hooks or laid out on grids.
Preparing a cold smoked muksun appetizer according to this recipe takes about 12 hours. For the first 8 hours, it is necessary to monitor the constant presence of smoke in the smokehouse.Then it is recommended to take short breaks of half an hour. To check the readiness of smoked muksun, one fish from the smokehouse is cut across the main fin. The meat should be a uniform white color. Before serving, it is recommended to ventilate the delicacy in the open air for 3-4 hours.
Cold smoked muksun in traditional marinade
Brine will allow you to achieve more uniform salting compared to the dry method. A classic marinade will allow you to fully reveal the delicate taste of muksun when smoked. For a kilogram fish you will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- ¼ tbsp. salt;
- 20 peppercorns;
- 10 buds of cloves;
- 3 tbsp. l. strong tea;
- 3 bay leaves.
Bring the water to a boil and add salt and all the spices. Boil the liquid for 5-10 minutes, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Muksun is placed in an enamel pan and covered with marinade for 12 hours. Before cooking, wipe it dry and grease it with sunflower oil.
Marinade guarantees better salting of larger fish carcasses
The smokehouse with moistened wood chips is placed on the fire and the temperature in it is achieved at 30-40 degrees and a plentiful flow of smoke. The fish is placed in it and the lid is tightly closed. Muksun will be completely ready 18-20 hours after the start of smoking. After treatment with smoke, it is ventilated for about 2 hours in the fresh air.
Cold smoked muksun in apple and lemon marinade
Fans of more sophisticated recipes can diversify the preparation of smoked fish with additional ingredients. The main factor is compatibility with tender fish meat. Apples and lemons in small quantities are best.According to consumer reviews, this cold-smoked muksun is more tasty than the traditional recipe.
To prepare the marinade you will need:
- 500 ml apple juice;
- 500 ml water;
- 2 sweet apples;
- half a lemon;
- 60 g salt;
- 1 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 10 peppercorns;
- 4 bay leaves;
- 10 buds of cloves;
- 1 cup onion peel.
Apples are grated on a coarse grater. Remove the zest from the lemon and squeeze out the juice. Mix water with lemon and apple juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Place all remaining ingredients into the liquid and boil for 10 minutes, then cool to room temperature. The resulting marinade is poured over the muksun and left for 12 hours. Before smoking, the carcasses are wiped with a towel and sprinkled with vegetable oil.
Apple-lemon marinade for muksun - a guarantee of a real delicacy
Smoke treatment takes up to 20-24 hours at a temperature of about 40 degrees. The readiness of smoked muksun is checked by making several cuts at the main fin - uniform white meat indicates that the fish can be removed from the smokehouse. It is hung in the open air for 1-2 hours, after which it is served or put away for storage.
How to smoke hot smoked muksun
A distinctive feature of this cooking method is the increased temperature during smoke processing. If a special smokehouse is needed for cold smoking, then even self-constructed primitive devices are suitable for the hot method. The smoking temperature of muksun in such cases is limited only by natural factors, so the cooking process is significantly accelerated to 1 hour.
Classic recipe
Preparing muksun using the hot smoking method is quite simple.To begin with, the fish must be salted for a couple of hours with a mixture of salt and ground black pepper in a ratio of 20:1. Then it is washed and dried with paper napkins. Given the rather high smoking temperature, it is not recommended to lubricate carcasses with sunflower oil.
Hot smoked fish can be cooked much faster
Muksun is placed on a smokehouse grate, the bottom of which is filled with wet sawdust, and placed on the fire. Close the lid of the device tightly and open the breather slightly to remove excess smoke. The smoking process takes from 40 to 60 minutes depending on the size of the fish carcasses used. The finished delicacy is cooled and served.
Hot smoked muksun in brine with herbs
To fully reveal the taste of smoked fish, experienced chefs advise using additives - dill, parsley and basil. Herbs turn the muksun marinade into a flavor bomb. To prepare it you will need:
- 1 liter of water;
- ¼ tbsp. table salt;
- 10 peas of allspice;
- 10 buds of cloves;
- 3 tbsp. l. strong black tea;
- 4 bay leaves;
- 4 sprigs of basil;
- a small bunch of dill;
- a bunch of parsley.
Herbal marinade significantly improves the taste of the finished dish
Bring the water to a boil and add spices and finely chopped herbs. After boiling for 5 minutes, cool the marinade and pour it over the fish overnight. The marinated muksun is wiped dry and placed in a heated smokehouse with wood chips. Smoking lasts about an hour, then the fish is ventilated from the smoke and served.
A very simple recipe for hot smoked muksun
There are a large number of ways to prepare smoked fish, but none of them compares in simplicity to the recipe of one of the professional chefs.Before starting heat treatment, muksun is salted dry or wet, then wiped with a paper towel.
Pumpkin oil is an ideal addition to hot smoked muksun
The smokehouse is placed on fire and soaked apple wood chips are poured onto the bottom. To speed up and simplify the preparation of muksun as much as possible, it is greased with pumpkin oil and then placed on a wire rack. Heat treatment lasts no more than half an hour - this time is enough to completely cook tender meat.
Storage rules
To preserve smoked muksun for a long time, you will need to purchase a special device - a vacuum degasser. Fish packaged in this way easily retains its consumer characteristics for 5-6 weeks. If vacuum packaging with muksun is placed in the freezer, its shelf life can be extended to several months.
If you don’t have such a device, you can use traditional methods of preserving smoked fish. It is wrapped in thick cloth or parchment paper in several layers and placed in the refrigerator. In this form, muksun retains its taste for up to 2 weeks. If you leave fish at room temperature, it will spoil within 24-48 hours.
Conclusion
Cold smoked muksun is an incredibly tasty delicacy that anyone can prepare. The simplicity and variety of recipes will allow you to choose the ideal combination of ingredients according to your consumer preferences.
