Content
- 1 Methods for hot smoking mackerel at home
- 2 Hot smoking mackerel technology
- 3 Selection and preparation of mackerel for hot smoking
- 4 How to cook hot smoked mackerel
- 4.1 Hot smoked mackerel in the oven
- 4.2 Hot smoked mackerel in onion skins
- 4.3 How to smoke hot smoked mackerel over a fire
- 4.4 Hot smoked mackerel with liquid smoke
- 4.5 How to smoke hot smoked mackerel over a fire in foil
- 4.6 How to smoke hot smoked mackerel on the grill
- 4.7 Hot smoked mackerel in a slow cooker
- 4.8 Hot smoking mackerel in an air fryer
- 4.9 A very quick recipe for hot smoked mackerel
- 5 How and how long is hot smoked mackerel stored?
- 6 List of possible failures
- 7 Conclusion
Original fish recipes allow you to significantly diversify your diet and get a real delicacy that cannot be bought in a store. Using standard kitchen equipment, hot smoked mackerel will turn out incredibly tasty and very aromatic.
Methods for hot smoking mackerel at home
The lack of a smokehouse should not put an end to the desire to enjoy a fish delicacy. You can cook delicious hot smoked mackerel at home using the usual technique. The most common ways are:
- oven;
- bonfire;
- barbecue;
- multicooker;
- air fryer.
Cooking hot smoked fish is quite simple even at home
Considering the insufficient smokiness obtained when using the above methods, you can use onion skins for tinting or liquid smoke for a more powerful aroma. To avoid burning, you need to cover the fish in foil and make several holes in it.
Hot smoking mackerel technology
Under the influence of high temperature, the fish is steamed, while the smoke accompanying the fire permeates the meat and skin, making them very aromatic. For improved smoke generation in open fire conditions, add wood chips soaked in water to the grill or fire, covering it with foil from intense heat.
When hot smoking indoors, it is recommended to use liquid smoke. In small doses, this substance significantly improves the aroma of the finished product. To smoke 1 kg of hot smoked mackerel at home, only 10 ml of this substance is enough. In large doses, a significant deterioration in the taste characteristics of fish is possible.
At what temperature should you smoke hot smoked mackerel?
Heat treatment should take place over fairly high heat.Given the impossibility of creating a uniform temperature over the entire surface of the mackerel over an open fire, the processing area must be exposed to severe heat, as is the case with kebab. When smoking in an oven, convection oven or multicooker, the temperature is most often set at 180 degrees.
How long to smoke hot smoked mackerel
The duration of cooking in kitchen appliances depends on the chosen recipe. For an oven, the heat treatment period is most often 30-40 minutes. Cooking in a slow cooker will take up to an hour, and cooking hot smoked mackerel in an air fryer lasts no more than half an hour.
The duration of smoking mackerel depends on the chosen cooking method
When smoking on open fire sources - a barbecue or a fire, the degree of readiness is determined by external characteristics. Taking into account uneven heating and the need for periodic turning, the dish is removed only after achieving the desired condition on all sides. You can make a small cut with a knife to the spinal bone - if the meat turns white evenly, then the fish is ready to eat.
Selection and preparation of mackerel for hot smoking
To prepare a delicious dish, you must carefully select the raw materials. Considering the difficulty of buying fresh mackerel, you have to resort to a frozen product. The main problem is purchasing fresh frozen fish that has not been defrosted multiple times.
Regardless of the chosen recipe for hot smoking mackerel, the integrity of the fish’s skin should not be compromised. Physical damage can significantly complicate the cooking process in the future - causing the carcass to fall apart and the skin to crack.
The selected fish is gutted and the head and fins are removed. The next step in any recipe for hot smoked mackerel is salting or marinating. The carcasses are placed in a solution of water and salt in a ratio of 2:1 for 2-3 hours, then they are washed and wiped with a paper towel.
How to tie mackerel for hot smoking
For ease of preparation and to improve the appearance of the finished product, it is recommended to wrap the fish with thin twine. The long rope is visually divided into two parts and a double knot is formed exactly in the center on the mackerel’s tail. Next, one side of the string is led along the lateral line of the body, and the other is made in a circle 4-5 cm from the tail. At the intersection of the threads, tie a small knot and change the direction of both ropes. This way they reach the end of the carcass, after which one side of the twine is cut off, and the second is drawn from the back of the fish along the lateral line.
How to cook hot smoked mackerel
There are a large number of ways to prepare this fish delicacy. For hot smoking, use any salting or marinating option you like. A prerequisite for obtaining a high-quality finished product is following the algorithms.
Hot smoked mackerel in the oven
To get a great dish, you can use an ordinary electric or gas oven. The recipe is quite simple and suitable even for beginner cooks. The cooking process consists of the following steps:
- The fish is salted inside and out, then coated with vegetable oil and placed in a plastic bag for marinating for a couple of hours.
- Baking paper is greased with sunflower oil, the carcass is placed on it and wrapped in a roll. The edges are pinched to create an airtight package.
- The rolls are placed on a baking sheet and cooked for half an hour at a temperature of 180 degrees.
Baking paper is best for smoking mackerel in the oven.
It is recommended to cool the finished product before unwrapping it, otherwise the intense heat may damage your hands. The cooled delicacy is served with a side dish of baked vegetables or mashed potatoes.
Hot smoked mackerel in onion skins
One of the fastest ways to create a culinary masterpiece. This method proves that there is no need to smoke fish to get hot smoked mackerel. For the recipe you will need:
- 1 fish carcass;
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 tbsp. onion peel;
- 3 tbsp. l. salt.
Onion peels allow you to get an excellent delicacy in the shortest possible time.
The cut carcass is divided into 2-3 equal parts. Salt and onion peels are placed in water. The liquid is brought to a boil, after which the fish is immediately placed in it. It is boiled for no more than 5 minutes. The pan is removed from the stove, and the mackerel is left until the water cools completely.
How to smoke hot smoked mackerel over a fire
Smoking over an open fire is one of the easiest ways to prepare a delicacy, even for inexperienced cooks. If you don’t have enough time, you can do it in just an hour, but to better reveal the aroma, it is recommended to prepare more thoroughly. For hot smoked mackerel as in the photo, you will need:
- 1 carcass;
- 50 ml soy sauce;
- ½ tsp. salt;
- 3 juniper berries;
- a pinch of saffron;
- 2 tsp. vegetable oil.
The smoking grate must be greased with oil to prevent the fish from sticking.
Mackerel is marinated in soy sauce with herbs and spices for an hour. Then it is tied with twine and laid out on a special grill for preparing fish barbecue, greased with vegetable oil. It is placed on an improvised stand over a burnt-out fire and covered with an iron pan or wok. To enhance smoke generation during hot smoking, wet oak sawdust is thrown into the coals. Cooking continues until the carcass is browned on both sides.
Hot smoked mackerel with liquid smoke
The recipe is incredibly simple and suitable even for novice housewives. Liquid smoke makes the fish indistinguishable from fish prepared using real hot smoking technology. For the dish you only need this substance, salt and the mackerel itself.
Mackerel with liquid smoke is juicy and very aromatic
The mackerel is cut into pieces and salted to taste. Place the fish in a frying pan and pour liquid smoke over it. Seal the container with a lid and turn on medium heat for 20-25 minutes. The finished product is cooled and served.
How to smoke hot smoked mackerel over a fire in foil
Using foil allows you to get an excellent dish with minimal time. Cooking hot smoked mackerel at home using this recipe will be an excellent experience for novice cooks. For one fish carcass you will need a little salt, 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce and 1 bay leaf.
It is recommended to make small holes in the foil for better passage of smoke
The fish is cleaned, gutted and salted to taste. Then it is coated with soy sauce and wrapped in foil along with a bay leaf. Several holes are made in it for better passage of smoke. The bundle is placed directly on the coals, generously sprinkled with wet oak chips. After 10-15 minutes, it is recommended to turn the foil over for even baking.
How to smoke hot smoked mackerel on the grill
As in the case of a fire, cooking a dish on a grill does not require serious culinary skills from the cook. To properly smoke hot-smoked mackerel on the grill, it is marinated in soy sauce with a little salt, saffron and a couple of juniper berries. Then the carcass is transferred to a grill and smoked over smoldering coals sprinkled with wet sawdust.
Hot smoked mackerel in a slow cooker
The recipe requires a minimum amount of ingredients. For one carcass you need to take 1 tbsp. l. liquid smoke and a little salt to taste. The fish is marinated in a plastic bag with 1 tbsp. l. liquid smoke and a little salt. Then it is placed in a baking sleeve.
Pour 1 liter of water into the bottom of the multicooker bowl. To obtain the taste of hot smoking, it is necessary to clearly set the sequence of programs in the device. The cooking algorithm is as follows:
- 20 minutes of “Steam” mode;
- 10 minutes of “Baking” mode;
- turning the baking bag over;
- 10 minutes of “Baking” mode.
Mackerel in a slow cooker turns out very juicy and tasty
Before opening the package with the finished dish, it should be allowed to cool slightly. The hot smoked delicacy is served with potatoes or baked vegetables.
Hot smoking mackerel in an air fryer
As in the case of a multicooker, the use of this modern kitchen appliance will greatly simplify the life of all housewives. To smoke three fish you will need 1 tsp. liquid smoke, 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice and 1 tsp. sunflower oil. Salt is added to taste before adding to the device.
It is recommended to wrap the mackerel with twine before placing it in the convection oven.
Lemon juice, liquid smoke and sunflower oil are mixed until smooth. The resulting mixture is used to treat the carcasses and place them in the device. It is turned on for half an hour. The finished delicacy is cooled and served.
A very quick recipe for hot smoked mackerel
To get the fastest possible result, you can combine some of the solutions presented above. To smoke hot smoked mackerel with minimal time, thawed carcasses are salted and greased with a mixture of liquid smoke and vegetable oil. They are placed in a roasting rack and placed on a heated grill. On average, one fish needs about 5-6 minutes on each side to reach condition.
How and how long is hot smoked mackerel stored?
A natural product cannot boast of a long shelf life. From the moment of preparation, it retains its consumer qualities only for 3 days. A prerequisite for this is storage in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 3 degrees.
To preserve smoked mackerel, place it in an open container on the middle shelf of the refrigerator. At the first signs of spoilage - sticky mucus, plaque or unpleasant odor, it is recommended to get rid of the delicacy.
Is it possible to freeze hot smoked mackerel?
Freezing a product allows you to preserve its consumer qualities for a long time. Experienced housewives do not recommend storing hot smoked mackerel in the freezer. The main reason for this approach is a significant change in the consistency of the product after defrosting - the meat becomes loose and loses the smell of smoked meat.
List of possible failures
Even if you carefully follow the presented recipe, it is impossible to completely protect yourself from unforeseen problems with the finished dish. The most popular failures are:
- sticking to the grill or frying surface - due to insufficient lubrication of the place of contact with the fish;
- raw dish - at low temperature or failure to comply with the time regime;
- burnt product - as in the previous case, only in reverse.
The ideal cooking time is obtained taking into account the characteristics of your technique.
One of the most popular disadvantages of hot smoked mackerel at home is the excessive concentration of liquid smoke. Considering the presence of several manufacturers of this product on the market, choosing the ideal proportion can only be done through trial and error.
Why does mackerel burst when hot smoked?
If cracks appear on the body of the fish during heat treatment over an open fire, most likely, low-quality raw materials for smoking were chosen. As stated in the requirements for the selection of mackerel, its skin should not have any traces of mechanical damage. These are the areas that are most susceptible to high temperatures.
Why does hot smoked mackerel fall apart?
Loss of structural integrity is most often observed when preparing a delicacy in a slow cooker or oven.This is due to prolonged exposure to insufficiently high temperatures. Do not put mackerel in a cold oven. It must be heated to operating temperatures - only after that fish are placed in it.
Conclusion
Hot smoked mackerel is one of the most delicious fish delicacies. It can be prepared at home even without serious culinary experience. A large number of recipes will allow everyone to choose the ideal method that meets consumer needs.
