There is an opinion among novice fishermen that hot smoking of fish is a difficult task, requiring special knowledge and practically impossible in field conditions. In fact, hot smoking is no more difficult than preparing barbecue in nature, and it takes about the same amount of time.
To cook hot-smoked fish on your own, you need a smokehouse - a metal container with a lid and grate, on which fresh fish is laid out. It is good if the smokehouse is made of stainless steel with a thickness of 1.5 mm, the bottom is 2.5-3 mm.
From the bottom, the nearest grill for smoking should be located at a distance of 5-6 cm. The smoker may have 2-3 shelves. The distance between the shelves is 10 cm.
The best wood sawdust for hot smoking fish are bird cherry, alder, ash, aspen, apple. As a last resort, dry leaves, twigs and chips are suitable as fuel. Place sawdust in an even layer 2 cm thick on the bottom of the smoker.
Eel, cod, mackerel, bream, tench, carp, perch and burbot are especially tasty hot smoked fish. The carcasses are gutted, washed and rubbed with salt, for 1 kg of fish there should be at least 2-4 tablespoons of salt. Leave the fish in this form for 15-20 minutes. After that, wipe the fish with a clean cloth (do not wash) and put it on the wire rack. You can pour spices into the incision of the abdomen of the fish.
After the sawdust was poured, the fish was laid, it is necessary to close the lid of the smokehouse, but not hermetically, setting the device on fire. When fragrant smoke comes out from under the lid, it's time to “turn down” the flame and time the time. The cooking time for hot smoked fish ranges from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and quantity of fish. When smoking is complete, open the lid of the smoker so that the moisture on the surface of the fish evaporates and the carcasses themselves are slightly dried.
Properly cooked hot smoked fish should be golden brown in color. Her meat easily separates from the skin. The meat should not be moist, crumbly and evenly smoked.
