Mission - Operation Smoked Fish

Mission - Operation Smoked Fish

Mission Parameters - Found some dandy Haddock fillets amongst the twisted and smoldering ruins they used to call "grocery stores". So, into the smoker they will go.

Mission Details - This is an on-going mission so briefings will be provided as the situation merits.

05-06-2020 21:37 Hrs - Brined in 2/3rd cup canning salt and 2 cups brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey and 1 gal water for 10 hours in refrigerator.

05-07-2020 07:45 Hrs - Washed thoroughly, and now drying in outside refrigerator to form the 'pellicle'.

05-07-2020 11:30 Hrs (Estimated) - Will begin warming up smoker. Supposed to be super windy today (red flag windy) so smoking will need to take place in garage.

Updates to follow.

That is all.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
I had a friend years ago that used a similar brine for 24 hours, but he added cayenne pepper.
He used the recipe on panfish like bluegills, perch and small bass. He would hot smoke them with the skin and scales on.
When they were finished, the skin would peel right off and you could run your finger along the spine and lift the filets right off the bone. They were delicious and also would keep well for a while in the freezer.

a reply to: butcherguy

I'm doing these skinned, hopefully for a really even smoke.

Small batch just to see how they come out.

I usually do not like the smoked fish with that much sugars on it. I tend to eat it as a meal substitute, not a snack. If you just want a tad to taste, that is great, but I will eat a whole smoked chub or half a smaller smoked whitefish for lunch or supper. I use it as a food, not an horderve. Some of the native Americans around here make some great smoked fish. Honey is usually their choice of sweetener.

I like smoked any fish, even smelt are great smoked. Suckers are good smoked too. I never had ocean fish smoked, we live by the great lakes so here we tend to use local fish. At the fishhouse, smoked trout is around eight bucks a pound, they do a pretty good job. Smoked salmon is about eleven bucks a pound and smoked herring is about five fifty a pound. Not as good as the stuff my Finndian friend used to make but he went and had a heart attack and died on me. I really liked the guy, he used to sell smoked fish, any kind, for three fifty a pound and I would go to the lakeshore and get frish whitefish, Salmon, or trout for a buck and a half a pound when he came in from checking his nets. I need a new supplier of Fish, I think there is a new native American out here again, they sell some outright but most goes to the fishhouse.

a reply to: rickymouse

I suspect you might change your tune about sugar if you ever tried "fish candy" up in Alaska. That stuff is awesome!

In this case though, the brown sugar just adds a more savory appeal to the smoked fish, and take some of the edge off the curing salt. For fish candy there would be a lot more sugar (and also molasses). In fact, I think the natives use a dry cure which is almost all sugar and some curing salts.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: rickymouse

I suspect you might change your tune about sugar if you ever tried "fish candy" up in Alaska. That stuff is awesome!

In this case though, the brown sugar just adds a more savory appeal to the smoked fish, and take some of the edge off the curing salt. For fish candy there would be a lot more sugar (and also molasses). In fact, I think the natives use a dry cure which is almost all sugar and some curing salts.

Some people around here make fish candy. It is all right, it is something you eat just a little bit of though. Never cared that much for sweet fish. I do take a taster, but it is not my cup of tea.

I used to eat a lot of smoked fish and pickled herring, but now, two twenty four ounce pickled herring jars a year is all I desire. I still eat a little smoked fish, maybe ten pounds a year, but that is nothing compared to how much I used to eat years ago. Of course, I buy maybe twenty pounds, but I bring it to my daughters and share it with the grandkids. or will finish off a whole fish with my brother when he comes around. For some strange reason when I buy a smoked fish, he shows up within a couple of days...Never tell him I got it either...he seems to sense it.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Mission - Operation Smoked Fish

Mission Parameters - Found some dandy Haddock fillets amongst the twisted and smoldering ruins they used to call "grocery stores". So, into the smoker they will go.

Mission Details - This is an on-going mission so briefings will be provided as the situation merits.

05-06-2020 21:37 Hrs - Brined in 2/3rd cup canning salt and 2 cups brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey and 1 gal water for 10 hours in refrigerator.

05-07-2020 07:45 Hrs - Washed thoroughly, and now drying in outside refrigerator to form the 'pellicle'.

05-07-2020 11:30 Hrs (Estimated) - Will begin warming up smoker. Supposed to be super windy today (red flag windy) so smoking will need to take place in garage.

Updates to follow.

That is all.

You come thru again FCD. Wife and I addressing that with local trout, perch, walleye...but clueless.

Thank you sir!

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Walleye???....OH MAN!!!!!!

I don't think I could wait that long to eat Walleye! Probably one of my favorite fish on earth!

1. Snook
2. Walleye
3. Grouper

Fried Perch is right up there too!

I have a hilarious story about ice fishing for Perch! (wasn't hilarious at the time, but it sure is now!). I'll give you a hint...I ice fished for Perch from the comfort of my $ 50k+ BOAT!

I'll let you guess why it wasn't hilarious at the time (i.e., what's wrong with that picture?).

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Snook is delicious. I lived in the gulf for five years and those things fight. Everything about a snook is a good time.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Was in many a fishing tournaments catching Snook in the 10,000 Islands south of Marco Island back in the 70's. Even won a few.

I guess they're pretty highly regulated now. Can you even keep one anymore? Used to be a limit of (4) fish per person back then. And oh yeah, they were a tournament grade fish too!

Fried Snook steaks simply cannot be beat! A couple dots of ketchup...OH MAN!! I could eat that stuff 'til I 'sploded!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I can only imagine...Perch and Walleye here the last few years going out from Monroe Mi some 20 miles out to Put in Bay, Ohio by Cedar point. They have been bringing in dozens and dozens in every time. Especially Walleye

Your garage will stink like smoke for a long time.

My favorite is fresh Alaskan cherry smoked halibut.

I have a Texas style New Braunfels smoker on my patio, and lots of various fruitwood on my property to use

a reply to: visitedbythem

My garage stinks like smoke ALL the time!!!

In fact, if I could get away with it, I think I'd just turn the whole thing into one great big smoker! LOL!

Yeah, smoked Halibut is the BOMB too! My excess baggage fees bring that stuff back have been in the mid-hundreds!! That, and Salmon.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Erie was always great...for Steelheads too.

My wife and I lived on the water on Lake St. Claire and we'd knock out the Walleyes up in the St. Claire River around Harsen's Island.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

When I was there 10 years ago it was one snook per fisherman. I used to have a good hookup for smoked marlin when I was down there too. That was pretty good as well.

My girlfriend and I are just weeks away from buying a house in the catskills. Then it’s trout time. Depending on the property I might build a smoke house. The marianski brothers have some real solid info on design.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

My garage stinks like smoke ALL the time!!!

In fact, if I could get away with it, I think I'd just turn the whole thing into one great big smoker! LOL!

I'm surprised you haven't built yourself smokehouse. I was looking at pictures of some yesterday.

I've never smoked fish, and am relatively new to hot smoking. I'd love to try curing/cold smoking some salmon...

I was at Kroger today and they had a freezer full of half slabs of Mahi-Mahi for $3.99 a pound. I almost # myself. I got an entire half for like $11.

I wonder what it would taste like smoked...

Anybody who wants to get down on some smoking, I recommend this light read.

I have yet to build a smokehouse but with all the meat smoking I have done professionally the last few years I can say these guys techniques are top notch.

a reply to: Liquesence

Whoa! I didn't even know they sold Mahi-Mahi commercially in stores! I thought it was a sportfish only.

I'll bet it would be fabulous smoked...basically any fish is. Well, any I've ever tried smoking!

I've often thought of building a dedicated smokehouse, but like I noted earlier, I already have (5) smokers I use for various things, so I've never really gotten around to building a dedicated one.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
Goin to Marysville to see my old drummer n wife...off the St. Claire...so well see..

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
Goin to Marysville to see my old drummer n wife...off the St. Claire...so well see..

Well, make sure you go to the Sans Souci bar & grill on Harsens Island (you'll have to take the car ferry to get there). They have some wicked good fried Perch!! Plus, it's a blast watchin' some of the rookies trying to tie up their boats when a freighter comes by! You can look out the window and have a blast, it's hilarious!