Fish to Smoke

[backsmokin]

My past experience with smoking fish has been with fatty fish like bluefish, salmon, mackerel and tuna with all but the salmon locally caught. Does anyone have favorites that are not in this list? I know haddock is a Scottish favorite (so cod and pollock can be used) but I'm not sure how to handle the lean fish.

Also - has anyone ever smoked lobster?

 

[alblancher]

There is a current thread going about a member that smoked spiney lobster from the Islands,  Not so sure about east coast lobster

 

[clyde79]

did frozen king crab legs came out great didnt take long since they are cooked then frozen. nice excuse to use the smoker when u dont have a lot of time

 

[rdknb]

I have not done it yet, but I plan on smoking some trout soon. The mental taste I have is very good. Hoping the real taste is the same.

 

[eman]

smoked some rainbows last week .Fantastic!

 

[backsmokin]

Did you leave them in the leg or crack them open?

 

[eman]

smoked them laying flat. headed an gutted. brined 5 hrs back in the  fridge overnight to dry. smoked at 210 for 3 hrs w/ pecan. Skin peeled right off and meat came off the bone well.

 

[SmokinAl]

We smoke salmon all the time, it's a big favorite around here.

 

[graystratcat]

As RbKnB said, trout is killer when smoked.  And I mean fresh water trout or sea run, liked spotted or grays.  A few other suggestions might be sea bass (since you're in RI you should be able to find it fresh if you don't fish) and if your local sea food monger has red drum, give that a try, I think you'll like it!  It's one of my favorites but we catch 'em fresh here... not sure how available they might be in RI.  Saltwater sheepshead also are great to smoke.

Funny you mention mackerel.... I remember during my days as first mate on a commercial fishing boat... just about all the king mackerel we put on the dock got shipped to Boston or NYC.....but we smoke king and spanish macks down here too.

-Salt

 

[backsmokin]

As RbKnB said, trout is killer when smoked.  And I mean fresh water trout or sea run, liked spotted or grays.  A few other suggestions might be sea bass (since you're in RI you should be able to find it fresh if you don't fish) and if your local sea food monger has red drum, give that a try, I think you'll like it!  It's one of my favorites but we catch 'em fresh here... not sure how available they might be in RI.  Saltwater sheepshead also are great to smoke.

Funny you mention mackerel.... I remember during my days as first mate on a commercial fishing boat... just about all the king mackerel we put on the dock got shipped to Boston or NYC.....but we smoke king and spanish macks down here too.

-Salt

GrayStratCat - as you mentioned local can I assume you mean black sea bass? (vs the farmed raised European sea bass - branzini) Or did you mean striped bass? I do fish and prefer to use fish I've caught and iced myself but there are a couple of fish markets in the area I trust to be as fussy as I am about fish quality so I'll ask about the red drum. Thanks!

 

[shoneyboy]

I’m from Louisiana, I love to fish….and actually I’m going in the morning. Living in La, we have a great opportunity to fish fresh or salt water, I mainly fish fresh water. I have smoked many kinds of fish…lately I haven’t been able to go.  It saddens me to say that I have been reduced to buying fish. I have been buying pond raised catfish…..but I have smoked bass (Florida hybrid), sac-a-lait and bream…..basically if it swims, I’m willing to try it smoked ….I have been looking to catch a Alligator gar for a while big enough to smoke..I had some several years ago and it was fantastic!!!! Sorry about the rant, there hasn’t been one yet that I haven’t liked…. smoked fish is one of my favorite meals…..

 

[venture]

Shoney, my departed internet friend the Cajunlady sent me a pic of an alligator gar she caught.  Dang, that thing almost filled up the back of a pickup.

If I pulled one of those out of the water I wouldn't know whether to get the shotgun or cut the line!

Then again, smoked?  Hmmmm

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[eman]

I’m from Louisiana, I love to fish….and actually I’m going in the morning. Living in La, we have a great opportunity to fish fresh or salt water, I mainly fish fresh water. I have smoked many kinds of fish…lately I haven’t been able to go.  It saddens me to say that I have been reduced to buying fish. I have been buying pond raised catfish…..but I have smoked bass (Florida hybrid), sac-a-lait and bream…..basically if it swims, I’m willing to try it smoked ….I have been looking to catch a Alligator gar for a while big enough to smoke..I had some several years ago and it was fantastic!!!! Sorry about the rant, there hasn’t been one yet that I haven’t liked…. smoked fish is one of my favorite meals…..

i know a place down by grand isle that you can catch alligator gar 5 -7 feet long off the bank..

 

[sprky]

I like smoked fish, but no one else in the house does. they love long John Silvers, and that stuff from the freezer section, but will not touch the smoked stuff. says it has to much fishy taste, go figure. 

 

[eman]

The best part of smoked fish is the leftovers . Makes GREAT fish tacos.

 

[graystratcat]

Hey basksmokin'  I was actually thinking about strippers but you know what, black sea bass might not be all that bad either...we catch the heck of em here but typically just bread and deep fry them.  Like someone said above, there's probably not too many fish you couldn't smoke.

-Salt

 

[clyde79]

left them in the shell but cut the shell long ways with a scissor so they pull right out when done

 

[backsmokin]

left them in the shell but cut the shell long ways with a scissor so they pull right out when done

Hey basksmokin'  I was actually thinking about strippers but you know what, black sea bass might not be all that bad either...we catch the heck of em here but typically just bread and deep fry them.  Like someone said above, there's probably not too many fish you couldn't smoke.

-Salt

Considering the time of year, the next fishing will likely be for cod and haddock. Because they are so lean, I'm concerned about the smoke penetration. I tried some hake a couple of weeks ago and found that if I cut out a piece from the center of the fillet there was little flavor except the fish.

So what I'm thinking is to make a bowed rack from 1/4 in mesh and lay the fillets on that skin side down. The idea is that as the fish cures, the flakes will open so that some of the smoke penetrates inside the fillet.

Anyone ever tried something like that? If so I'd love to hear how it worked.

 

[backsmokin]

Considering the time of year, the next fishing will likely be for cod and haddock. Because they are so lean, I'm concerned about the smoke penetration. I tried some hake a couple of weeks ago and found that if I cut out a piece from the center of the fillet there was little flavor except the fish.

So what I'm thinking is to make a bowed rack from 1/4 in mesh and lay the fillets on that skin side down. The idea is that as the fish cures, the flakes will open so that some of the smoke penetrates inside the fillet.

Anyone ever tried something like that? If so I'd love to hear how it worked.

left them in the shell but cut the shell long ways with a scissor so they pull right out when done

That sounds good! I'm going to have to try it. 

I often save crab, lobster and shrimp shells to makes a stock base for soups and chowders. I wounder how that would work with the smoked shells?

 

[moikel]

Long way a way from you but best fish so far for me is spanish mackeral. Lot of marlin in our markets at the moment about $12 a kg going to give that a try if I  can get it in a 2-3 kg piece & cut it myself.