Lake Whitefish Help

[mtnlakeman]

My daughter an I went out this morning and picked up 7 whitefish. I've caught many over the years and smoked the majority, but I'd like to improve the quality. I searched for some recipes and stumbled into single fish selling for $30+ each. I'm hoping someone can get me close to a recipe, temperature and smoke time to get these to commercial quality?

I want them whole, with a dry leathery brown skin and not too dry of flesh. I usually get them perfect flavor and flesh texture, but the color is too light and the skin is too soft.

What's the secret to get them golden brown and dry on the outside?

 

[Jabiru]

Well I’ll be I didn’t realise you guys had “whiting” over your way. They are a prized fish here also.

very nice catch!

I can’t help you with smoke method as to be honest they are way to good to smoke (my opinion) They taste fantastic grilled or even fried in a little bit of butter.

I only smoke oily fish like salmon, snook etc.

 

[Winterrider]

Bearcarver , his step by step may be of some use. Have used it before with good results

 

[Bearcarver]

I never personally caught that type of Fish around my area.
All I can say is if you were to shrink them down to between 2" and 10", they look exactly like what we call around here "Shiners", and we use them for Largemouth Bass Bait.

As for Brining & Smoking, I'd use the same method I use for Salmon, Trout, and most other Fish---See Links below:
Smoked Salmon
Smoked Brook Trout & Tilapia

Bear

 

[mtnlakeman]

Thanks Jabiru,
I agree pan fried in a little butter is my preferred method of choice, but I typically put up a couple hundred or so each winter so smoke and share the majority. There's a long history to them on the Pend Oreille where they were introduced from the Great Lakes in the 1800's. We even had a commercial fishery through he mid 1900's. Today they are the most abundant fish species in the lake, but very few anglers target them.
I'm looking for help in how to get the skin just right. I think it has something to do with either the length of time drying, smoking or temperature of the smokehouse.
I'm starting with a 30 hour soak in a 1:1:1:2 brine with 1 tbsp of cure which is my brine of choice for Whitefish. Typically I air dry for 2 - 4 hours to get a pellicle then smoke 2 - 6 hours at 120 bumping up to 170. They always come out perfect in flavor and moisture, but have very little golden brown color like the commercial quality fish I see. I also have this same problem with kokanee so figure it's something in my method or knowledge bank that's missing and hoping someone can share their tricks.

 

[mtnlakeman]

Thanks Bear,

I actually have a side of salmon I'll throw in with your brine. These are about 3 pounders 20 - 23 inches long so would love to hook into a bass that thought it was a shiner. Typically they're 5 pounds and I fillet them, but these are begging me to smoke them whole. I think half the fishermen think they're a trash fish and the other think they're a delicacy. I saw one fish priced for $58, and it looks so much better than mine so want to mimic it so I can show the Mrs why I need to fish more.

I've done a lot of reading and like you mentioned in your salmon post I'm going to let them dry overnight for 12+ hours to see if that gets a better color on them. I'm going with 75% alder and 25% cotton wood as I have read the predominant wood used in Alaskan smokehouses is cotton wood.

 

[Jabiru]

Please post pics when you get them smoked.

I googled the Great lakes and Pend Oreille, very interesting reading and as you say a lot of history.

i am jealous of where you live, what a place.

I add brown sugar in my fish brines I am not sure if that would help you in your quest.

 

[mtnlakeman]

Well, another disappointment. I let them air dry in the fridge for 12 hours then smoked them for 6. Just pulled them out at 145 degrees and they look like they were baked in the oven.

What I want: picture cutesy to Russ and Daughter.

My attempt to replicate:

The flavor and texture is excellent, but the color sucks. The salmon is perfect so I just don't get the trick to brown them up.

Smoking a big Canada honker in the am so hoping that boosts the spirit.

 

[Steve H]

Yup, they're here in Lake Ontario. And great smoked. Following...

 

[udaman]

yeah Steve H they r a great fresh fish, i get them from lake huron, the best ones r from the north up around Tobermory Ont. i have never tried smoking them though,,

 

[Bearcarver]

Well, another disappointment. I let them air dry in the fridge for 12 hours then smoked them for 6. Just pulled them out at 145 degrees and they look like they were baked in the oven.

What I want: picture cutesy to Russ and Daughter.
View attachment 427341

My attempt to replicate:

View attachment 427342

The flavor and texture is excellent, but the color sucks. The salmon is perfect so I just don't get the trick to brown them up.

Smoking a big Canada honker in the am so hoping that boosts the spirit.

Hmmm, I'm wondering if the Temp could help:
I believe you finish with a smoker Temp of about 170°???
Maybe next time remove everything but one Whitefish.
Then crank the heat up to about 225°-230° for awhile, and see if you get some better Color & Crispness. I wouldn't leave it in there too long----Keep an eye on it---Hour Maybe???
Color will tell you if it's helping, before it ruins it.
Just an Idea.

Bear

 

[mtnlakeman]

Hmmm, I'm wondering if the Temp could help:
I believe you finish with a smoker Temp of about 170°???
Maybe next time remove everything but one Whitefish.
Then crank the heat up to about 225°-230° for awhile, and see if you get some better Color & Crispness. I wouldn't leave it in there too long----Keep an eye on it---Hour Maybe???
Color will tell you if it's helping, before it ruins it.
Just an Idea.

Bear

Thanks Bear,
I'm going to give that a try. I do a lot of fillets and don't like to get it so hot I bubble up the albumin so try to keep the temperature low. With a whole fish maybe that's the trick I've been missing.

You wouldn't believe how many things I've tried. Extra smoke, 24 hour cook, brown ingredients, this attempt extra drying time, but never increasing the heat so I think that's it.

Plus a good reason to head back out on the water.

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks Bear,
I'm going to give that a try. I do a lot of fillets and don't like to get it so hot I bubble up the albumin so try to keep the temperature low. With a whole fish maybe that's the trick I've been missing.

You wouldn't believe how many things I've tried. Extra smoke, 24 hour cook, brown ingredients, this attempt extra drying time, but never increasing the heat so I think that's it.

Plus a good reason to head back out on the water.

It's just a guess though, but if you only do it with one fish, you can only ruin one.
Let me know what happens.

Bear