Smoking my first fish

[hillbilly jeff]

I was on here last week for some info on smoking turkey thighs.  Thank you and they turned out great.  Need to get them posted.  A touch salty to me, but I never eat salt.

On to the fish.  Caught a couple smallmouth bass today, and want to try smoking them before I get on to the walleye.  Experiment here first.

A buddy does brown sugar/salt brine on his salmon, but I figure, these ain't salmon.  Should I be doing a brine and then a rub on these fish, or just a rub and then smoking them.

Sort of confused on some of the things I read about cure 1 or 2, cold smoke or hot.  These will not be stored, they will be eaten right away.  

Any help would be nice, and I will get the pics up this time.  As soon as I get a round tuit, I will get the turkey up as well.

Thanks,

HBJ

 

[leah elisheva]

Hi HBJ!

I smoke fish and seafood and mollusks on most of my days, and on a tiny, humble little gas smoker at that - just adding chips, and now even pistachio shells instead of chips. (After someone on this site gave me that great idea).

Having smoked whole fish too - whole Spanish mackerel and even little whole sardines, red mullet, smelts and such; I just mop them through high hat friendly grapeseed oil; smoke on very high heat for short time - longest is usually 20-25 minutes and that depends on what it is; but often it's shorter even, and then add sea salt and pepper and olive oil before plating at the table.

I however love minimalistically prepared and healthful food; (without gunk, butter, mayonnaise, and breadcrumbs, etc.), and just want pure, simple, but still seasoned in a lovely way, food in it's most authentic form. 

So my version may be boring, but hopefully something in there proves helpful in any way.

Happy smoking!!! I'm sure your fish will be incredible!!! (The skin is my favorite part)!!!

Cheers!!! - Leah

 

[leah elisheva]

- and that was "high HEAT friendly grapeseed oil," not "HAT." Forgive my ridiculous typos. I'm a great eater, and arranger, but not speller when typing on the fly! Cheers! - Leah

 

[lght]

Only time I've tried Bass was on a survival trip for a week (we had to forage and fish to survive).  I can say I wouldn't bother trying to smoke them as the fillets are some what tough and wouldn't do well if smoked.  If you do want smoke flavor do a quick 30-40 min cold smoke and then a hot grill / sear for a few minutes on each side.  This gives you smoke flavor, but you also cook the fish that gives it the best texture and taste. 

 

[hillbilly jeff]

Sorry for the late reply, I actually thought I had posted it already lol.  Been too busy getting the gardens ready for spring plant.

I sprinkled the fillets with lemon juice before I soaked them in a brine of BS. salt, onion powder, and garlic.  The soak was just over an hour.

I then smoked them at 200 for about an hour and they turned out almost perfect.  Next time I will smoke them at 175.  

I used hickory and it imparted a wonderful flavor on the fish.  Best fish I have ever smoked.  Tender and flaky.

Going to try different rubs on the fish next time as well as using mullberry wood since I have plenty of it here.

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• hillbilly jeff
• Apr 11, 2014

 

[leah elisheva]

That looks beautiful!!! Happy weekend!!! Cheers!!! - Leah

 

[hillbilly jeff]

Thank you.

Picked up a pike last night and put her on a 12 hour soak.  Going to do two different rubs on it and give it a go today.

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• hillbilly jeff
• Apr 12, 2014

 

[leah elisheva]

Yum! Cheers! - Leah

 

[hillbilly jeff]

Got the rub on the fish and got them in the smoker.  Did one citrus style and one cajun syle.

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• hillbilly jeff
• Apr 12, 2014

 

[hillbilly jeff]

Turned out pretty good for pike.  

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• hillbilly jeff
• Apr 12, 2014