So here in NZ we have several species we call Mackerel the common Yellowtail, slimy or blue or English Mackerel and a couple of varieties of Koheru (mostly North of Auckland)
They are all beautiful to eat though usually small (by Kiwi standards) and best eaten off the bone nice fried in butter whole but also good smoked.
I just split in half after gutting rub with 50-50 mix of salt and dark demurera sugar(or plain brown sugar) sit in the fridge overnight then smoke over a nice light fruit wood (plum wood is my favourite) warm smoke for 45 minutes.
They really are very nice :) well worth doing. If you don't mind a few bones. The English Mackeral are the nicest and they really are just like the European variety.
My Philipino friend splits yellow tail in half then rubs with salt and hangs them on the clothesline to dry for a few hours. He then deep fries them until they are quite crispy and you can eat the lot like a potato crisp fins bones and all very nice :)
sampa,
Dec 6, 2:00pm
That sounds wonderful Beaker (your friends way of doing them) right up till the lady of the household starts pegging up her clean washing and then the heat may not all be contained to the kitchen. ;-)
Will get a run down on how hubby does them for you as soon as poss uli. He's smoked everything over the years with good success. I think it'll be about the same as what beaker has said with maybe a slight variation of two though. Oily fish like mackerel are lovely smoked. Are these store bought or fresh caught? Doesn't make a difference either way. just curious about the fishing up your way.
uli,
Dec 6, 3:17pm
Thanks beaker59.
I scored a big fat "English" mackerel at the market yesterday (nearly 2kg).
They have them a couple of times a year and since I love them smoked I thought I buy one and try it out. If it works fine then next time I will stock up big time :)
Besides trevally and fresh anchovies it is one of my favourite fish.
Do you think that they will freeze nicely after being smoked?
edited for sampa: yes they catch them fresh here, only rarely, but when they do I always get one or two. Not many other people buy them (as they are fatty!) so there are always some left when I come :) Usually I wrap them in foil with rosemary, thyme and lemon and bake them in the oven, but it occurred to me that I could smoke them if I know a good way to do it. Thanks.
sampa,
Dec 6, 4:13pm
I asked him and he has a couple of further tips for you; season well with salt and sugar of choice (important since the salt helps draw excess moisture out - making for a better smoked product - and sugar acts as a curing agent along with adding that nice glossy look we all like in our smoked products). Wrap in newspaper and put aside to cure. This can be fridge overnight or for a few hours in a cool place other than the fridge. When smoking it is apparently Very Important not to just place your fish in the smoker and let it fill up with smoke thinking this will get the job done. This approach can lead to a bitter taste he informs me. Instead stay around while it's smoking and be prepared to open and close the air vents to allow good air circulation while ensuring that smoke is present and moving over the fish. The time relies on lots of factors but ways of checking include colour and testing to see if the fish is beginning to flake nicely - start checking around the 20 minute mark as a rough guideline. Further tip (taking dictation lol) colour on mackerel shouldn't be too dark - look for a light golden colour on completion of smoking.
Hope that's helpful. He uses Manuka (tea tree) shavings normally but that's a matter of personal choice. Good luck, hope it turns out delicious!
uli,
Dec 6, 4:38pm
Thanks sampa!
Will go and do the salt and sugar thing now and then back into the fridge. We have lots of Manuka and Kanuka, haven't got plum wood, but maybe some capuli cherry branches left in the wood shed.
All excited, but can't try everything with just 1 fish LOL :)
Maybe there are more next week - fingers crossed.
beaker59,
Dec 6, 6:29pm
Manuka or KAnuka is good but I prefer fruit wood l find it has a more subtle flavouring, nut woods can be good too like hazel walnut oak etc Manuka is better on more robust flavoured fish like Kahawai trevally etc.
we mainly get the smaller English mackeral in the gulf here but occasionally some of those huge 2Kg ones turn up we have baked them too and they are very nice I guess they aren't as popular here only because we are blessed with allot of larger fish so have developed a culture of mainly eating boneless fillets.
sampa,
Dec 6, 8:16pm
Let us know how you get on uli. it is exciting to smoke foods, little things can make a difference to the taste overall. beaker59 where do you source the wood you smoke with? I know hubby would be keen to try different types if they can be found reasonably easily.
uli,
Dec 6, 8:24pm
We just use what he grow on the land. Often we prune fruit trees or cut some out that do not deliver what we want. Manuka and Kanuka are a pest here. We have to cut the paddocks free of them every few years. The rest can grow in the bush. And the Kanuka get HUGE - never thought it would get that big, so some in the orchard had to go urgently.
beaker59,
Dec 6, 8:46pm
Sampa like Uli says there always prunings if you have a mature orchard, I have a big Plum tree that crowds out my carport so regularly chop it back all wood is cut to size and stored in my special smoke wood bin but its surprising what shows up if you keep an eye out for opportunities. One of the best woods by the way is from apple trees.
Smoke technique I use is to cut the wood into 15cm long lengths then split it into finger size pieces I use my 22inch Webber charcoal BBQ I load one firebox up with these sticks then light the fire with a bit of meths once fire is going strongly I put the fish on the racks and lid on. Top and bottom vents should be fully open fire will go out smartly though charcoal will keep going and smoke for nearly an hour. Fish is then ready :)
sampa,
Dec 8, 3:44am
How did it go uli? Turn out nice?
uli,
Dec 8, 2:46pm
Yes it turned out very nice. We had it for dinner last night with a green bean salad, some sourdough baguette and tsaitziki (cucumber salad).
I wasn't sure if I needed to wash the salt/sugar coating off, but your tip of wrapping it into newspaper was doing it all for me, so it just went straight from the newspaper into the smoker (skin side down) and was done in 35 minutes.
There is a tiny piece left which I will freeze for a few days just to see how it will come out. Then I know if I can do a whole lot next time and preserve them that way for lots of lovely lunches and dinners.
Many thanks for all the contributions. Much appreciated.
sampa,
Dec 8, 6:52pm
Really pleased for you uli and loving the sound of what you served with it. making a mental note to do similar sides when we next have smoked fish!
Hubby will be happy to know that the newspaper wrapping tip worked so well and you did it right not washing off the sugar/salt stuff.
One day I must ask you about baking bread in my clay baker (thread from a while back where you mentioned you used to). I even purchased one of those wicker type baskets for the bread to rise in but it's just sat there looking forlorn and unloved since then making me feel guilty every time I look at it. Perhaps I should use it to make fresh bread to go with our next smoked fish. :)
uli,
Dec 8, 7:14pm
Of course you "should" - but bread takes a long time to master. So do not do it the first time on the smoking day!
Try it out over some months or even years until it is fine with no-one watching - when the ducks or chooks get the results LOL :)
sampa,
May 1, 4:58am
I used to make bread all the time - pre breadmaker and then, later, with a breadmaker so I know what to look for with the various stages etc but haven't made it in the clay baker before. Sadly I'm chookless but I do have a young male carb freak living in the same house who would gratefully take the place of said poultry if my bread was less than all it should be on completion. Hubby can smoke the fish. I'll bake. :)
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