Smoke Fish advice

[Runamuck]

I have come home from work to try it and looky looky...its pouring down rain

[Noelm]

OK, got me secret recipe for the brine mix
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1 litre water
1 cup soy sauce
mix all the ingredients in a flat sort of container ,so you can lay the fish flat and not on top of each other, and leave for at least 4 hours, but I usually leave in fridge over night, remove fish and dry with paper towel and it is ready for smoking, for the soy sauce, the cheap no name one from woolies seems to be best (and cheap) once you have had smoked fish done this way, it will become a regular dinner/beer/snack item on the menu.

[Runamuck]

OK, got me secret recipe for the brine mix
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1 litre water
1 cup soy sauce
mix all the ingredients in a flat sort of container ,so you can lay the fish flat and not on top of each other, and leave for at least 4 hours, but I usually leave in fridge over night, remove fish and dry with paper towel and it is ready for smoking, for the soy sauce, the cheap no name one from woolies seems to be best (and cheap) once you have had smoked fish done this way, it will become a regular dinner/beer/snack item on the menu.

Thanks mate.

Did you make this recipe up or family secret Etc

[Noelm]

Ancient secret Grasshopper!! nah, my mate has been smoking fish for years and he gave it to me, dont really know where he got it from, best QLD fish to smoke (in my opinion) is Spotty Mackeral, they come out sensational, whenever I get up to see my mate, I try to make it around Spotty time, down here, Australian Salmon are great, and easy to get, but there is lots of others that are good too, chicken wings and all sorts of stuff is worth a try, some will be sh!t, but some is fantastic

[murf]

Avoid any of the eucalypts, pines and mango, these all leave a chemical tasting taint to the product.

whats wrong with the good old gum tree?? been using it for years and is sold in shops for same

cheers Murf

[Horse]

Nothing wrong with Eucalypts for smoking. Its only the leaves that are full of resin. Don't use citrus either

[Jono_SS]

OK, got me secret recipe for the brine mix
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1 litre water
1 cup soy sauce
mix all the ingredients in a flat sort of container ,so you can lay the fish flat and not on top of each other, and leave for at least 4 hours, but I usually leave in fridge over night, remove fish and dry with paper towel and it is ready for smoking, for the soy sauce, the cheap no name one from woolies seems to be best (and cheap) once you have had smoked fish done this way, it will become a regular dinner/beer/snack item on the menu.

I use a similar recipe - except a bit simpler - just brown sugar and soy sauce (plus water if using the really thick soy sauce). The soy adds the saltyness, plus as Murf said, you can get a good glaze from the brown sugar.

Ancient secret Grasshopper!! nah, my mate has been smoking fish for years and he gave it to me, dont really know where he got it from, best QLD fish to smoke (in my opinion) is Spotty Mackeral, they come out sensational, whenever I get up to see my mate, I try to make it around Spotty time, down here, Australian Salmon are great, and easy to get, but there is lots of others that are good too, chicken wings and all sorts of stuff is worth a try, some will be sh!t, but some is fantastic

I'm about to fire up the little smoker to do some spotties. I also rate tailor as right up there, plus sea mullet and Spanish mac. Apparently dart are great, but I've never tried them myself.

Cold smoked mackerel/tailor goes beautifully in all sorts of meals. I love adding it to spaghetti cabonara. Or making a "smoked tailor lasagne". Or toasted cheese and smoked mackerel sandwhich. need I go on?????

happy cooking and eating.

Jono.

[Noelm]

I did a couple of racks of pork ribs yesterday, one lot I did in the secret brine, the other I did just plain, and the one in brine was great, the plain one was just OK, but still went down OK with a couple of cold beverages. Smoking is one of those things you need to mess about with, some people like things salty and extra smoky, where others like a mild smoke, I try all sorts of stuff in the smoker, I even use that stuff that just colours and flavors the fish, comes out quite good (like the orange stuff you see in the shops) just soak it for a while and then simmer it in milk to cook it, a bit of mashed potatoe and some peas with some white sauce and you have a nice easy meal.

[Horse]

I was suprised what an improvement brining makes especially with Pork and Chicken

[chris69]

Hichory is a good smoke i like the tailor and jack is very very good smoked and you cant beat hickory turkey breast or chicken wings done in the webber,i just bayst what ever im doing with butter this is for a hot smoke not a cold smoke.

[Noelm]

I was suprised what an improvement brining makes especially with Pork and Chicken

yep, for sure, it just adds some added texture and flavour somehow, I had some half shell green lip mussels the other day (the frozen ones from NZ) and they came out quite good, put them in the brine mix for about 2 hours, then into the smoker for a bit, a couple of cold beers under the pergola to "test" them out and they were voted to be OK by the free loading visitors.