Content
Cold smoked trout is a red fish with a noble taste. It has a dense elastic pulp that can be easily cut into neat thin slices. The smoky aroma in it is less pronounced, it harmoniously complements the natural smell of fish.
Cold smoked salmon look appetizing and have a harmonious taste and aroma
Composition and value of the product
Cold-cooked smoked trout contains vitamins A, D, E. It contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, chromium, chlorine.
Nutritional value per 100 g is:
- proteins - 26 g;
- fats - 1.3 g;
- carbohydrates - 0.5 g.
How many calories are in cold smoked trout
The calorie content of cold smoked trout per 100 g is 132 kcal. This is less than hot smoking. This is because foods cooked with cold smoke are more dehydrated.
The benefits and harms of cold smoked trout
Smoked fish is difficult to classify as a healthy food, so it should not be overused. The benefits of cold smoked trout are due to its composition, namely the content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of many organs and systems: cardiovascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal, nervous, and digestive. In addition, it can be considered low-calorie foods.
Cold smoking is considered a more gentle way of cooking compared to hot smoking, in which useful elements are retained in trout - fatty acids are not destroyed, fish oil is preserved. Vitamins are partially decomposed, remaining only in the thickness of the fish, where smoke and air do not penetrate. Parasites and harmful microorganisms can remain in raw smoked products.
Selection and preparation of fish
Fresh trout is needed for smoking. It can be selected according to the following criteria:
- The carcass has no deformations, its surface is smooth, when pressed with a finger, the dent quickly disappears.
- The meat is pinkish reddish.
- The gills are bright red.
- The eyes are prominent and clear.
The small fish is smoked whole. Cut large specimens into steaks weighing 200 g or cut into fillets - separate the flesh from bones, cartilage, skin, fat and films. In the case of preparing a balyk, the head and abdomen are cut off.
High-quality fresh trout is half the success in cooking
There is a technology for salting raw fish, but in the case of cold smoking there is a risk of spoilage, so it is better to remove the insides.
To do this, you need to do the following:
- Make an incision in the abdomen, carefully remove the insides.
- Remove the black film inside.
- Cut off the head, fins, tail.
- Rinse the carcass thoroughly inside and out.
- Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Cut into pieces (steaks) or plast the carcasses along the spine.
Spacers are inserted into the abdomens of whole carcasses so that they are evenly smoked outside and inside.
How to salt cold smoked trout
Before processing with cold smoke, the trout must be salted in order to destroy all microorganisms, as well as to make the fish softer and tastier. There are 3 ways of pickling: dry, wet, pickling.
Dry ambassador
The easiest way is to rub the carcasses with coarse salt and put them in the common refrigerator compartment for 3-7 days. You need to sprinkle abundantly, the fish will not take the excess, and they will be washed off with water when rinsing. In addition to salt, you can take other ingredients. This is usually ground pepper and sugar.
Approximate amount of spices for 1 kg of trout:
- salt - 3 tbsp. l .;
- ground pepper - 1 tsp;
- sugar - 1 tsp
A fish carcass, grated with spices, is wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a container, covered with a lid and sent to the cold. At the end of the salting, the trout are taken out of the refrigerator, washed with water and dried.
Many gourmets believe that it is enough to rub the trout with salt before smoking.
Wet Ambassador
Prepare the brine with the following ingredients:
- water - 1 l;
- salt - 100 g;
- sugar - 80-100 g;
- ground pepper - to taste;
- Bay leaf;
- dried dill.
Procedure:
- Pour water into a saucepan, put salt and sugar, put on fire, boil.
- Add other ingredients. Cool the brine.
- Pour the fish with brine, refrigerate for 8-10 hours.
- After this time, drain the brine, pour clean water over the trout and leave for half an hour. Then dry.
Pickling in marinade
In addition to the main spices, various ingredients are added to the marinade. First, the brine is boiled, then it is cooled and additives are added to your liking. Marinade can be citrus, soy, wine, honey.
To prepare the marinade, you will need the following ingredients:
- water - 1 l;
- coarse salt - 4 tbsp. l .;
- lemon juice - 2 tbsp. l .;
- bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
- cloves - 3 pcs.;
- black peppercorns - 5 pcs.;
- allspice - 3 pcs.
Procedure:
- Put salt, black and allspice pepper, cloves and bay leaves in a saucepan with water. Put on fire, boil, remove from the stove, cool.
- Strain the brine, pour in the lemon juice.
- Put the fish in a container, pour marinade, load the top, leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- After a day, remove from the refrigerator, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
Smoking trout in a cold smoked smokehouse
It takes some skill and patience to cook cold smoked trout. This requires a special smokehouse that you can make yourself. It is more convenient to purchase a smoke generator, which is connected by a chimney to the product chamber. Next, the recipe for cold smoked trout for a smokehouse will help.
The day before cooking, the salted fish must be washed and dried well: first, blot it with a towel, then hang it on hooks for withering, protecting it from flies with gauze. Leave the trout in this form overnight. It is not recommended to hang it in a strong draft, otherwise the outer layer will dry out, moisture will not be able to leave the inner layers, when smoking, the smoke will not penetrate well into the pulp.
Put the trout on a wire rack or hang it on hooks in the smokehouse and close the door or lid, depending on the design. Then set fire to the wood. It is best to use alder or beech wood chips. The smoke temperature should be 25-27 degrees, maximum 30. The time for smoking fish is from 10 to 24 hours, depending on the size of the trout pieces.
Attention! If the temperature in the smokehouse exceeds 40 degrees, then the fish will turn out the same as with hot smoking.
When the process is over, the trout should be kept suspended for several hours to dry and mature.
During this time, all layers of fish will be uniformly saturated with smoking substances, which at first prevail in the outer layer, it will become more aromatic and softer.
After smoking, the fish must be hung out for drying.
After drying, it should be wrapped in plastic and put in the refrigerator for 3 days, so that the taste is finally formed. Only then can you try cold smoked trout fish.
Cold smoking trout with liquid smoke
Liquid smoke is used when there is no smokehouse. With it, you can easily and quickly make products that imitate smoked products. It is convenient for use in an apartment. Trout cooked with it cannot be considered cold-smoked fish, because after being treated with this flavoring agent, it will be heat-treated in an oven, microwave or airfryer.
You will need to take the following ingredients:
- 1 small trout;
- 1 tsp liquid smoke;
- 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
- 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce.
Procedure:
- Prepare the marinade from lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil and liquid smoke.
- Process the fish with the prepared mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Wrap the trout in foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
- The finished product has a smoke aroma and taste.
How and how much cold smoked trout is stored
Cold cooked trout may last longer than hot cooked trout. This is due to high amounts of salt, dehydration and prolonged exposure to smoke, including disinfectants.
The shelf life depends on humidity and air temperature. The colder it is, the longer it will be usable.
The shelf life of hot smoked trout in the refrigerator does not exceed 3 days.
The table shows the shelf life depending on the air temperature at a humidity of 75-85%.
t ° С | Timing |
0… +4 | 7 days |
-3… -5 | 14 days |
-18 | 60 days |
Is it possible to freeze cold smoked trout
Freezing cold smoked trout is possible if you need to increase the shelf life. The main thing is then to defrost it correctly. From the freezer, it must be transferred to the common compartment of the refrigerator so that it defrosts slowly. This way it will lose less weight and taste better.
Conclusion
Cold smoked trout is not easy to cook. The process is complex and long, requiring patience and some experience. It is important to strictly adhere to the technology of salting and smoking, so as not to harm your body.
Reviews of cold smoked trout
I love cold smoked trout fillets. For preliminary salting, I use only sea salt and sugar. I never soak in brine, always dry. I like my fish much more than purchased fish: tasty, moderately salty, soft.
