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Cold smoked pink salmon is an exquisite delicacy that can be made at home. To do this, you need to choose the right fish, prepare it, and follow all cooking recommendations. Ignoring these conditions can lead to the fact that instead of delicious cold-smoked pink salmon, you get a product with a high content of harmful substances and a bitter taste. Therefore, you should study the cooking technology in advance.
The optimal weight of fish carcasses for cooking a delicacy is 0.8-1.5 kg
The benefits and harms of cold smoked pink salmon
This fish is prized for its high content of iodine, phosphorus and iron. It also includes a large amount of vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids. Cold smoking of pink salmon allows you to preserve most of the nutrients for human health in the product. After all, the cooking process takes place with minimal heat treatment, namely, not higher than 30 degrees.
The main useful properties of cold smoked pink salmon:
- reduces blood clotting, which prevents the development of thrombosis;
- helps to strengthen teeth, bone tissue;
- increases stress resistance, prevents the development of depression;
- restores muscle tone, strengthens the musculoskeletal system.
The product can harm health only if low-quality fish was selected. In this case, the low processing temperature is unable to neutralize parasites and pathogenic microorganisms. This contributes to the development of dangerous diseases.
BJU and calorie content of cold smoked pink salmon
The cooking process does not require the use of vegetable fats. This feature leads to the fact that the calorie content of cold smoked pink salmon does not exceed the permissible norm. It contains about 21.3% proteins, 8.8% fats and 0.01% carbohydrates.
The calorie content of cold smoked pink salmon per 100 grams is 176 kcal.
The meat of this fish is very satisfying, but at the same time it belongs to the category of low-calorie foods. Therefore, it can be used without fear by people who care about their figure.
Cold smoking technology of pink salmon
The process of preparing a delicacy involves adherence to certain rules. Therefore, you should study them first.
The technology of cold smoking pink salmon involves a long cooking process at a low smoldering temperature of sawdust for 24-72 hours, depending on the size of the carcass. Therefore, you should stock up in advance with a sufficient amount of wood chips to maintain the required mode during this time.
Cold smoked sawdust should be selected from fruit trees or alder. This will give a pleasant taste and aroma to the final product. Birch can also be used, but you must first remove the bark from the wood. After all, there is a large amount of tar in it.
Hang the fish in the smokehouse on hooks to prevent it from falling.
The taste of the delicacy directly depends on the quality of the chips.
Selection and preparation of fish
For cold smoking, it is necessary to choose fresh pink salmon with firm elastic skin that adheres well to the pulp. The fish should be free from stains and mechanical damage. Her abdomen should be slightly flattened, pink in color. You should also pay attention to the pulp, it should quickly regain its shape when pressed.
Before starting cold smoking, the fish must be cleaned. During preparation, the entrails should be removed, but the scales and fins should be left. You also need to remove the gills, since with insufficient salting, they provoke a quick deterioration of the product.
If necessary, the head of the pink salmon can be cut off, and the fish can be divided into two parts, removing the spine and rib bones. A large carcass should be cut into pieces across. After that, wash it, wipe off the remaining moisture with a paper towel.
How to pickle pink salmon for cold smoking
To give the necessary taste to a delicacy, you need to properly salt the pink salmon for cold smoking. To do this, rub it thoroughly with salt inside and out. This should be done against the direction of the scales. You also need to add salt under the gill cover. After that, put the fish in an enamel pan, additionally sprinkle with salt and cover with a lid.
Salting pink salmon for cold smoking lasts from 1.5 to 4 days at a temperature of + 2-4 degrees. During this time, it must be turned over periodically.
After this period, the fish must be moistened inside and on top with a paper towel, which will remove excess salt and moisture. Then dry it in a cool place for 5-6 hours until a thin crust appears on the surface.
How to pickle pink salmon for cold smoking
You can add a more sophisticated flavor to the dish if you wish. For this you need to use a special marinade.
To prepare it, you need to prepare:
- 1 liter of water;
- 100 g of sea salt;
- 50 g sugar;
- spices to taste.
Cooking method:
- It is necessary to combine all the components and thoroughly mix the pink salmon marinade for cold smoking.
- Then immerse the carcass or pieces in it so that the liquid completely covers them.
- Withstand at a temperature of + 2-4 degrees for two days.
- After that, dry on top and inside with napkins and dry in a cool dry place for 24 hours.
After preparation, the fish must be well dried.
How to smoke cold smoked pink salmon
There are several basic ways to prepare a delicacy. It is necessary to consider each of them separately, which will allow you to understand the technique of the procedure.
How to smoke cold smoked pink salmon in a smokehouse
The process of preparing a delicacy takes several days. During this time, it is necessary to maintain the smoldering temperature of the chips within 28-30 degrees. In this case, the aromatic herbs and branches of fruit trees should be tossed at the end of cooking.
The fish should be hung on hooks at the top of the smoker. In this case, you should open and fix the walls of the abdomen with toothpicks or sticks so that the smoke can freely penetrate inside and soak the meat fibers.
Do not interrupt the cold smoking process. If this is not possible, then an uninterrupted supply of smoke should be ensured for 8 hours, and then you can take a break for 3-4 hours.
Frozen pink salmon should not be used for smoking
The readiness of the fish can be determined by its appearance. It should have a reddish-golden hue and lose weight noticeably.After that, allow it to cool in the smokehouse, and then ventilate in the fresh air for 12 hours.
Cold smoked pink salmon in a smokehouse with a smoke generator
This method allows you to significantly speed up the process of preparing a delicacy. This requires a special smokehouse.
The recipe for smoking cold salmon with a smoke generator practically does not differ from the previous one. The only difference is that the smoke is supplied automatically in the selected mode.
Initially, you need to hang the prepared pink salmon carcasses on hooks at the top of the smokehouse. In this case, push apart the walls of the abdomen and fix them with a toothpick. After that, put wet chips in the smoke regulator and set the supply of fresh smoke to the chamber every 7 minutes. with a smoldering temperature in the range of 28-30 degrees. The duration of cooking a whole carcass is 12 hours, and 5-6 hours are enough to obtain cold smoked pink salmon.
When finished, you do not need to immediately take out the fish, as it must cool down inside the smokehouse. And then keep it in the refrigerator for one day. This is necessary for the fish to ripen and its smoky flavor to fade slightly.
Cold smoked pink salmon recipe with liquid smoke
You can cook a delicacy even in the absence of a smokehouse. To do this, you need to use liquid smoke, which will give the dish the necessary flavor. In this case, the cooking process is somewhat different from the standard technology.
In this case, the following components are needed:
- 4 tbsp. l. salt;
- 100 ml of liquid smoke;
- 1 liter of water;
- 100 g of onion husks;
- 1 tbsp. l. Sahara.
The process of preparing a delicacy in this case takes two days.
Cooking method:
- Initially, you need to fill the onion peel with water and cook for 5 minutes. over low heat. In this case, the broth should become a rich brown shade.
- Then strain it.
- Then add salt and sugar to the resulting liquid, mix until dissolved.
- When the broth has completely cooled down, pour liquid smoke into it and mix thoroughly.
- Pink salmon carcasses should be put in an enamel pan.
- Then pour them with prepared marinade so that the liquid completely covers them, and put oppression on top.
- Move the fish container to the refrigerator or basement for even maturation. The carcasses must be turned over every 12 hours.
Liquid smoke makes cooking easier and faster
After two days, the fish must be removed and thoroughly wiped inside and outside with paper towels to remove excess moisture. At the end of cooking, dry the pink salmon for 3 hours until a thin crust appears on the surface.
Why is cold smoked pink salmon soft
The delicacy should have an elastic consistency, moderately juicy. However, cold smoked pink salmon balyk often does not correspond to the norm, since serious mistakes were made in the cooking process.
The most common cause of soft, layered fish is an increased processing temperature, which results in steaming of the meat. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly maintain the required mode and avoid sudden jumps.
It may also be due to insufficient or excessive salting of the carcass. The amount of salt should be 1.8-2% of the total weight of the fish. Moreover, the greater its amount, the lower the smoking temperature should be.
Immediately before cooking, the carcass must be thoroughly washed and dried for 6-12 hours. In case of insufficient ventilation, the smoke does not penetrate into the meat, as a film forms on its surface. As a result, the fish remains raw inside or becomes boiled.
The reason for the soft consistency of the meat may be the closed walls of the abdomen. Therefore, the smoke does not pass enough inside the carcass, as a result of which excess moisture is present in it.To prevent this, you need to open the abdomen when smoking and fix its walls with a toothpick.
A soft consistency can be caused by non-observance of the terms of use of the product. At the end of cold smoking, pink salmon should be allowed time to ripen. To do this, it should be left in the smokehouse until it cools down, and then kept in the refrigerator for another day. This will allow excess moisture to escape.
Rules and shelf life of cold smoked pink salmon
The prepared delicacy can be stored in the refrigerator for 10 days. At the same time, the product fully retains its taste.
Is it possible to freeze cold smoked pink salmon
To increase the shelf life, you need to freeze cold smoked pink salmon. When the temperature drops to -5 degrees, the product can be stored for 2 months. in a well-ventilated place.
In the case of deep freezing (up to -30 degrees), the shelf life is 1 month. In this case, it is necessary to observe the humidity of the chamber within 75-80%. The product should be defrosted at a temperature not higher than +8 degrees.
Conclusion
Cold smoked pink salmon has an exquisite taste and aroma that few people can leave indifferent. To prepare this delicacy at home is quite within the power of everyone, if you follow all the recommendations outlined. But it should be understood that during storage the product gradually loses its taste and aroma, so there is no need to stock it up for future use.
