Content
Many people love smoked fish. However, the taste of a store product often leaves much to be desired. Therefore, it is quite possible to switch to homemade delicacies - hot, cold smoked chum salmon at home is relatively simple to prepare, there are recipes that do not even provide for the presence of special equipment, a professional smokehouse.
Useful properties of the product
Like any red fish, chum salmon is rich in proteins and proteins. Moreover, when smoked, they are lost slightly. Proteins provide the body with the necessary energy and are absorbed almost completely, so the figure, if you include the product in the diet in small quantities, but regularly, will not suffer.
In addition, red fish is a valuable and practically the only source of amino acids and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
The quality of the store-bought smoked chum salmon naturally raises questions
Red fish contains vitamins of all groups (A, B, C, D, E, PP). Of the microelements, chum salmon almost completely retains those present in it in high concentration:
- phosphorus;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- zinc;
- iron;
- fluorine.
This rich composition provides comprehensive health benefits. Regular inclusion of fish in the diet has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems, and is the prevention of related diseases. The psycho-emotional state is normalized (smoked fish contains natural antidepressants), the appearance of the skin, hair, nails improves.
Calorie content and BZHU
About 3/4 of the total mass of the finished product is water. In principle, there are no carbohydrates in it, the fish contains only proteins (18 g per 100 g) and easily digestible fats (10 g per 100 g). The calorie content of cold smoked chum salmon per 100 grams is 184 kcal. The calorie content of hot smoked chum salmon is slightly higher - 196 kcal per 100 g.
Smoked chum salmon is a delicacy that will not harm the figure
Principles and methods of smoking chum
Chum salmon can be smoked in two ways - hot and cold. The basic principle in both cases is the same - the processing of pre-salted or pickled fish with smoke. But with hot smoking, the process takes less time due to the higher temperature of the smoke.
Therefore, the taste of the finished product is also different. Hot smoked fish is crumbly, but juicy and soft. Cold has a denser consistency, not much different from raw fish, more natural taste is felt.
How to prepare chum salmon for hot and cold smoking
Many gourmets believe that an excess of spices and complex marinades only spoil and "hamper" the natural taste. Therefore, the most popular way to prepare it is salting. However, nothing prevents you from experimenting and looking for the option that you like the most.
How to salt chum salmon for smoking
Salting chum salting is needed both before hot and cold smoking. This allows you to get rid of excess water and destroy pathogenic microflora. Salting is carried out in several ways:
- Semuzhny... The invention of the northern peoples. Takes the most time (about 20 days). Chum is placed on a piece of burlap or canvas on a "pillow" of salt. From above they fall asleep with it and wrap it up. As a result, the fish is not only salted, but also canned. If you freeze it after salting, then you can eat it even without smoking.
- Dry salting... More suitable for cold smoked chum salmon. Rub it with a mixture of coarse salt and pepper (a couple of pinches to taste for each tablespoon). Then they are wrapped with cling film as tight as possible and put into the refrigerator for at least 10-12 hours.
- Wet salting... Chum salmon are soaked in pre-cooked brine made of water and salt (about 80 g / l). Bay leaves, black peppercorns are added to taste. The brine is filtered, the fish cut into fillets or pieces is poured over them so that the liquid completely covers them. It is turned over several times a day for even salting.
- Syringing... The method is widespread mainly in the food industry; it is used relatively rarely at home. To properly prepare slightly salted chum salmon for smoking at home, you need to boil a brine from 80 ml of water, 20 g of salt, lemon juice (1 tsp), ground black pepper and finely chopped onion (to taste). This liquid is boiled for 7-10 minutes, filtered, cooled to body temperature and, using a syringe, as evenly as possible, is “pumped” into the carcass. When using this method, the fish does not even need to be cut, leaving the insides. It is ready for cooking almost immediately after "pumping up".
Before this, the fish must be cut. In the presence of caviar and milk, the first is salted separately, the second - along with the fish. Most often, the entrails are removed, the head, tail and gills are removed, the fins and the longitudinal vein running along the ridge are cut off. Then the fish is turned into two fillets or cut into portioned pieces 5-7 cm wide. But there are other options - tesha (tenderloin from the abdomen with part of the fillet on the sides) or cold smoked chum salmon balyk (back part).
Chum salmon fillets are most often smoked
Pickling
Marinating allows you to add new original notes to the taste of hot and cold smoked fish. There are many recipes, simple and complex. For home conditions, the following can be recommended. All ingredients are based on 1 kg of chopped chum salmon.
Spicy honey marinade:
- drinking water - 2 l;
- liquid honey - 100-120 ml;
- freshly squeezed lemon juice - 100 ml;
- coarse salt - 15-20 g;
- olive (or other refined vegetable oil) - 150 ml;
- ground cinnamon - 8-10 g;
- ground black pepper - to taste (1.5-2 pinches).
All components are simply added to warm water and brought to a boil. Then the liquid is cooled to body temperature and poured over the fish before smoking for at least 12-15 hours.
Citrus Marinade:
- drinking water - 1 l;
- lemon and orange (or grapefruit) - half each;
- medium onion - 1 pc.;
- salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
- sugar - 1 tsp;
- bay leaf - 2-3 pcs.;
- ground black and red pepper, cinnamon - 3-5 g each;
- spicy herbs to taste (thyme, thyme, oregano, rosemary, marjoram) - about 10 g of the mixture.
To prepare a marinade for smoking chum salmon, all the ingredients are mixed, after having peeled the citruses to a pulp state and chopped, finely chopping the onion. The mixture is boiled for 10 minutes, insisted for about a quarter of an hour, then filtered, cooled and the fish is poured. It takes 18-20 hours to marinate.
Wine marinade:
- drinking water - 0.5 l;
- red wine (preferably dry, but semi-sweet is also suitable) - 0.25 l;
- salt - 1 tbsp. l .;
- fresh grated or ground ginger - 10 g;
- fresh rosemary - 1-2 branches;
- caraway seeds - 3-5 g;
- cloves - 5-8 pcs.
The water is boiled with salt and cloves.After cooling to body temperature, add the other ingredients. The marinade is mixed, allowed to brew for 15-20 minutes, then chum salmon are poured. You can start smoking in 8-10 hours.
How to smoke chum salmon
Both methods of smoking chum fish, cold and hot, are feasible at home. You need to choose, not only based on the taste of the finished product, but also taking into account other factors - for example, the time spent on cooking, the presence of a special smokehouse.
Hot smoked chum recipes
To smoke chum salmon by hot smoking is the most suitable option for someone who is just “mastering science”. The technique allows for certain experiments and improvisation, does not require strict adherence to the algorithm. Another undoubted plus is that the fish is cooked faster.
How to smoke hot smoked chum salmon in a smokehouse
Chum salmon hot smoked in a smokehouse is prepared as follows:
- At the bottom, pour a couple of handfuls of sawdust or small chips, having previously soaked them in water and dried. Some people recommend mixing them with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar - this will give the fish a beautiful color.
- Hang prepared fish on hooks inside the smokehouse or arrange on a wire rack. It is advisable that the fillet pieces or parts do not come into contact with each other.
- Connect the pipe through which the smoke will flow. Kindle a fire or brazier under the smokehouse, achieving a steady flame.
- After 30-40 minutes, open the top cover slightly, getting rid of excess moisture. If this is not done, hot smoked chum salmon will be too “loose”.
- When the fish is cooked, remove the smokehouse from the heat and let it cool down. You cannot get it right away - it can crumble.
Important! The most suitable "source of smoke" - fruit trees, alder, beech, maple.
Any coniferous sawdust in the process of smoking gives the fish an unpleasant "resinous" aftertaste
Hot smoked chum salmon at home (in a smoking cabinet)
A smoking cabinet is a home analogue of a structure that has a heating element powered by the mains.
The main advantage of such a device is the ability to maintain the required temperature at 80-110 ° C without any problems.
The technology is similar to that described above. Here, too, chips are required for smoking chum salmon. The fish is hung on hooks or laid out on a wire rack, the smoking cabinet is closed, turned on and waited until cooked.
Hot smoked chum heads
The heads left after cutting the fish can also be hot smoked. A lot of meat remains in them. And although not everyone can eat this, among the northern peoples, heads are considered a real delicacy, especially the cheeks. They even eat up the eyes and cartilage.
The technology of hot smoking of heads is no different from how the fish itself is smoked. The only caveat is that it takes less time.
It is more convenient to lay the heads on the lattice than to hang them
Cold smoked chum salmon recipes
It is impossible to smoke cold smoked chum with the help of "handicraft" devices. It is necessary to have a special smokehouse or smoke generator, otherwise it will simply not be possible to maintain the required constant temperature of about 27-30 ° C.
How to smoke cold smoked chum salmon in a smokehouse
The main difference in the design of a smokehouse for cold smoking is a greater distance from the source of smoke to what is inside (about 2 m).
Passing through the pipe, the smoke has time to cool down to the required temperature
The smoke source is also sawdust or small chips (preferably the same size). It is better to hang chum salmon fillets for cold smoking, so it will be processed with smoke more evenly. The pieces are laid out on the grates.
A necessary condition for the high quality of the finished product is the continuity of the process. Ideally, it shouldn't be stopped at all. But if it doesn't work out - at least the first 6-8 hours.
The readiness of cold smoked chum salmon is determined based on the characteristic aroma, dryness of the skin and its golden brown tint.
Cold smoking chum salmon with a smoke generator
A smoke generator is a device that is not found in every kitchen. Meanwhile, the device is very useful. Its compactness and simplicity of design allows it to be used for smoking chum salmon both hot and cold, both at home and in the field. The smoke generator independently regulates the process of supplying smoke to the smoking cabinet (industrial or homemade).
Cold smoked chum salmon using a smoke generator is prepared as follows:
- Pour sawdust or small chips with a moisture content of no higher than 14-15% into the body of the device. Connect with a pipe with a smoking cabinet.
- Place chum salmon inside for smoking, set fire to fuel.
Modern smoke generators are equipped with filtration systems. This traps soot particles.
Chum salmon after smoking with a smoke generator can be eaten immediately, it is not necessary to ventilate it
How to make cold smoked chum heads
Cold smoked chum heads are prepared in the same way as the fish itself. For this, you can use both a smokehouse and a smoke generator.
Bringing heads to readiness takes about three times less time than a whole chum salmon
Smoking time
Chum salmon are not the largest red fish. Its average weight is 3-5 kg. After cutting, even less remains. The weight of one fillet, as a rule, does not exceed 2 kg. Therefore, hot smoking takes about 1.5-2 hours. If the heads are smoked - 35-40 minutes. You can check the readiness by piercing the chum salmon with a wooden stick - no liquid should protrude outward.
Cold smoking takes 2-3 days if fillets are smoked. Tesha cold smoked chum and heads will be ready in about a day. To determine if it's time to get the delicacy, you need to cut a piece of meat from under the skin. It should be light, dense, firm, without juice escaping.
Storage rules and periods
Homemade chum salmon, both hot and cold smoked, spoil quickly enough. Therefore, it is not recommended to cook it in large portions at once. Hot smoked fish will stay in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, cold smoked - up to 10. At the same time, it must be packed in cling film, parchment paper, foil or a vacuum container.
Smoked chum salmon can be stored in the freezer for up to two months. This applies to both hot and cold smoked fish. It must be placed in a vacuum container or a sealed plastic bag with a fastener. Chum salmon are packaged in small portions - it is no longer recommended to freeze it again.
Conclusion
Chum salmon hot, cold smoked at home is prepared according to many different recipes. A homemade delicacy, unlike a store product, turns out to be absolutely natural, does not contain preservatives, dyes, flavors, and other chemical additives.
