Content
Hot smoked catfish is an incredibly tasty and healthy dish that can dilute your usual diet. You can cook it at home without much difficulty. To do this, you need to choose a suitable carcass, prepare it for hot smoking and determine the optimal recipe. Therefore, you should study the technology of the process in order to get a tasty dish.
You can cook hot smoked catfish in just a few hours
Useful properties of the product
This type of processing is gentle, since the original product is subjected to minimal processing, which allows you to preserve most of the vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
The main useful properties of the product:
- Hot smoked catfish contains a sufficient amount of protein. And this component is the main building material for muscle tissue.
- Fish oil contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, therefore it is well absorbed by the human body and helps to reduce blood cholesterol.
- The minerals and vitamins contained in catfish play an important role for human health. They normalize water balance, help to strengthen bone tissue, improve the functioning of the heart and nervous system, participate in the process of hematopoiesis, and improve metabolism.
BZHU and calorie content of hot smoked catfish
The main advantage of hot smoking is that the cooking process does not require additional use of vegetable oil. Therefore, the calorie content and fat content does not exceed the permissible limits.
Hot smoked catfish contains:
- proteins - 17.6%;
- fat - 4.8%;
- carbohydrates - 0%.
The calorie content of 100 g of the product is 104 kcal. This low figure is explained by the fact that catfish is 75% water.
Principles and methods of smoking catfish
This type of fish is one of the most delicious and popular. This is due to the fact that catfish meat is tender, fatty, but practically does not contain bones. It can be cooked in different ways, but if you want something special, it is best to smoke it.
The main role in the cooking process of this dish is played by heat treatment. There are several popular recipes, but, despite this, the cooking process itself is not significantly different. The amendments concern only the methods of preparing carcasses for hot smoking.
You can prepare a dish at home in a smokehouse, in an oven, or with liquid smoke. Each of these methods has its own characteristics, so you should familiarize yourself with them in advance.
Selection and preparation of fish
For hot smoking, any fresh catfish that can be purchased at the store or from avid anglers is suitable.
The carcass must be free of foreign odors.
Before you start cooking, you must first prepare the carcass. This will allow you to achieve the desired taste of the final product, as well as remove harmful components. Therefore, initially, you should carefully gut the catfish carcass, without violating the integrity of the gallbladder. Otherwise, the meat will taste bitter. Then you need to rinse the catfish under running water and use paper towels to soak the remaining moisture on top and inside.
It is then recommended to remove the gills and fins before hot smoking. The head must be cut off if it is necessary to cut the fish. In case of cooking, it should be left in its entirety.
How to salt catfish for hot smoking
The next stage of catfish preparation involves its ambassador. To do this, it is necessary to generously rub the fish with salt on all sides, and put in layers in glass or enamel dishes under oppression. In order to properly salt catfish for hot smoking, it is necessary to make cuts in the meat without violating the integrity of the skin. Initially, you need to pour a layer of salt on the bottom of the container, and then lay the carcass or pieces of catfish. After that, remove to a cold place and keep in this form for 3-4 hours.
At the end of the waiting period, the fish must be removed and lowered into cool water for 20 minutes. This procedure will remove excess salt. After that, the carcass must be blotted with a paper towel, and then hung outside in the shade of trees or under a canopy to dry for 2 hours. And to protect the catfish from insects, you need to wrap it in gauze, previously soaked in a solution of vegetable oil and vinegar.
How to pickle catfish for smoking
This preparation method is used to give smoked catfish a more sophisticated flavor and to soften the meat.
To prepare a marinade for hot smoking 1 kg of catfish you will need:
- 1 tbsp. l. salt;
- 1/2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 1 tsp ground black pepper;
- 5 laurel leaves;
- 200 g of water;
- 100 g lemon juice.
Cooking process:
- Fold the catfish into an enamel container, pouring abundantly with a mixture of the listed components.
- After that, put oppression on top.
- Soak the fish in the marinade for 24 hours.
- At the end of the time, wipe off excess moisture with paper towels and air dry the fish for 4-6 hours.
After preparation, the fish must be well dried.
Hot smoked catfish recipes
There are several cooking options. The choice of the recipe depends on personal preference and possibilities. Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the main features of cooking in order to determine the choice.
How to smoke catfish in a hot smoked smokehouse
Before proceeding with the procedure, you should decide on wood for hot smoking. After all, the final taste and appearance of the catfish depends on the smoke. For a beautiful golden hue, choose oak, alder and fruit tree chips. And to get a light golden color, you must use linden or maple.
To prepare this dish, you need to install a stable smoking chamber. Then place the wire rack and grease the top of it liberally with refined vegetable oil. After preparation, place the carcasses or pieces of catfish on the wire rack, leaving a space of 1 cm between them. Cover the fish with a lid on top.
After laying the fish, wet chips should be placed in the smoke regulator of the smokehouse. Set the temperature at around 70-80 degrees. When ready, cool the fish without removing it from the smokehouse. After that, you need to ventilate the catfish well from 2 hours to a day. This will remove the strong smell of smoke and infuse the pulp with a pleasant aroma.
How to smoke hot smoked catfish with honey
This fish recipe features a delicious marinade that adds a sweet cinnamon flavor to the meat.
To prepare it, you must use:
- 100 ml of natural flower honey;
- 100 ml lemon juice;
- 5 g cinnamon;
- 100 ml of refined vegetable oil;
- 15 g salt;
- pepper to taste.
To prepare for hot smoking, it is necessary to prepare a mixture from the proposed components and load pieces of catfish into it for a day. After the time has elapsed, soak the fish in water for 1 hour, and then dry in the air for 2-3 hours until a thin crust appears on the surface. After that, the hot smoking procedure must be carried out according to the standard scheme in a smokehouse or oven.
Hot smoked catfish with honey is delicious and tender
How to smoke catfish marinated in juice
For lovers of the original taste, you can prepare a special brine for hot smoked catfish.
You need to prepare the following components:
- 100 ml of apple juice;
- 250 ml warm water;
- 100 ml pineapple juice.
Catfish are smoked at temperatures from 60 to 100 ° С
After that, they need to be combined, mixed thoroughly and added as much salt until it stops dissolving. Then the catfish carcass needs to be cut along the back and divided into pieces 4 cm wide. Lay the fish in layers so that in the first row they lay with the skin down, and then put the meat to the meat. At the end, pour the marinade over the catfish so that the liquid completely covers it, and put it in a cool place for a day.
After the waiting period, the fish should be soaked in clean water for 1 hour, and then dried in the air for 2-3 hours. In the future, hot smoked catfish prepared according to this recipe can be cooked in a smokehouse or in the oven.
Recipe for smoking catfish with liquid smoke
In the absence of a smokehouse, it is also possible to cook this dish. Liquid smoke will help with this. This component gives the smoked flavor.
For 1 kg of catfish meat you need to prepare:
- 30 g salt;
- 10 g sugar;
- 30 ml of liquid smoke;
- 30 ml lemon juice;
- 1 liter of water;
- a handful of onion peels.
Cooking process:
- Initially, you need to rub the cleaned fish with a mixture of salt and sugar and moisten it on all sides with lemon juice.
- Then put the pieces of catfish in a plastic bag.
- Boil an infusion of water from onion husks, cool and peel.
- Place the fish in it for 40 minutes, which will give an appetizing golden hue.
The delicacy goes well with fresh vegetables and herbs
After that, moisten the fish with a paper towel and apply liquid smoke to its surface with a brush from all sides. Subsequently, you need to fry the catfish on the electric grill until tender.
How to cook hot smoked catfish in the oven
You can cook this dish even if you don't have a special device. In this case, you can use an electric oven, which must be placed on a balcony or under a canopy outside to avoid smoke.
The first step is to prepare the chips. To do this, it must be poured into a foil container and filled with water so that the liquid completely covers it. After 15 minutes, when the sawdust swells, the water must be drained. This procedure prevents them from possible fire. The container with chips must be placed at the very bottom of the oven, and after heating it, the smoke will rise up.
For cooking, you need to cut the catfish carcass into pieces of 200-300 g. Then fold them into foil molds, leaving them open on top to provide smoke access to the meat. After that, put the fish on the wire rack, and grease it with vegetable oil on top to form a delicious crispy crust. During the cooking process, the carcass releases fat, which drips onto the wood chips and forms pungent smoke, which impairs the taste of the meat. To prevent this, place the baking tray one level lower.
You need to bake catfish at a temperature of 190 degrees. The first sample can be taken after 45 minutes, if necessary, it is necessary to prepare it.
A dish cooked in the oven can be served warm or cold.
Smoking Clary Catfish
This type of fish is much larger in nutritional value and size than usual. Therefore, it is specially grown in fish farms.
To get delicious hot smoked fish, you need to soak it in a special marinade.
To do this, prepare the following ingredients for 1 kg of catfish:
- 70 g salt;
- 40 g olive oil;
- 5 g ground black pepper;
- 5 g dried paprika;
- 3 g basil;
- 5 g white pepper.
Clarium species is relatively large and requires cutting
Initially, you need to clean the carcass according to the standard scheme. Then pour oil into a container separately and add all the spices to it, leave for 30 minutes. In the meantime, wet the alder chips and pour them into the smoke regulator of the smokehouse. After that, set the grate in the upper part, grease the carcass with fragrant oil on all sides and spread out.
Smoking clary catfish in the smokehouse occurs first for 2 hours at a temperature of 60 degrees, and then for another 2 hours at a mode of 80 degrees. Before serving, the fish must be cooled and ventilated for 4-5 hours.
Time for smoking catfish
The cooking time for this dish is 1 hour. However, depending on the size of the carcass and pieces of fish, it can shift by 10-15 minutes. up or down. In this case, it is necessary to periodically open the smokehouse or oven and release steam. After cooking, you must not immediately get the fish hot, otherwise it will lose its shape. Therefore, initially the catfish should cool down.
Storage rules
Hot smoked catfish is a perishable product, so it is not recommended to cook it for future use.
Permissible storage times and temperatures in the refrigerator:
- + 3-6 degrees - 48 hours;
- + 2-2 degrees - 72 hours;
- -10-12 degrees - 21 days;
- -18 degrees - 30 days.
Keep smoked catfish away from products that absorb odors. These include butter, cottage cheese, cheese and pastries.
Conclusion
Hot smoked catfish is a delicious dish that can be prepared in various ways. However, for this it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations set out. Otherwise, the taste of the product may deteriorate significantly, which will become an unpleasant surprise. You should also strictly follow the rules for storing the finished product and do not use it after the end of the permissible period.
