Content
Pike is a popular river fish that is often used for making fish soup, stuffing and baking. But an equally tasty dish can be obtained if it is smoked. Everyone can do this at home. However, possible mistakes can negatively affect the taste of the final product. Therefore, you need to smoke the pike, observing the cooking technique, which will allow you to get delicious fish with juicy meat and a pleasant aroma of smoke at the exit.
Pike meat is very dry, fibrous and has a peculiar smell of mud
Is it possible to smoke pike
This fish is great for hot and cold smoking. The main thing is that the pike is suitable for taste preferences, because many believe that its meat is very dry and fibrous. But this is not true if the fish is cooked properly. After all, she has all the necessary qualities for this.
It has the following properties:
- moderate fat content;
- elasticity of the cover;
- suitable carcass size;
- structure of meat.
Benefits and calories
The meat of this freshwater fish, even with a slight heat treatment, becomes soft, so it is easily absorbed by the human body. It contains a complex of vitamins and minerals, as well as non-fatty acids Omega-3 and 6. This feature of fish helps to normalize fat metabolism, reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood. Regular consumption of pike improves vision and bone structure.
Fish can be eaten even with a diet
Pike is low in calories. There are about 84 kcal per 100 g of the product. It contains 18.9% proteins, 1.15% fats and 2.3% carbohydrates.
Principles and methods of smoking pike
There are two methods of smoking: hot and cold. The only difference is in the temperature of exposure to pike meat. The principle of cooking is that with optimal heating the wood does not burn, but smolders. This contributes to the release of a large amount of smoke, which penetrates the meat fibers and gives it a unique taste and aroma. With this treatment, most of the nutrients are completely preserved.
To achieve an excellent result, the temperature must be kept at the same level throughout the cooking process. In the case of lowering the smoking mode, the pike meat becomes dry and bland. And with an increase, the chips begin to char and release carcinogenic substances, which subsequently settle in the form of soot on the fish. A deviation from the permissible norm leads to the fact that smoked pike becomes unsuitable for human consumption.
To prepare a delicious delicacy, you need to choose the right sawdust. The best option is chips of alder, mountain ash, as well as fruit trees and shrubs. This gives the pike meat an appetizing golden hue and saturates its fibers with the aroma of pleasant smoke.
It is also permissible to use birch wood, but before processing it is necessary to remove the bark from it, since it contains a large amount of tar.
How to choose and prepare pike for smoking
The quality and taste of the final product directly depends on the correct choice of fish. The best option is freshly caught pike, but chilled pike is also suitable. Do not use frozen carcass for smoking, as this negatively affects the taste and quality of the final product.
Before proceeding directly to smoking, the pike must first be prepared. To do this, cut the belly and gently remove the insides. Fish weighing up to 1.5 kg can be cooked whole, and large specimens should be cut into 2 pieces along the ridge.
Pike to be smoked should not be scaled. This prevents the meat from cracking during cooking, as well as the settling of soot on the surface of the carcass.
Gutted fish should be rinsed with water and soaked in a paper towel
How to salt pike for smoking
The next stage in the preparation of the carcass allows you to give the desired taste to the dish. Therefore, you need to salt the pike for smoking. According to the standard recipe, you need to take 1 tbsp. l. salt per 1 kg of carcass weight. Aromatic herbs and spices can also be used if desired.
Salt should be evenly grated on top and inside. After that, put in an enamel pan under oppression. The duration of the salting depends on the size of the pike and can range from 12 hours to 2 days. During this time, the container with the fish should be in the refrigerator. At the end of the waiting period, the fish should be kept in clean water for 15-20 minutes to remove excess salt. And then wipe the carcass thoroughly on all sides with a paper towel.
How to pickle a pike for smoking
For lovers of exquisite taste, you can prepare fish according to a different recipe. In this case, you should marinate the pike for hot or cold smoking in a special solution. To do this, add 100 g of salt in 1 liter of water and black ground pepper to taste, as well as 5-6 allspice peas. If desired, the marinade should be supplemented with bay leaves and garlic.
Then soak the pike in it so that the liquid completely covers it. Soak the fish in the marinade for at least 3 hours. Then take it out and pat it dry with a paper towel. At the exit there should be fish with light fins, with a pleasant aroma of spices, without the smell of mud. According to this recipe, you can cook hot and cold smoked pike at home and outdoors.
How to smoke pike properly
Before starting the cooking process, you must first air dry the fish for 3-4 hours so that a thin crust forms on its surface. This helps to remove residual moisture and improves the quality of the final product.
Hot smoked pike recipes
This cooking method can be performed in several ways, depending on personal preferences and possibilities. Therefore, in order to find the most optimal one, you should consider each of them separately.
How to smoke a pike in a hot smoked smokehouse
This method requires a special smokehouse with a smoke regulator. Such a device automatically supplies smoke and allows you to maintain the same temperature regime throughout the entire cooking process. In this case, it will not be difficult to smoke hot smoked pike.
After installing the device, grease the top surface of the grate with vegetable oil.Then place the carcasses or pieces of pike, observing a distance of 1 cm between them. At the end of the preparation, cover the smokehouse with a lid.
At the next stage, you need to put moistened chips in the smoke generator and set the temperature at around + 70-80 degrees. According to the recipe, smoking hot-smoked pike in a smokehouse lasts 40 minutes. After that, you cannot immediately get the fish, otherwise it will lose its shape. Therefore, you need to leave it there until it cools completely, and then ventilate it in the air for 2 to 24 hours. This will remove the pungent odor and give the meat an appetizing aroma.
Smokehouse with a smoke regulator greatly simplifies the cooking process
Hot smoked pike at home
In this case, you can use a smoking cabinet. For this, an iron box with handles on the sides is suitable. Inside it, in the upper part, there should be a grill for fish, and it also needs to have a lid.
Before you start, you should kindle a fire in the grill and put a smoking cabinet on top for warming up. Then cover the grill with foil, make holes in it and carefully lay out the carcasses, leaving a small space between them.
Damp wood chips should be poured into the bottom of the smoking cabinet. After the appearance of smoke, you can install the grill with the fish, and then cover the box with a lid. Cooking time 30-40 minutes. During this time, it is necessary to periodically remove the cover and ventilate the cabinet.
Hot smoked pike should be served after cooling down
How to smoke hot smoked pike in the oven
This method allows you to prepare a dish even in the absence of special devices. In this case, an electric oven will help, which should be placed on the street or on the balcony to prevent smoke from forming.
Initially, it is necessary to lay the chips in a foil mold and fill them with ordinary water for 15 minutes. After that, the liquid should be drained. This will prevent the sawdust from igniting. Then the prepared chips must be put down the oven, since when heated, the smoke will rise up.
The fish should also be wrapped in foil, leaving only the top surface exposed. Then it needs to be greased with vegetable oil for the appearance of a golden hue. Then place on the wire rack and place in the oven. A deep baking sheet should be set one level less so that fat does not drip onto the chips during cooking, otherwise acrid smoke will spoil the taste of the product.
Set the temperature to 190 degrees. It takes 30-40 minutes to smoke hot-smoked pike in this way.
Every 10 min. the oven needs to be opened slightly and excess smoke must be blown out
How to smoke a cold smoked pike in a smokehouse
If you choose this method, the cooking process will take several days. For smoking, the salted pike should be hung on hooks at the top of the smoker.
Then put moderately damp wood chips in the smoke regulator and set the temperature within 30-35 degrees. The process of cold smoking pike at home lasts three days. The same regime should be maintained throughout the entire time.
The readiness of the pike can be determined by external signs. The fish should have a pleasant reddish-golden hue. After that, the pike should be allowed to cool in a smokehouse, and then kept in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Temperature differences during smoking negatively affect the quality of fish
How much pike should be smoked
The cooking time depends on the chosen method. For hot smoking, 30-40 minutes is enough, depending on the size of the carcass or pieces. In the case of cold smoking, the duration of the process is three days, subject to the correct temperature regime.
Storage rules
You need to store the delicacy in the refrigerator, observing the commodity neighborhood. This means it should be kept away from odor-absorbing foods.
Hot smoked pike is a perishable product. Therefore, its shelf life at a temperature of + 2-6 degrees is 48 hours. Cold smoked fish can keep its qualities in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
To increase the shelf life of the product, it must be frozen. In this case, the storage period is no more than 30 days.
Conclusion
Knowing how to properly smoke pike at home, you can easily prepare a delicacy that will leave few people indifferent. The main thing is to observe the technology of fish preparation, and strictly maintain the specified temperature regime. Indeed, not only the taste of the final product, but also its useful qualities directly depends on this.
