Hot smoked herring: calorie content, recipes, how to pickle, how and how much to smoke

Compared to almost any saltwater fish, herring significantly benefits in price. Nevertheless, it is considered to be an important fishing object due to its ecological purity. This fish is also popular among lovers of fish dishes. There are many recipes for its preparation at home; hot smoked herring turns out to be very tasty.

Beneficial features

Herring is a very common ocean white fish. Its fatty, tender meat is very suitable for hot smoking. The finished product is especially appreciated due to the presence of essential amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are required for normal metabolism, tissue repair at the cellular level, and providing the body with the necessary energy.

Of the vitamins in hot smoked herring, the presence of almost the entire group B, A, D, E, PP is noted. They are "complemented" by macro and microelements:

potassium;
phosphorus;
calcium;
magnesium;
sodium;
sulfur;
iodine;
manganese;
zinc;
cobalt;
copper;
iron;
fluorine.

This rich composition provides comprehensive health benefits. If hot-smoked herring is not abused, it has a beneficial effect on the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive system, normalizes blood clotting and blood composition.

Important! Hot smoked herring is a potential source of carcinogens that enter it through smoke. You can reduce their content to a minimum by leaving the skin on the fish before heat treatment. On the contrary, it is removed before eating.

Despite the heat treatment with hot smoke, after smoking herring retains most of the substances beneficial to human health.

BZHU and calorie content of hot smoked herring

The energy value of hot smoked herring is relatively low - 215 kcal per 100 g. But the fish is extremely rich in proteins (21.8-24.6 g per 100 g). The fat content depends on where the fish was caught - the farther north, the thicker the layer of subcutaneous fat in the herring. It varies between 11.4-14.3 g per 100 g.

Almost 2/3 of the finished delicacy consists of water. Because of this, hot smoked herring can be considered a dietary product. In reasonable amounts (150-200 g per week), it can be included in the diet for those who follow a diet, want to get rid of extra pounds or need a source of protein due to intense physical activity.

Rules and methods for smoking herring

Any fish can be smoked in two ways - hot and cold. Herring is no exception. When cooked, after hot smoking, the meat turns out to be very tender and juicy, crumbly.

The advantage of the method is that it allows you to do without a special smokehouse, replacing it with home appliances or kitchen utensils. The process takes less time, because the temperature of the smoke with which the fish is treated is higher.For a beginner, it is especially valuable that there is no need to follow step-by-step instructions exactly, "improvisation" is allowed within reasonable limits.

Selection and preparation of fish

"Raw materials" for hot smoking must be chosen carefully and meticulously. The taste of the finished product depends on the quality of raw fish. Herring worth buying:

without damage to the skin, tears, blood leaks and other "injuries";
with smooth skin, no mucus and flaky scales;
with a light "sea" aroma, without the slightest notes of rottenness;
with "clear" eyes, without turbidity and film on them;
with a white or pale gray, not yellow belly;
with elastic meat (after pressing, a shallow dent disappears in a couple of seconds), without swelling on the belly.

If you smoke spoiled herring in a hot way, it will not turn out tasty even if the technology is strictly followed.

Herring is a medium-sized fish, so it is quite possible to smoke it whole. The simplest way to cut it is that, having peeled off the scales, the insides are removed through the incision on the belly and the black film is "cleaned". The head is removed completely or only the gills. After that, the fish is thoroughly washed.

Removing the insides, you must not damage the gallbladder, otherwise the smoked herring will be unpleasantly bitter

If desired, you can continue cutting by cutting off the vizigu (longitudinal vein along the ridge) and dividing the herring into two layers along the spine. It is then also cut out, with tweezers pulled out as many bones as possible.

The last stage of herring preparation before hot smoking is drying. The fish is suspended for about 1.5-2 hours for ventilation in a relatively cool (20-23 ° C) place with good ventilation without direct sunlight.

Fresh fish attracts insects, so if it is dried outdoors, protection from them will be required

Important! After drying, a dry crust appears on the fish, into which the "smoky" aroma will be absorbed. Without it, ready-made hot-smoked herring will turn out sourish.

How to pickle hot smoked herring

The easiest way is to dry-salted herring for smoking. To do this, mix:

coarse salt - 1 tbsp.;
sugar - 2 tbsp. l .;

Add coriander seeds, caraway seeds, allspice, bay leaf if desired and to taste. The fish is placed in a container on a "pillow" made of salted mixture, covered with it on top, and put into the refrigerator.

You can start smoking after dry salting in 20-24 hours.

You can also salt the herring for smoking in the "wet" way, pouring it with brine (200 g of salt and 50 g of sugar per liter of water). After boiling, it must be cooled. Salting takes 8-10 hours, the fish is periodically turned over.

Herring is salted faster in brine.

How to pickle a herring for smoking

Different hot-smoked herring marinades allow you to experiment with flavors, giving the fish an original and unusual flavor. Marinade recipes are based on 1 kg of chopped herring.

With lemon and spices:

salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
sugar - 1 tsp;
medium-sized onion - 1 pc.;
lemon - 1 pc.;
bay leaf - 2-3 pcs.;
ground black pepper and cinnamon - 1 tsp each;
any spicy herbs (rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme) - only 2-3 pinches.

Water with salt and sugar is boiled, all other ingredients are added, after cutting the onion and lemon. After 5-7 minutes, the marinade is removed from the heat, insisted for about an hour. Then the herring is cooled and poured over it. It takes 8-10 hours to marinate.

With kefir:

kefir 2.5% fat - 1 tbsp.;
olive oil - 100-120 ml;
salt - 1 tbsp. l .;
sugar - 1 tsp;
garlic - 2-3 cloves;
fresh mint - 2-3 branches;
ground black pepper to taste.

All ingredients are simply mixed by finely chopping the mint. The resulting liquid is poured into the herring before hot smoking for 6-7 hours.

With honey:

liquid honey and lemon juice - 100 ml each;
olive oil - 200 ml;
salt - 1 tbsp. l .;
ground black pepper to taste.
garlic - 3-4 cloves;
any fresh greens - a bunch;
seasoning for fish - 1 tsp;

To marinate the herring, it is poured with a mixture of all the ingredients. Hot smoking is started in 5-6 hours.

Can I smoke salted herring (store bought)

You can "skip" the stage of salting or pickling before starting to smoke hot smoked herring at home by purchasing already salted fish in the store. Before hot smoking, it is soaked in cool water for 1-2 hours, depending on the desired degree of salinity of the finished product. Then the fish must be dried.

Hot smoked herring recipes

In addition to the "classic" recipe for hot smoked herring in a smokehouse, there are many more ways to use ordinary kitchen utensils. Many northern peoples have their own methods that can be easily repeated at home.

How to smoke a herring in a hot smoked smokehouse

Smoking herring by hot smoking in a smokehouse goes like this:

Prepare the smokehouse itself... A couple of handfuls of chips are poured onto the bottom, a tray for dripping fat is installed, the gratings are lubricated with vegetable oil (if the design provides for their presence), a pipe is connected through which smoke will flow.
Arrange the herring on a wire rack, hang on hooks. Ideally, carcasses should not touch each other.
Make a fire, a fire under the barbecue or connect a smoke generator.
Smoke the herring until tender. Once every 30-40 minutes, it is necessary to open the smoker, releasing excess smoke.

Important! Thus, in nature, you can smoke herring in a hot way, both in a store-bought smokehouse, and in a home-made one.

Scotch-style herring smoking

A very original national recipe for hot smoked herring at home:

Butcher the fish "the other way around" by cutting the herring along the spine without touching the belly. Expand the reservoir.
Prepare the brine by dissolving 120 g of salt in 1 liter of very strong black tea. Pour this liquid over the herring for 5 minutes.
Smoke in a factory or homemade smokehouse for 8-9 hours.

Fish smoked in this way needs additional "cooking". It, as if raw, is fried on a grill, frying pan, steamed.

How to smoke a herring the Finnish way

Finnish-style herring smoking has two specific features compared to the “classic” way:

Butcher the fish by peeling off the scales, removing the head and tail. Dry for 2-3 hours in the open air. Then, as accurately as possible, remove the spine without violating the integrity of the herring.
Rub the fish with coarse salt, cover with it, leave in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Let it dry for about 3 more hours, wipe off the grains of salt with a dry napkin.
Smoke for 13 hours using sawdust mixed with peat chips in a ratio of about 4: 1.
Peat gives the herring an "earthy" flavor, which not everyone likes, so you shouldn't cook a lot of hot smoked herring at once.

Recipe for smoking herring with lemon

Hot smoked herring prepared according to this recipe has an original sour-spicy flavor:

Butcher the fish by removing the head and entrails. Slice the lemon thinly. Place the plastics inside the herring belly and in the transverse incisions on the skin outside, adding bay leaves if desired. To prevent the whole "structure" from falling apart, tie it with a thread.
Sprinkle some salt on the fish in moderation. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Smoke for 3 hours.

Important! Very little salt is used here. Therefore, according to this recipe, you can only cook hot smoked herring.

How to smoke hot smoked herring with soy sauce

The main feature of this recipe is the marinade. The smoking process itself is standard. For the marinade you will need:

drinking water - 1 l;
salt - 75 g;
sugar - 50 g;
soy sauce - 75 ml;
freshly squeezed lemon juice - 200 ml;
dry white wine - 125 ml;
garlic - 2-3 cloves;
ground black pepper and bay leaf, cinnamon, basil, coriander - 2-3 pinches of each ingredient.

All ingredients are mixed, heated until sugar and salt dissolve, and left to infuse for about an hour. After that, the gutted herring is poured with liquid. They marinate it for 10-12 hours.

How to smoke hot smoked herring in a pan

This original recipe allows you to do without a smokehouse and wood chips:

Gut the fish, remove the head and tail, rinse thoroughly. Moisten abundantly with soy sauce outside and inside, if possible, wrap hermetically with cling film, put in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
Wipe the herring with a paper towel. Put sliced lemon and any herbs to taste in the belly.
Mix rice and large leaf black tea in approximately equal proportions, add sugar, ground bay leaf and cinnamon (about a tablespoon each).
Line the bottom of a deep, thick-walled pan or cauldron with 2-3 layers of foil, pour the smoking mixture on top and set the wire rack.
Heat a frying pan over high heat for 3-5 minutes, put the fish on the wire rack, reduce heat to medium.
Cover with a lid, turn the herring after 12-15 minutes. After another 12-15 minutes, the fish is ready.

Important! Instead of the original mixture in this recipe, you can use "classic" wood chips, sawdust.

Home-smoked herring with liquid smoke

"Liquid smoke" is a chemical that allows you to give any product a flavor similar to that of a naturally smoked delicacy. Of course, gourmets do not consider this hot-smoked herring to be "real", but it is not always possible to cook it according to the "classic" recipe.

The "imitation" of hot smoked herring can be distinguished by a very rich, almost brown skin color and a pungent odor

In the airfryer

If the device provides for the "Smoking" mode, you just need to select it and follow the instructions. Otherwise, "liquid smoke" will be required. It is applied with a brush to the outside of salted or pickled herring, the fish is laid out on the lower grate, greased with vegetable oil. The sawdust wrapped in foil is placed on the top rack or attached to the lid.

For hot smoking herring, set the temperature to 110-130 ° C, it is ready in 1-2.5 hours

Important! Fish treated with "liquid smoke" should not be eaten immediately. It is "ventilated" for about an hour.

In a multicooker

The preliminary preparation of the fish in this case is standard. As with the airfryer, “liquid smoke” is required only in the absence of the “Smoking” mode. The chemical is mixed with salt, which is added to the cut herring. After the time required for salting (1-2 hours) has elapsed, the fish is placed in the baking sleeve and cooked according to the instructions for the "Bake" or "Steam Boil" modes.

Herring cooked in a slow cooker with "liquid smoke" looks more like baked, not smoked, but it turns out to be very tasty too

How much to smoke hot smoked herring

Herring weight varies within 0.3-1.5 kg, respectively, the smoking time also changes. The smallest specimens smoke for about an hour, the largest ones take longer. It takes 3-4 hours to smoke such a hot smoked herring.

Much depends on the size of the smokehouse. The more spacious it is, the more fish is placed there and the longer the heat treatment becomes. The hot smoking process can take 6-8 hours.

Finished herring has a pronounced brownish-golden hue on the skin. If you pierce it with a wooden stick or other sharp object, the puncture will remain dry, the liquid will not come out.

Storage rules

Any hot smoked fish is a perishable product. It will stay in the refrigerator for no more than 4-5 days. Further, pathogenic microflora, dangerous to health, begins to develop in it. Before being put into the refrigerator, herring is wrapped in cling film, parchment paper so that other products do not absorb the smell of smoking.

Hot smoked fish is stored in the freezer for a maximum of 1.5 months.Required sealed packaging (plastic container or bag with a fastener). Freeze herring in small "one-time" portions, re-freezing the defrosted product is contraindicated.

Conclusion

Home-cooked hot-smoked herring is definitely a natural product. This compares favorably with the fish bought in the store. There are many recipes for its preparation, you can just experiment with spices and herbs. Self-smoking herring in a hot way does not even require a special smokehouse; you can get by with home appliances and kitchen utensils.

Hot smoked herring at home