[CH] Smoking trout and salmon (long) [3/7]
Jim Weller (Jim.Weller@salata.com)
23 Jul 00 09:11:13 -0800
>>> Part 3 of 7...
Dry salting whole sides: Cut thick [over 4"] fillets into two slices
OR inject brine into the thickest portion with a pumping needle.
Injection brine should be made up in the ratio of 1 1/4 c salt per
quart water, cooled to 60 deg F and injected before applying the dry
salt. Score or cut just through the skin into the fatty tissues
beneath [slashes] in several places with a sharp knife or a razor
blade to promote salt penetration and apply the salt. Rub salt into
the scores, lay the fillet down on a 1/4" bed of salt in a tray and
place salt on the top of the fillet- from a 1/2" on the thickest part
to just a sprinkling on the tail. Slant the tray so that the brine
that develops flows away from the thin belly meat.
Fatty fish take longer to salt as they contain proportionately less
water.
DRY SALT TIMES
:Fillet Thickness Fat Fish Lean Fish
: 3/4" 9 hrs 5 hrs
: 1" 12 hrs 7 hrs
: 1 1/4" 15 hrs 8.5 hrs
: 1 1/2" 18 hrs 10 hrs
: 2" 24 hrs 13 hrs
: 2 1/2" 30 hrs 17 hrs
: 3" 36 hrs 20 hrs
With experience you can tell by feel; a moderately fat fish will
loose 10 of its weight. When touched with a fore finger the flesh
should feel firm and spring back when pressed.
After salting you can use a special Scotch sugar-rum cure or a
finishing brine.
Scotch sugar-rum cure: rinse the dry salt off the side. Drain and
cure it in a cool place for 6 hours. Rub it with vegetable oil [olive
or peanut preferred] and let it stand another 6 hours in a cool
place. Rub off the oil with a rum soaked cloth. Cover the side with
brown sugar just as you did the dry salt and let it stand another 6
hours. Then wipe off the sugar, coat it with oil again and let stand
6 hours. Wipe off the oil again with a rum soaked cloth and proceed
to smoke.
Finishing brine: If not using the scotch sugar-rum cure, use a
finishing brine to take away some of the hardness caused by the dry
salt and finish distributing the salt through the fish. Make
finishing brine in the ratio of 11 oz salt to 4 qt water and leave
the side in the brine for 20 min for a 3/4" fillet up to 90 min for a
2" thick fillet. Drain the side skin side down making sure the brine
can drain away so there are no salt deposits on the fish. A salt
gloss will form and the flesh will cure. Allow to cure overnight 12
hours or even more.
Extracted from: Smoking Salmon & Trout by Jack Whelan. Published by:
Airie Publishing, Deep Bay, B.C. ISBN: 0-919807-00-3 Posted by: Jim
Weller
MMMMM
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
Title: Smoking Salmon and Trout Part V - Scotch Smoking Prep Con
Categories: Fish, Smoked, Info, Salmon, Trout
Yield: 1 text file
Wet brining pieces for Scotch smoking: You can use a plain brine or a
sugar-spice-salt brine.
Plain brine: prepare in the same ratio as injection brine above. Cool
brine to below 50 F and keep the fish and brine cool throughout the
process.
PLAIN SALT BRINING TIMES
:Piece thickness Fat fish Lean fish
: 3/4" 2 hrs 1 1/3 hrs
: 1" 3 hrs 2 hrs
: 1 1/4" 4 hrs 2 2/3 hrs
: 1 1/2" 5 hrs 3 1/3 hrs
: 1 3/4" 6 hrs 4 hrs
: 2" 8 hrs 5 1/3 hrs
: 2 1/2" * 10 hrs 6 2/3 hrs
: 3" * 12 hrs 8 hrs
* These thicker pieces will benefit from brine injection with a
needle.
Salt-sugar-spice brine: ratio 4 1/2 c pickling salt and 1 1/2 c white
or brown sugar to 4 qt water. Add, adjusting to taste, 50 bay leaves
or 2 tb mace or 8 tsp peeper or 5 tb juniper berries. simmer the
spices in brine 45 min. Strain brine through a cloth, discard spices
and cool the brine.
SUGAR-SPICE-SALT BRINING TIMES
:Piece thickness Fat fish Lean fish
: 3/4" 2 1/2 hrs 1 1/2 hrs
: 1" 3 1/2 hrs 2 1/2 hrs
: 1 1/4" 4 3/4 hrs 3 1/4 hrs
: 1 1/2" 6 hrs 4 hrs
: 1 3/4" 7 1/4 hrs 4 3/4 hrs
: 2" 9 1/2 hrs 6 1/2 hrs
: 2 1/2" 12 hrs 8 hrs
: 3" 14 1/4 hrs 9 1/2 hrs
These times are just a guide; each fish is different. When done the
flesh will be firm enough for slicing and feel like the lean part of
a slab of bacon when pressed between the thumb and forefinger.
After brining, place the fish pieces skin side down so they can
drain. Tilt the drain trays so that the brine runs off the fish to
prevent salt deposit build up on the fish. cure 12 hrs at a temp
below 70 F
Extracted from: Smoking Salmon & Trout by Jack Whelan. Published by:
Airie Publishing, Deep Bay, B.C. ISBN: 0-919807-00-3 Posted by: Jim
Weller
MMMMM
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
Title: Smoking Salmon and Trout Part Vi - Scotch Smoking
Categories: Fish, Smoked, Info, Salmon, Trout
Yield: 1 text file
How to Scotch smoke: the properly salted and cured salmon now needs
smoke color and flavor and sufficient drying for good taste and
texture. Often the fish needs more drying time than smoking time to
avoid an overly smoky flavor. In smokers with supplementary heat
drying can continue after smoking at the same temp -85 deg F. In
smokers without supplementary heat use a small clear fire with as
little smoke as possible. The amount of color depends not on the
amount of smoke deposited but the temp.
Smoking Sequence: -Smoke for sufficient color. -Dry further without
smoke to firm up if necessary. -Give the fish a polished look.
~Sweat the fish to firm up. -Refrigerate for further firming.
Smoking:- In a forced draft smoker, smoke temp at 85 F, time 10-12
hrs, smoke density medium. in a natural draft smoker, 85 deg, up to
24 hrs depending on the weather [you get stronger updrafts at 85 deg
on cool days- if the ambient temp is 85 or more the smoker will have
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