One of those travelers is the bluefish. They usually start to show in the lower Chesapeake in the spring, making their way to the upper reaches by the July 4th holiday. Most light tackle fisherman curse the bluefish because their toothy mouths will tear the preferred plastic baits to pieces. But connoisseurs of fine eating welcome the site of good sized Bluefish, because when these voracious eaters show up, its time to get out your smoker. And there isn’t much better eating than a perfectly smoked bluefish filet.
(Hungry Bluefish are on the prowl looking for schools of glass minnows to attack)
We’ll start with the brine. A good brine is the foundation to creating good smoked fish of any kind. For bluefish, I like a brine that allows the flavors and oil of the fish to be the centerpiece of the dish. My Brine for smoked blues is very simple..
1/4 c. of Kosher Salt
1/4 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Soy Sauce
1 Quart Water
1.5 tblsp. of Pickling Spice
Place fillets in a sealable container (non-metallic) and marinade refrigerated for a minimum of 4 hours, but overnight is ideal.
The next step is probably the most important step of all. When you take the fish fillets out of the brine you must dry them first before the smoke will adhere. Smoke will not stick to a wet surface, so I lay out newspaper and place the fillets skin side down on a rack over the newspaper to dry for a minimum of 4 hours.
If its a humid day, it may take longer. sometimes I place a fan in front of the fillets to speed up the process. What will happen is a sticky glaze will form on the surface of the meat. This is called the Pellicle, and this is what the smoke will stick to.
Once your fillets are dried, start your smoker and get it pre-heated to a temperature of 200 degrees. Spray a little non-stick cooking spray on your racks and place the fillets skin side down. For wood, I use alder chips in an iron smoking box in my electric smoker . You can use mesquite, hickory, apple or whatever you prefer. I like alder, but by all means use what you like. Soak your wood in water for about 30 minutes prior to putting it in the smoker so that it smolders and doesn’t burn too quickly.
Smoke/cook the fillets for about 3 hours at 200 degrees for medium sized fillets. When the fillet is firm to the touch it is done. you do not want it mushy, and you do not want dried shoe leather either. I usually go through one refill of my smoker box during the cooking process. The finished product should look something like this
Smoked Bluefish is excellent when used in salads, dips, or just eaten by itself as ahealthy snack! enjoy!
Hello,
ReplyDeleteIndeed a beautiful post, I know Electric smoker is very important, I myself love it & that's why I have recently purchased one of the top electric smokers around, because once I put my money on it, I need it to work for years.
By the way, Keep up the good work.