How to salt mackerel with liquid smoke. “Hot smoked” mackerel in a baking sleeve

Spicy taste Many people like smoked fish. The product can be purchased at the store, but it is better to make it yourself. If you cook smoked mackerel at home with your own hands, the delicacy will turn out unique and boast a unique aroma. The absence of a private yard or cottage is not a hindrance. It is not necessary to use a special hot or cold smoker. There are methods that are suitable for an apartment, and hot-smoked mackerel at home will be no worse than store-bought.

Purchasing quality mackerel is not difficult, and many people are adept at choosing fresh fish. For those who have never had to deal with this before, here are some recommendations. To purchase a good product, you need to pay attention to the smell. It should not be bright or have an unpleasant odor. It is also important to look at appearance. Fresh mackerel has a smooth surface without greenish spots. It is elastic, resilient and not loose. Fish eyes can also tell about quality. If they are cloudy, glassy and sunken, then the goods have been sitting for a long time.

Having purchased mackerel, you will need to first prepare it for hot or cold smoking. It's quite simple and the process won't take much time. It is necessary to rinse the carcass thoroughly. Then you can leave it as a whole or cut off the head and gut the insides. Now it will be completely ready for smoking.

How to smoke mackerel with liquid smoke

Liquid smoke is a flavoring agent that gives the product a smoky taste and corresponding color. You can use it to cook fish in your apartment. Standard recipe It’s quite simple, so even novice cooks can handle it without difficulty.

Ingredients:

fish – 5 pcs.;
salt – 4 tbsp. spoons;
liquid smoke – 80 ml;
sugar – 1 tbsp. spoon;
water - liter.

Recipe for mackerel in onion skins and tea

People who want to cook fish with only natural ingredients can use onion skins. She, along with the brewed strong tea will give the necessary shade and taste. In order for the recipe with onion skins to turn out as it should, you must strictly follow the instructions.

Ingredients:

mackerel – 2 pieces;
water - liter;
onion peel - about two handfuls;
salt – 4 tbsp. spoons;
black tea – 2 teaspoons;
laurel leaf – 3 pieces;
allspice– 5-10 peas;
crushed coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon;
sugar – 1 tbsp. spoon.

Pour water into a saucepan and mix it with onion peels. The recipe calls for the liquid to be brought to a boil and then simmered for 15 minutes. Now turn off the broth, let the onion skins cool and strain. IN clean water you need to put the tea in, boil it and turn it off. It must be infused for 15-20 minutes, after which it must also be strained.

The decoction with onion skins and the liquid from the tea should be mixed, adding spices, salt, sugar and laurel leaves. Mix everything thoroughly and pour the resulting brine over the fish. You will need to place a press on top, and then put the mackerel in onion skins and tea in the refrigerator for three days. It is recommended to turn the fish from side to side once a day so that it is equally colored on all sides. A decoction with onion peels and tea will give it the necessary color and taste.

Smoking mackerel with tea leaves

Hot smoking mackerel at home can be done with regular black tea. The recipe must be followed strictly according to the instructions to achieve the desired taste.

Ingredients:

mackerel – 2 pcs.;
water – 1 l;
sugar – 2-3 tbsp. spoons;
salt – 1 tbsp. spoon;
black pepper – 10 peas;
coriander seeds – 1 tbsp. spoon;
black tea – 2 tbsp. spoons;
rice – 150 g.

First you need to boil the water, adding sugar, salt, pepper, coriander and 1 tablespoon of tea. After 20 minutes, turn off the brine and cool. They will need to pour the fish and let it sit in it for about a day. After this, you will need to hang it by the tails so that the remaining brine drains off.

About a day before cooking, you need to take the rice, fill it with water and let the liquid absorb. Already swollen grains need to be mixed with black tea (take 1 tablespoon). The resulting mixture should be wrapped in foil, leaving a small hole for smoke. After this, you should place the foil with tea on the bottom of a metal container, for example, a pan. Next, you need to light the fire and wait until the mixture starts to emit smoke, as this is necessary for the hot method.

Now you need to place a grate inside on which to place the mackerel. Place the lid on top so that there are no holes left. The heat should be reduced to medium. The fish should first be smoked for half an hour on one side, and then turned over to the other and cooked for another 30 minutes. After this, the recipe with tea and rice will be completed. If necessary, the time can be increased slightly, but keeping fish in a homemade hot smoker for too long is not recommended.

Not so long ago smoked products were considered a delicacy and were bought exclusively for festive table. Today, smoked meats have become much more accessible, and the range has increased significantly. But everyone knows that the quality of most of these meat and fish products leaves much to be desired. In addition, there is no guarantee that smoking standards were not violated during the cooking process. This is why many people resort to self-smoking at home.

It is worth noting that for this, housewives use the most original products, such as onion skins or tea. However, the fastest and easiest method is smoking using liquid smoke. Read about its properties and methods of use in this article.

Choosing fish

As you know, the result of cooking largely depends on the freshness and quality of the product. Especially it concerns fish dishes, where the slightest error can lead to an undesirable outcome.

Choose good fish Just:

carcasses should have a pleasant fishy smell without an unpleasant odor;
the surface of the carcass should be free of greenish spots, firm and elastic;
Fresh fish have bright, clean, glassy eyes;
The gills of fresh fish are always clean, slightly pinkish and without signs of mucus, while cloudy, sunken gills indicate that the fish has been on the counter longer than expected.

"Liquid smoke"

Liquid smoke is a special chemical concentrate, the use of which allows you to replace a long process home smoked just a few hours of preparation. In fact, it is a product of smoldering wood of species that are usually used for smoking. Of course, call the store-bought flavor natural product it is forbidden. Those who claim that “liquid smoke is nothing more than chemistry” are partly right. However, this did not prevent the store-bought flavor from gaining wide popularity in cooking. Recently, liquid smoke has become increasingly common in recipes. Some housewives even add a few drops of this product in regular marinades.

However, it would be fair to add that treating fish with liquid smoke is not true smoking, but only imitates the smoked taste. Therefore, it is worth approaching the preparation of products in this way with special care and be sure to carry out primary processing carcasses.

Proper use liquid smoke will create a real masterpiece cooking in just a few hours.

Preparation

After the fish is purchased, it must go through a process preliminary preparation to cooking. The carcasses must be washed under running water, dried, the entrails removed, and the fins and head removed.

Next, proceed to pre-salting the fish. For flavored smoking, this step is not necessary since many recipes use a marinade. However, practice shows that pre-salting makes the taste of mackerel more intense.

For example, you can rub the mackerel with salt and spices so that the layer is even. It is advisable to wrap the carcasses in foil and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Cooking methods

Whole carcasses

You will need:

4 medium carcasses;
2 tablespoons of loose leaf black tea;
3 tablespoons of liquid smoke;
3 tablespoons salt;
1.5 tablespoons of sugar;
3 handfuls of golden onion peels;
1.3 liters of water.

The onion peels need to be washed, placed in a saucepan, filled with clean water and brought to a boil. After boiling, the gas is reduced and the “gruel” is left to simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Ready onion pickle should be drained through a colander into a container, cleaned of any remaining husks, add tea leaves, spices, concentrate, mix and leave to brew for a while.

Pour the cleaned and washed raba with marinade and put it in the refrigerator to smoke for 2-2.5 days.

The finished fish can be decorated with lemon slices and onion rings.

Pieces

You will need:

2 carcasses of frozen mackerel;
1 teaspoon of concentrate;
1 large onion;
4 tablespoons salt;
2 tablespoons sugar;
vegetable oil;
coriander;
allspice;
Bay leaf.

Gut the fish, wash it properly and cut it into equal pieces. To prepare the marinade, you will need a small saucepan in which you need to place the mackerel, add salt, sugar and all other spices. Cover the saucepan with a lid and place in a cool place for 8 hours. This time is enough for the fish to marinate and be ready to serve. You can grease it for more flavor. vegetable oil and garnish with onion rings.

Cooking mackerel smoked with liquid smoke at home is not at all difficult. And knowing a few useful “tricks” can make the smoking process easier and improve the taste of the finished product.

Frozen and chilled fish are suitable for smoking with concentrate. When buying frozen carcasses, you should remember that tasty and healthy dish It will only work if defrosting is natural. Defrosting under the jet hot water causes taste deterioration. When defrosting in the microwave fish fillet will separate from the bone, and after the marinade it may even crumble.
Before smoking, the fish must be washed and cleaned of entrails, and it is especially good if the belly of the carcass is not cut open, of course, unless the recipe requires it. Be sure to remove the head and fins.
Depending on the smoking recipe, cookware is chosen. Enameled dishes are not suitable for smoking mackerel in onion peels. It is better to give preference to containers made of aluminum or glass.
IN classic version Smoking uses only salt and sugar as spices. Seasonings such as coriander and bay leaf add a piquant flavor to the fish, so they need to be added carefully.
Black tea gives the fish a rich and beautiful color.
During smoking, the fish usually floats to the surface, so it is recommended to apply pressure.
Liquid smoke should be added only in the amount specified in the recipe.

Excessive use of concentrate leads to distortion of the taste and smell of mackerel.

Fans of fish dishes are well aware that the most delicious fish prepared at home. The same applies to smoked mackerel. There is no need to use a smokehouse for smoking, since it is possible to do without it. All that is required is to acquire patience for 3-4 days, the result is smoked mackerel, the taste and external qualities will be much better than a store-bought product.

To smoke this fish at home, you will need the following components:

mackerel – 3 pieces;
water – 1 liter;
onion peel - 1.5 - 2 handfuls;
salt – 120 grams;
sugar – 1 tablespoon;
pepper mixture – 1 teaspoon;
bay leaf - 2 - 3 pieces;
liquid smoke - 1.5 - 2 tablespoons;
Sunflower oil – as needed.

How to cook mackerel as smoked at home

First step. First you need to clean the fish, that is, remove the head, fins and entrails. Then thoroughly wash the inside to remove the black film, as it imparts cooked fish bitterness.

Second step. Then you need to prepare a container in which the fish will be “smoked”. A two liter bottle is best plastic bottle with the neck cut off, as other dishes may acquire Orange color and a smoky smell, and there is no need to constantly turn the mackerel in the bottle to acquire the desired color and taste. Then the mackerel must be placed in the prepared container with the tails up.

Third step. Then you need to start preparing the brine for smoking. For this it is necessary onion skins pour into a saucepan (which you don’t mind, as it may get stained) and fill it with water, then boil and let stand for 30 minutes. This procedure will help the brine acquire a red color.

Fourth step. After this, you need to boil the pan with the husks again and pour salt, bay leaves, a mixture of peppers and sugar into it. Then let it simmer for about five minutes.

Fifth step. Then you need to strain the brine from the husks through a colander and pour liquid smoke into it. The brine needs to be placed in a cool place (balcony) so that it cools down, and then poured into a plastic container with fish and refrigerated for 3-4 days for the smoking process.

Sixth step. When the time is up, take out smoked fish from the refrigerator and place it on kitchen napkins to dry. This process lasts 6 hours.

Let's learn how to prepare such a delicacy at home without liquid smoke, without special effort, behind a short time and much cheaper. Once you try this smoked mackerel, this recipe will go on your list of favorites.

To prepare smoked mackerel you will need:

Of course, the soloist of the table, mackerel, two large or three medium fish;
Four tablespoons of salt;
Three tablespoons of sugar and brewing black tea;
Spices: bay leaf, black peppercorns, (allspice);
A handful of husks onions(you can use two handfuls, it won’t make it worse);

Preparing the marinade does not take much effort and time.

First, prepare the fish. You are more likely to buy frozen mackerel because it is more often found frozen than fresh. Therefore, the fish should be defrosted, it is best to put the fish in cold water and leave for a while, and if you want to speed up the process, change the water at regular intervals. Next, clean the fish from the insides and cut off the head, rinse the cleaned fish carcasses thoroughly. Now is the time to start the marinade.

Boil a liter of water, then pour three tablespoons of black tea into the water, add onion skins and spices. Let the marinade simmer for a couple of minutes and then turn it off. Let cool slightly and add four tablespoons of salt and three tablespoons of sugar. Stir everything vigorously and let cool until room temperature. The marinade is ready.

Recipe for making smoked mackerel at home without liquid smoke

Take the cleaned fish and put it in the marinade. Place the container with fish and marinade in the refrigerator for two days. After the marinating period has expired, take out the ready-made golden color fish, rinse it from the tea leaves and marinade, and hang it over the sink to allow excess moisture to drain. To give it a more aesthetic appearance, you can wipe the fish with a cloth with vegetable oil.

After this, for storage, place and wrap the fish in paper bag and put it in the refrigerator. But it’s unlikely that such tasty fish will stay there for a long time or even end up in the refrigerator for storage.

It goes well as a side dish with this kind of fish, cooked by yourself. boiled potatoes pieces or puree, stewed potatoes with mushrooms, vegetable stew, and just with a piece of fresh white bread it will be very tasty.

Mackerel is incredibly tasty and healthy fish. Great for dietary and baby food. Smoked mackerel can rightfully be considered a table decoration. To be sure not only of beauty, but also of taste, it is better to prepare smoked mackerel yourself and be sure of its benefits to the body.

Mackerel is rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Fish oil is a source of health and beauty. Eating mackerel helps strengthen the immune system. B vitamins have a beneficial effect on metabolism and promote rejuvenation of the body.
There are several cooking methods. Below we will talk about smoking mackerel with liquid smoke. This method saves time and is suitable for people who do not have a smokehouse.

First of all, you need to acquire quality raw product. As with other fish, you should pay attention to appearance and smell.

Fresh fish should not have any foreign, rancid odors.

The skin is smooth, shiny, slightly moist, without damage, with a rainbow tint.

Gills - without mucus. From pink to bright red.

The abdomen is flat, without spots.

The eyes are transparent. Not cloudy, not yellow.

Fresh frozen mackerel should not differ in appearance or smell from fresh mackerel.

Briquettes should contain a minimum of ice.

Preference should be given to even specimens of medium size.

Preparation

Preparing fish is not difficult. Fresh frozen mackerel needs to be defrosted (preferably naturally). Wash, remove entrails and gills. Dry with a paper towel.