Hot smoked sturgeon: calorie content, benefits and harms, recipes with photos

Choosing fish

Fish for smoking is selected exclusively fresh or chilled. Frozen specimens are not suitable for cooking, since as a result of freezing the structure of the fibers changes and the product will fall apart as a result of smoke treatment. You should ensure the quality of the raw materials. To do this, the status is checked:

• eyes - should be light, without a cloudy veil;
• scales – the surface of fresh fish is shiny, slippery, without mucus;
• meat - when pressed, the dent is restored within a short period of time, the fillet fits tightly to the bone.

Smoked sturgeon can be smoked whole or cut into portions. In any case, the product should be the same size within the same batch to ensure even curing and smoking.

How to store hot smoked sturgeon

The finished delicacy spoils very quickly. Even in the refrigerator, hot smoked sturgeon can be stored for a maximum of 2-3 days. In this case, the fish must be wrapped in foil or waxed parchment paper to “isolate” it from other products.

The shelf life of hot smoked sturgeon in the freezer increases to 20-25 days. The fish is placed in small portions in sealed plastic ziplock bags or containers. If the freezer provides a “shock” freezing mode, it is better to use it.

You cannot defrost sturgeon in a microwave oven or hot water. The texture of the meat deteriorates greatly, the taste almost disappears. First, the bag or container should be placed in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, then the process should be completed at room temperature.

Preparing for smoking

At the preparatory stage, the sturgeon should be cleaned and cut if necessary. The cutting process is different for large and small individuals:

1. In small fish, an incision is made along the abdomen and the entrails are removed. If desired, bone scales are cut off.
2. Large specimens, after gutting, are cut along the ridge. It is possible to smoke a whole piece without skin - fillet - or cut the meat into steaks.

After cleaning and cutting, the carcasses are thoroughly washed. After pre-drying with paper towels, you can start salting.

Marinade for smoking

Proper salting ensures the removal of pathogenic microorganisms, which is very important when smoking.

For salting, use coarse salt. It penetrates deep into the fibers and changes their structure, better removes moisture and provides flavor to the workpiece. Before smoking sturgeon, you should decide on the salting method: dry or liquid.

Marinade for cold smoking

To ensure guaranteed disinfection of the product, a concentrated salt marinade is used. The brine is prepared at the rate of 1.5 kg. salt per 1 liter. water. Carcasses must be completely covered with liquid. In this form, the sturgeon is kept in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Universal method

An option that is suitable for preparing smoked sturgeon using the cold and hot method includes the following ingredients:

• 250 ml. soy sauce;
• 250 ml. dry white wine;
• 1 tbsp. citric acid;
• 1 tsp Sahara;
• 3-4 bay leaves;
• spices and spices to taste.

Advice!
To give the fish an original taste when smoking, add thyme, rosemary, and basil to the marinade. These herbs perfectly enhance the taste of fish. To prepare a spicy marinade, the liquid ingredients are mixed and brought to a boil. The sturgeon is dipped in liquid and placed in the refrigerator for 10 hours. Immediately before smoking, the fish is rubbed with dry ingredients. A bay leaf is placed in the abdomen.

In some cases, classic dry salting is used. In this case, the entire carcass is rubbed with salt mixed with ground black pepper and left for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator for salting.

Cold smoked sturgeon recipes

Preparing a delicacy is not difficult if you have the necessary equipment and ingredients. The recipes below will help with this.

How to smoke cold-smoked sturgeon in a smokehouse

This cooking method is considered traditional. Pre-salting of fish is required. You can cook the whole carcass or divide the carcasses into halves.

Classic recipe for cold smoked sturgeon:

1. The prepared fish is hung in the smoking cabinet.
2. Carcasses should not touch.
3. They set fire to wood chips for the smoke generator.

For the first 12 hours, smoke should flow into the smokehouse continuously, then at short intervals. The temperature should not exceed 30 degrees. To get cold smoked sturgeon with tough meat, the fish is smoked for two days. The smoke must reach the meat evenly, otherwise the fiber structure will be different.

Important! It is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime. Otherwise the carcass will be soft and fall apart.

If cold-smoked sturgeon is prepared in a homemade smokehouse without a smoke generator, you need to carefully select firewood. Only fruit trees are suitable for smoking. It is strictly forbidden to use resinous pine needles, as it will make the product unfit for consumption.

It is recommended to tie sturgeon before cooking.

After cold smoking, the carcasses are ventilated. They are hung for 8-10 hours in a place protected from the sun.

Technology for preparing sturgeon in a smokehouse:

How to smoke with liquid smoke

This is a simple homemade option that is suitable for all fish lovers. No smokehouse or firewood required.

You will need:

• red wine – 70 g;
• sugar – 1 tsp;
• salt – 1 tbsp. l.

The carcasses are pre-salted. Marinating is optional, optional.

For 1 kg of cold smoked sturgeon take 1 tsp. liquid smoke

Cooking method:

1. Mix wine with sugar and salt.
2. Add liquid smoke to the composition.
3. Coat the salted fish with the mixture.
4. Leave for two days, turning the carcass every 12 hours.

The cold-smoked sturgeon in the photo acquired a red tint due to the combination of wine and liquid smoke. When cooking in a smokehouse, the color of the meat should be lighter.

After this, the sturgeon should be washed under running water and dried. The carcasses are left at room temperature for three to four hours. Liquid smoke imitates the characteristic smell of smoked meat and improves taste without heat treatment.

Methods for smoking sturgeon

Smoked sturgeon, hot and cold smoked, differs in taste and aromatic qualities. Smoking technologies are also different, which affects their duration. Before smoking sturgeon, you should choose the appropriate recipe. For cooking you will need a special installation - a smokehouse. This could be a store-bought version or a self-assembled unit.

Hot smoked recipe

Hot smoked sturgeon has an exquisite taste and is distinguished by its juiciness and tender meat. The fish is smoked for 30-40 minutes. This is achieved by maintaining a stable high temperature of 80-100°C. A product smoked in a hot smokehouse can be stored for only a few days in the refrigerator. Cooking instructions are as follows:

1. Alder or beech chips are poured into the bottom of the smokehouse. For fish, it is recommended to use fruit species, which help add piquancy to the dish.
2. Insert a fat tray into the smokehouse, since draining juices negatively affect the smoldering process of sawdust.
3. Sturgeon is laid out on racks. Whole fish are hung by the tail or head. A distance of 1 cm is left between the carcasses for the unhindered passage of smoke, which will ensure complete, uniform cooking.
4. The lid closes tightly, the smokehouse goes to the heater: fire or stove.
5. Sturgeon should be smoked in a smokehouse at a stable temperature. When the chamber is filled with smoke, it will begin to escape through the chimney. If there is no such hole, then you should open the lid 10-15 minutes after the start of hot smoking. The total cooking time is 30-40 minutes.
6. Smoked sturgeon is not removed from the hot smokehouse, but is cooled along with the installation.

To make the taste of the product more intense and the aroma delicate, the sturgeon is kept in the fresh air for an hour to ripen.

Smoking in the oven

Cooking smoked meats in the oven involves the use of alcohol.

It allows you to add originality to the taste of fish. At the initial stage, the carcasses are dry-seasoned using salt and sugar. The second component helps the salt penetrate deep into the fibers. At the end of salting, the sturgeon is poured with cognac or vodka and left in the cold for 6 hours.

The workpiece is baked in the oven at a temperature of 80°C. Exceeding the value will lead to overdrying of the product. Smoked sturgeon is cooked for at least an hour. During this period, the protein fibers are broken down, the fish becomes loose and tender, and the surface acquires an appetizing golden color.

Cold smoked recipe

Cold smoked sturgeon is denser, with a bright fishy aroma. This is an excellent snack for beer or an addition to salads. Cooking takes longer and has its own nuances:

1. It is necessary to pre-dry the sturgeon before smoking to remove excess moisture. It will require drying for 2 days.
2. The temperature in the smokehouse should not exceed 30°C, otherwise the fish may spoil.
3. Sturgeon takes at least two days to prepare. For larger individuals it may take 4-5 days.

Smokehouses with a smoke generator are more effective, but smoking can also be done in a homemade installation, the main thing is that high-quality cooling of the smoke is ensured.

Advice! When smoking, the wood chips are pre-moistened with water. With the hot method, this will prevent ignition, and with the cold method, it will ensure abundant smoke production.

Smoking using liquid smoke

Cooking smoked fish with liquid smoke food flavoring is common among residents of apartment buildings. But you can use the additive in nature or in the country. The food additive is included in the marinade. When baking sturgeon in the oven, liquid smoke is poured into a baking tray, which is placed inside the oven. When exposed to temperature, the fish will acquire the necessary aroma, the meat will be saturated with food flavoring.

Cold smoked sturgeon.

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Winter, the peasant triumphant on the firewood... no, no, this is not about us. In the mountains there is indeed a wide variety of snow, but in the valleys it is relatively warm and it rains or sometimes RAINS. It’s local winter, the grass is green, the sun is shining, etc., but most importantly, fresh sturgeon appears in the stores. At the end of January, it’s time to go to a Chinese or Vietnamese store to purchase a piece of this beautiful fish, given to us by the Creator many thousands of years ago. In the store, we meticulously inspect the carcasses, finally we find the one and only one that will later brighten up more than one evening for us, and we ask to cut off the middle part without the tail, fins and other accompanying ingredients that are not very necessary for this dish. This is naturally accompanied by dancing and pantomime worthy of the Kabuki theater, since the sellers do not listen to anything other than their native language, or pretend that they do not listen, and strive to cut off closer to the tail and leave more fins, etc. But we are seasoned fighters in battles with representatives of Southeast Asia, and in the end we get the right piece of sturgeon carcass. Then it’s just you and the sturgeon. The carcass is cut in half along the dorsal cartilage, the hard parts (cartilage, etc.) are cut out, the resulting two blocks are washed and dried. Next, they are rolled and covered with a mixture of salt (preferably sea salt), ground nutmeg shell and juniper berries (very little of the first and reasonable quantities of the second). The composition (preferably in glass: I usually use a flat glass tray) - here it should be noted that the fish is positioned skin side up - is covered with cling film and sent to the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, noticeably hardened and reduced in size pieces of fish are thoroughly washed with water and dried. Next (no need to waste time here), the fish is doused with whiskey (preferably bourbon, but whoever has what), placed on a wire rack above the same glass tray, and put in the refrigerator again overnight. In this case, the skin looks downwards. In the morning, we charge the smokehouse and smoke cold (there is room for imagination: apple, cherry or other wood chips, whoever has what and what they like; the last time I smoked on alder - it turned out well, from my point of view) 14-16 hours . Next comes a very exciting moment of organoleptic familiarization with the resulting product. Here you can’t do without the well-known drink (a glass, nothing more - after all, you need to reward yourself for three days’ work, but how could it be otherwise?). A small piece of good black bread, a fresh tail of green onion from the garden, a good piece of the produced product and... this cannot be described in words - this, this, what am I telling you, work hard, make yourself a holiday and a new facet of your worldview will open to you.

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Smoking Tips

Each recipe for smoking sturgeon has its own characteristics. Following the nuances of preparation allows you to achieve an ideal result. There are also general recommendations to make the taste brighter and smoking easier:

1. Use combined fuel. The main component is beech or alder, containing a small amount of resin. To enhance the aromatic qualities, sawdust of apple, pear or cherry is mixed. Juniper branches add a spicy, smoked note.
2. To speed up the smoking of fish, sturgeon is cut into small pieces. The steaks look great and smoke quickly. It is also possible to fillet sturgeon.
3. To give the fish an original taste, spices and seasonings are added. You can use ready-made fish seasonings or create unique combinations. In order for smoked meat to have a bright fishy taste and aroma, you should limit yourself to salt, ground black pepper and bay leaf.
4. In order for sturgeon to have the correct taste and be harmless, it is necessary to ensure that excess moisture is removed. To do this, the fish is dried in the fresh air before cooking. Ventilation after smoking allows the meat to become more deeply saturated with smoke and mature.

Having honed the skill of hot and cold smoking sturgeon, you can experiment with recipes, wood chips, and marinades. This way you will be able to find your ideal recipe and adjust the smoked meat to your personal preferences.

Rules and methods for smoking sturgeon

This smoking technology involves treating sturgeon with hot smoke. As a result, properly cooked meat is tender, juicy, crumbly, and literally melts in your mouth.

If the hot smoking technology is followed, the finished meat does not lose its shape

When starting to smoke fish, you need to consider the following important nuances:

• the smokehouse can be either purchased or homemade, but it must have a hermetically sealed lid, a compartment at the bottom for wood chips, hooks or grates for placing fish;
• The optimal temperature for hot smoking sturgeon is 80-85°C. If it is less, the fish simply will not be smoked, and it will not be possible to get rid of pathogenic microflora that is dangerous to health. When it rises above 100°C, the meat loses its juiciness and tenderness and dries out;
• You cannot try to speed up the smoking process by increasing the temperature. The only way, if you want the fish to be ready faster, is to cut it into smaller pieces - steaks, fillets.

To preserve the natural taste as much as possible, you should limit yourself to salting the sturgeon using a mixture of salt, ground black pepper and chopped bay leaf. Various marinades will add original notes and flavor to the fish, but it is important not to overdo it, so as not to “lose” the natural taste.

What is the best way to smoke sturgeon?

It is best to smoke hot smoked sturgeon using alder, linden, aspen or beech wood chips. To obtain an exquisite aroma, chips of apple, pear, cherry, currant, and bird cherry are added to it in a ratio of approximately 7:3.

They use wood chips, not sawdust or small twigs. With its “participation”, the smoke formation process proceeds as required for hot smoking.

Alder chips are a universal option for any smoking

Important! Any coniferous tree species (with the exception of juniper) are absolutely not suitable - hot smoked sturgeon is impregnated with resins, the meat is unpleasantly bitter.

Composition and properties of smoked sturgeon

The constituent components of sturgeon make it valuable from a health point of view.
Experts recommend including the product as part of your diet. When consumed in moderation, fish promotes weight loss. All its components are well absorbed by the body, improving metabolic processes. Smoked sturgeon contains 32.2 grams. protein, 4.4 g. fats that are easily digested. The absence of carbohydrates has a beneficial effect on the absorption of the product. Sturgeon contains a large amount of vitamins A, B, D, PP, micro- and macroelements, such as potassium, phosphorus, sodium, copper, magnesium, calcium. This set of nutrients has a positive effect on human health:

• accelerates regeneration processes in the body;
• controls cholesterol levels;
• prevents the appearance of cancer tumors;
• normalizes metabolism;
• improves vision;
• increases stress resistance;
• enhances the body's protective functions.

The benefits of consuming sturgeon are noticeable with regular, moderate inclusion of the product in the diet. If you have any allergic reactions or intolerances, you should consult a doctor.

Where and how to store

It is advisable to consume hot smoked sturgeon immediately.
It will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days at a temperature of +2-+4°C. The cold smoked product has a long shelf life – up to 21 days. Fish should be isolated from other products. Use parchment or food foil for this. An alternative option that extends shelf life is freezing. By placing the smoked product in vacuum packaging and sending it to the freezer, you will be able to preserve the product 2 times longer than in the refrigerator. Smoked sturgeon is an exquisite delicacy. Separately, they consume caviar, which is considered the most valuable product. Having sturgeon on hand, you should definitely smoke the fish. The taste and aroma of sturgeon will not leave even the most fastidious gourmets indifferent. This dish will become a favorite treat for family and friends.

How to select and prepare sturgeon for smoking

When buying sturgeon for hot smoking, pay attention to the following criteria:

• absence in the smell of even the slightest notes of mustiness, rottenness, only a light “fishy” aroma;
• the gills should not be much darker in color than the rest of the carcass;
• “clear” eyes, not covered with a cloudy film;
• skin without damage, tears, blood clots, or a layer of mucus on it;
• the abdomen is a uniform pinkish color, without spots or swellings;
• elastic meat (when pressed with a finger on this place after 2-3 seconds, no traces remain);
• fish cut into pieces has skin tightly adjacent to the meat (a small layer of fat is allowed), the color of the meat is somewhere between cream, grayish and pale pink.

The taste of hot smoked fish directly depends on the quality of fresh sturgeon

Important! The larger the mass of the sturgeon, the tastier the hot smoked fish will be. The minimum weight of a carcass worth buying is 2 kg.

Hot smoked sturgeon can even be cooked whole. This fish looks very impressive on the table. But it is not always possible to find a smokehouse of a suitable size, so most often the head and tail are removed from the carcass and the entrails are removed through a longitudinal incision in the abdomen. If desired, they can also get rid of bone growths.

You can continue cutting by removing the vizigu (the vein running along the ridge) and dividing the sturgeon into two fillets. Or it is cut crosswise into steaks 5-7 cm thick. The skin should not be removed, it absorbs harmful smoke decay products. It is removed when the hot smoked sturgeon is ready.

When preparing sturgeon for hot smoking, it is imperative to remove only the entrails

Important! Regardless of the chosen cutting method, sturgeon should be sent to the smokehouse in batches, selecting fish or pieces of the same size. Otherwise, it is impossible to ensure uniform smoke treatment.

Salting sturgeon for hot smoking

Before salting, cut fish is thoroughly washed in cool running water. Next, the easiest way is to salt the sturgeon before hot smoking using the dry method, thoroughly rubbing the carcasses outside and inside with coarse salt. They are placed in a container, having previously poured salt in a thick layer and onto the bottom, and again covered with it on top. The fish is covered with cling film and sent to the refrigerator. The salting time depends on the size of the carcass and personal taste preferences, but in any case, the required minimum is 4-5 days. In addition to salt, you can add sugar (in a ratio of 10:1), as well as ground black pepper and chopped bay leaf (to taste).

The wet salting method allows you to reduce its time to 3-4 days. To do this, sturgeon is poured with brine:

• water – 1 l;
• salt – 5-6 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 1 tbsp. l.;
• bay leaf – 7-8 pcs.;
• black peppercorns – 10-15 pcs.

All ingredients are added to water and heated on the stove until the sugar and salt crystals dissolve. After this, the liquid is allowed to cool under a tightly closed lid to 35-40°C. Pour the prepared brine over the sturgeon and put it in the refrigerator.

How to marinate sturgeon for smoking

An alternative to salting is marinating sturgeon before hot smoking. There are many recipes for marinades; you can easily create your own using your favorite herbs and spices.

With wine and soy sauce:

• soy sauce and dry white wine – 100 ml each;
• sugar and citric acid - 1/2 tsp each;
• bay leaf – 3-5 pcs.;
• black peppercorns – 8-10 pcs.;
• fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil - one sprig each.

All ingredients, except greens, are mixed, the liquid is brought to a boil, and cooled to room temperature. The herbs are finely chopped, shallow transverse cuts are made on the sturgeon skin and stuffed with herbs. Then the fish is poured with brine and sent to the refrigerator. You can start hot smoking after 18-24 hours.

The main thing when marinating is to remember: the point is to emphasize, and not “kill” the unique taste of the fish

With honey and butter:

• olive oil – 150 ml;
• liquid honey – 75 ml;
• freshly squeezed lemon juice – 100 ml;
• salt – 1 tsp;
• garlic – 3-4 cloves;
• any fresh herbs - 1 bunch (you can mix herbs);
• ground black pepper - to taste.

Beat the marinade components in a blender, after chopping the garlic and herbs. When the liquid becomes homogeneous, pour it over the sturgeon. It needs to be marinated for at least 10-12 hours before hot smoking.

With lime:

• lime – 2 pcs.;
• olive oil – 150 ml;
• salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• ground black pepper – 2-3 tsp;
• garlic – 4-5 cloves;
• fresh mint and lemon balm - 5-6 sprigs each.

The limes, along with the peel, are cut into small pieces, the garlic and herbs are finely chopped. Whip all the ingredients with a blender, coat the sturgeon with the resulting “gruel” and leave for 8-10 hours.

With cherries:

• soy sauce and olive oil – 100 ml each;
• liquid honey and white wine – 25-30 ml each;
• dry cherries – 100 g;
• garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• fresh ginger root – 2 tsp;
• sesame seeds – 1 tbsp. l.;
• salt and ground black pepper - 1 tsp each.

The components of the marinade for hot smoked sturgeon are blended in a blender. Before this, the ginger root must be grated, the garlic and cherries must be finely chopped. The fish is kept in the marinade for 12-14 hours.