Divine. Hot smoked catfish. Step-by-step preparation

Today we are talking about how to smoke catfish at home, what is special about cooking African catfish. How to properly process fish, salt or marinate, prepare for smoking, cold or hot smoking, how to make a delicious catfish roll, how healthy is this fish? Read the article.

Smoked catfish is not only tasty, but also a healthy product

About the benefits and harms of catfish

Catfish has soft, tender, fatty flesh with a slightly sweet taste. Valued for its lack of intermuscular bones and scales.

Let's talk about the beneficial properties of catfish:

Catfish meat contains 17.2% complete protein. It contains all the essential amino acids necessary for the human body to build new cells and tissues.
Fish oil contains a significant amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Helps lower cholesterol levels and is well absorbed.
The minerals present in catfish meat provide health benefits to humans. Copper and cobalt are involved in hematopoiesis. Potassium regulates fluid exchange in the body. Iron normalizes blood composition. Magnesium improves heart function and has a positive effect on the nervous system. Calcium is good for bones and teeth.
Fish vitamins - A, E, PP, group B - help improve vision; metabolism of proteins, fats, carbohydrates; oxidative processes; immunity.
Eating fish helps overcome fatigue, weakness, and irritability.

Due to glycogen (animal starch), the pulp of catfish after heat treatment has a sweetish taste.

Restrictions on the consumption of smoked catfish apply to people who have allergic reactions to fish, who are prone to edema, high blood pressure, and excess weight.

How to cook hot smoked catfish

Hot smoked catfish turns out juicy, soft, and aromatic. The fish is prepared in a smokehouse or in the oven. Before processing with smoke, marinate. You can smoke bream, herring, and herring using the hot method.

Preparing catfish for hot smoking

The store sells fresh frozen catfish, whole carcasses (gutted and ungutted, headless and headless), pieces, steaks and fillets.

Methods for cutting a catfish carcass:

whole carcass - cut off the head, and if you use it with the head, remove the gills;
back of the balyk - remove the head, cut off the abdomen at the level of the pectoral fins and up to the anus;
layers - cut the headless carcass lengthwise along the spine into 2 parts, remove the spine;
piece - cut the processed carcass into pieces 5 cm thick;
fillet - remove the skin from a processed headless carcass, cut off the top layer of fish along the vertebral bone, and remove it.

Cooking instructions:

Thaw frozen catfish in air at 20 °C for 4-5 hours.
Rub the fish and skin with salt and rinse under running water to remove mucus.
Remove the fins. Wash off blood clots, remove the film inside the abdomen.
Cut up the carcass.
Rinse the semi-finished products and pat dry with paper towels.
Air dry for 1 hour.

Marinate catfish for hot smoking

The fish is marinated to improve the taste and soften the flesh.

Ingredients:

som - 500 g;
water - 1 l;
salt - 50 g;
black peppercorns - 5 g;
orange - ½ pcs.;
lime 1 pc. or lemon - ½ piece;
bay leaf - 1 pc.;
rosemary - 10 g;
sugar - 10 g.

Cooking instructions:

Boil the water. Dissolve salt and sugar in it.
Add pepper, bay leaf, rosemary, orange, lime or lemon pieces without skin or white fibers.
Bring to a boil, turn off the heat. Let marinade stand for 15 minutes.
Strain the marinade and cool to room temperature.
Place pieces or catfish carcass into the marinade. Close the lid and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.
Dry the catfish with paper towels and hang it in the air to dry for 4-6 hours.

The calorie content of the dish is 116.68 Kcal per 100 g.

We smoke catfish in a smokehouse

Before hot smoking any fish, familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of its preparation. Learn how to smoke carp, perch, and sabrefish.

Smoke catfish according to the following instructions.

Cooking instructions:

Prepare the smoking chamber. Install the grill and grease it with refined vegetable oil.
Place the pieces or catfish carcass on the grill, leaving at least 1 cm of space between them.
Close the lid tightly.
Pour wet sawdust or chips of alder, apple, or pear into the smoke generator.
Set the temperature to 70-80 °C.
Smoke the catfish (depending on weight) from 40 minutes to 2 hours.
Cool the fish without removing it from the smokehouse.
Ventilate in air for 2-3 hours. You can extend the ventilation period up to a day. The pungent smell of smoke should disappear, and the pulp should be saturated with smoke products.

When smoking catfish in a smokehouse, secure the fish with hooks

Smoke catfish in the oven

Ingredients:

som - 1 kg;
salt - 30 g;
seasoning “Provencal herbs” - 20 g;
liquid smoke - 30 ml.

Cooking instructions:

Treat the catfish carcass with the head: rub with salt to remove mucus, rinse, remove bruises, films, gills.
On the back, make transverse cuts every 3-4 cm.
Sprinkle with salt and Herbes de Provence seasoning, rub into the surface of the carcass, into the abdominal cavity. Pour some of it into the slits on the back.
Place the catfish in a non-oxidizing container and cover with a lid.
Salt the carcass for 12 hours in the refrigerator at 4-6 °C.
Place the fish on a baking sheet lined with foil and roll it into a ring, connecting the head and tail. Spray with liquid smoke.
Place the foil over the carcass and seal.
Place the baking sheet with the catfish in the oven. Cook for 1 hour at 200°C.
Cool the fish without removing it from the foil at room temperature, put it in the refrigerator for 8 hours.
Serve with herbs and fresh vegetable salad.

The calorie content of the dish is 144.2 Kcal per 100 g of product.

Watch a video on how to smoke catfish on the grill

Preparing for smoking

The preparatory stage helps to ensure the necessary taste, as well as remove harmful substances and destroy pathogens. There are several options for salting catfish. The choice of spices and flavorings and the duration of salting will affect the final smoking result.

You can find a recipe for smoked catfish on the Internet and adjust it to your own taste.

Before salting, the carcasses should be gutted and wiped so that no entrails remain. It is better to clean with napkins; it is not advisable to wash the fish, since excess moisture will accumulate and longer drying will be required. Before smoking the catfish, the fins and gills are removed. The head should be cut off if the fish is to be cut. If the whole carcass is placed in the smokehouse, then it should be left.

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Salting can be dry or wet. In any case, after salting, the carcasses should be dried. This is especially true for hot smoking, since excess moisture will cause the fish to bake before it is smoked.

Marinade

The advantage of a liquid marinade is that adding individual liquid ingredients will help give the product an original taste. Exquisite taste is obtained by using the following components:

apple juice – 100 gr.;
pineapple or lemon juice – 100 g;
water – 200 g;
salt – 4 tbsp;
garlic – 1 clove.

Proportions are indicated for 2 kg. fish. It is advisable to smoke the specimen in pieces. They should lie in the prepared marinade for 36 hours.

Pickling

Dry salting is a less expensive and simpler method. You will need to rub the fish on all sides with a mixture of seasonings. Use salt, bay leaf, pepper, thyme. Then you need to place the carcasses in a non-oxidizing container and place them in the refrigerator. This salting process requires no more than a day. A few hours will be enough. In 3-4 hours, the fish will be completely saturated with salt and will be ready for cooking in the smokehouse.

Drying

Before smoking, catfish should be thoroughly dried in a well-ventilated place.

In 1-2 hours, excess moisture will be removed and the fish will dry out. To protect against insects, it is better to wrap the product in gauze, after moistening it in a solution of sunflower oil and vinegar.

How to cook cold smoked catfish

The flesh of cold smoked fish is dense, dehydrated, cuts well, and does not crumble. Any fish can be cooked this way. It is enough to know how to properly smoke pike perch, pike, halibut, mackerel or catfish.

Preparing catfish for cold smoking

Cooking instructions:

Thaw the catfish at room temperature for 4-5 hours.
Rub the skin with salt to remove mucus, rinse with cold water, and dry.
Cut off the head at a right angle.
Make a longitudinal incision from the back to the vertebral bone. Unfold the carcass like a book. If the carcass was purchased with a cut belly, then divide it into 2 layers. Cut off the vertebral bone.
Remove the entrails (if the fish was purchased uncut). Be careful when removing the gallbladder; if damaged, the pulp will be bitter. Clear the abdominal cavity of blood clots.
Rinse the carcass with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
For large fish, cut the flesh crosswise to the skin after 3-4 cm.

Salt the flattened fish carcasses. If using head-on catfish, cut the head lengthwise into 2 halves.

Salting catfish for cold smoking

Ingredients:

som - 1 kg;
salt - 100 g;
white pepper - 5 g;
dried garlic - 10 g;
onion powder - 10 g;
ground black pepper - 5 g.

Cooking instructions:

Make a curing mixture of salt, peppers, garlic and onions.
Rub the mixture into the surface of the fish from the outside and inside.
Place the fish in a plastic bag and place it flat on a tray in the refrigerator at 4-6 °C for a day. Turn the carcasses 2-3 times.
Wipe the surface with a dry cloth to remove excess salt and spices.
Hang the layers in the air to dry for a day in a cool, shaded place. Cover with insect repellent gauze.

The calorie content of the dish is 146.97 Kcal per 100 g of product.

Preparing balyk for cold smoking

Balyk is the back of a catfish obtained after cutting.

Ingredients:

som - 1 kg;
salt - 150 g;
paprika - 20 g;
sugar - 25 g;
coriander - 5 g.

Cooking instructions:

Rub the catfish carcass with salt and rinse with water to remove mucus. Dry with paper towels.
Remove the entrails through a cut in the abdomen.
Cut off the head at a right angle.
Make an incision across the carcass at the level of the anus and remove the caudal fin.
Cut off the peritoneum. Rinse and dry.
Salt with a mixture of salt, sugar and spices.
Place the carcass in a plastic bag and place it on a tray in the refrigerator for a day.
Hang the balyk in the air, in the shade, covered with gauze for a day.
Cold smoke.

The calorie content of the dish is 146.19 Kcal per 100 g of product.

Cold smoking catfish in a smokehouse

A smokehouse with a smoke generator is best suited for smoking. Automatic mode allows you to leave the device without constant supervision.

Each type of fish has its own cooking characteristics. For example, pink salmon will have to be smoked differently than catfish.

Cooking instructions:

Prepare your smoker for cold smoking. Install grates in the housing and lubricate them with refined vegetable oil.
Place the catfish on grids at intervals of 1 cm or more. Or hang them on hooks.
Fill the smoke generator with wood chips. Use linden, maple, oak, and branches of fruit trees for smoking.
Set the smoking temperature to 25-30 °C.
Smoke the fish from 8 hours to 1-2 days, depending on the weight of the pieces and the power of the smokehouse.
Hang the smoked meats in the air for a day to ripen and ventilate the smoke.

For maturation, catfish layers are hung in the air

Cooking methods

Cooking hot and cold smoked catfish differs in duration and technology. As a result, the taste qualities of the cooked smoked meat differ.

Hot smoked catfish

Hot smoked catfish is tender and juicy. The marinating recipe is selected according to taste; both dry salting and pickling in a marinade are suitable. Preparation is carried out according to the following algorithm:

Wood shavings, wood chips or sawdust are poured into the smokehouse. 2-3 spoons are enough. No longer required, excessive amounts of fuel will impart bitterness to the product.
A tray is installed above the sawdust to collect grease.
Above, the fish is laid out on a net or hung on hooks if whole carcasses are smoked.
The smokehouse lid closes tightly.
The structure is installed on a heater: fire, stove, barbecue.

Cooking time varies depending on the size of the fish, as well as the operating temperature. It is enough to smoke the fish for 1 hour. During this time, the smoke will completely saturate the fish and give it the necessary aroma and taste.

Features of hot smoking

Hot smoking of catfish is carried out at high temperatures: from 60 to 100°C. It is important to choose the right shavings. Alder chips are considered a universal option. Additives from fruit trees: apple trees, pears - will make the taste brighter. During cooking, it is important that the smoke comes out of the smokehouse, so if there is no smoke vent, the lid must be opened periodically.

Cold smoked catfish

Cold smoked catfish is dense with a bright fishy taste. The cooking recipe looks like this:

Pre-salted and dried catfish are placed on grates or hung on hooks in the smoking chamber.
The chamber is connected to a homemade chimney with a firebox or to a purchased smoke generator.
After starting the smoke source, smoking will begin.

A properly equipped smokehouse is an important aspect of this cooking method, since cold smoking requires a low temperature of 27-30°C. Increasing the limit will result in product spoilage. Alder, oak, or fruit wood chips are suitable for cooking. A few sprigs of juniper will help add piquant notes.

Smoke catfish in an electric oven

If you don't have a smoker, use an electric oven. To avoid smoke in your apartment, smoke on the balcony.

Not only large fish such as catfish are smoked; you can also smoke capelin, sprat and other small fish.

Ingredients:

som - 1 kg;
salt - 100 g.

Cooking instructions:

Cut the processed catfish carcass into portions weighing 200 g.
Salt the fish and leave in the refrigerator for 2-8 hours.
Rinse and air dry the catfish pieces for 3-4 hours.
Prepare the oven. Place a leaf with moistened alder chips and apple tree branches in the lower part of the chamber.
Turn on the device at 200 °C, heat the wood chips until smoke appears. Place the fish on the racks in the chamber.
Smoke for 15 minutes. Switch to 45 °C, continue processing for 20 minutes.
Turn off the oven and cool the fish without removing it from the chamber.
To improve the taste, keep the fish in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

The calorie content of the dish is 143.0 Kcal per 100 g of product.

Watch another smoking method in the video

Choosing wood for smoking catfish

This is one of the most important points, since the smoke from properly selected wood not only emphasizes the presence of spices, but also makes the taste of the fish special. It is thanks to smoke that we love smoked products so much. The type of wood affects not only the taste of the fish, but also its appearance.

If you want to get a beautiful dark golden color, then you should choose oak or alder. Light golden catfish will be obtained if you use linden or maple chips. Sawdust and chips of coniferous trees are never used in smoking, since the resins contained in them make the meat bitter. If you decide to use birch, then pay attention to the fact that it should not be too damp, but overdried one will not work either. In addition, it is necessary to remove the bark from it, since it contains resins.

The shavings for smoking can be taken from one type of wood or made into a mixture. As a rule, these are sawdust from juniper bushes or alder trees. If there are none, then sawdust from fruit trees such as apple, cherry or pear will do. The most unusual taste and aroma of smoked fish is given by a mixture of alder shavings and garden trees.

How to smoke catfish with liquid smoke

Liquid smoke imparts a specific smoky aroma to catfish.

Ingredients:

som - 1 kg;
salt - 30 g;
sugar - 10 g;
liquid smoke - 30 ml;
lemon juice - 30 g;
water - 1 l;
onion peel - a handful.

Cooking instructions:

Cut the processed catfish into steaks up to 3 cm thick.
Make a curing mixture of salt and sugar. Rub the steaks all over. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Place in a plastic bag.
Place in the refrigerator for 3 days. Turn the fish over periodically.
Rinse the fish.
Make an infusion from water and onion peels, cool it and strain.
Place the catfish in the onion infusion for 40 minutes. The pieces will take on a beautiful golden hue.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels.
Using a brush, coat each piece with liquid smoke.
Grill steaks in an electric grill until done.

Prepared steaks can be baked in a slow cooker using the “baking” mode or in the oven.

The calorie content of the dish is 141.79 Kcal per 100 g of product.

Peculiarities of smoking African claritic (marbled) catfish

Africa, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon are the habitats of the African catfish. Clarium, also known as African (marbled) catfish, is grown in fish farms in Russia. It is superior in nutritional and taste properties to regular catfish.

African marbled catfish

Try the following recipe for African catfish.

Ingredients:

som - 1 kg;
salt - 70 g;
olive oil - 40 g;
ground black pepper - 3 g;
paprika - 5 g;
basil - 3 g;
white pepper - 5 g.

Cooking instructions:

Process clariid catfish in the same way as usual. Cut large fish (3 kg) into steaks, smoke smaller fish whole with the head on.
Prepare the oil: add paprika, ground black pepper, white pepper, and basil. Leave for 20-30 minutes so that the spices impart aroma to the oil.
Using a brush, brush the fish with spiced oil on all sides. Add salt, if necessary, rub salt into the surface. Leave to salt for 30-40 minutes.
Prepare your smoker for hot smoking. Pour alder chips into the smoke generator.
Install a grill at the top. Grease with oil.
Place the catfish on the grill. Close the smokehouse.
Smoke at 60°C for 2 hours, increase heat to 80°C and smoke for another 2 hours.
Cool the fish and leave it in the air for 4-5 hours.

The calorie content of the dish is 171.72 Kcal per 100 g of product.

Watch a video on how to cook African catfish using the hot method.

Cold smoking method

Cold smoked catfish can be prepared both outdoors and at your dacha. A camping version of the smokehouse is made from stakes covered with plastic film or thick fabric. There should be a small hole on top for the smoke, the main thing is that it can escape. So the catfish is smoked for two days, then it is advisable to hang it in a dark place, in a draft, so that there is air access from all sides.

Video on how to cold smoke catfish:

Smoking catfish in a smokehouse requires a special design that produces smoke no more than 25 °C. The specified temperature is achieved by a special design of the smokehouse. It consists of two separate parts, where the first is a firebox in which wood is burned, and the second is a cabinet where food is smoked. The whole secret is that the distance between these compartments should be at least 2 meters, and to achieve the greatest effect, it is better that the length of the chimney be more than 7 meters. This is the only way the smoke cools down to the desired temperature. It is important to maintain continuity of smoking for the first 6-8 hours. In the future, interruptions in the supply of smoke are no longer so scary. The catfish will be ready in three or four days. Then it can be removed and placed in boxes, lined with paper.

Preparing hot smoked catfish roll

Ingredients:

som - 700 g;
pink salmon - 300 g;
salt 20 g;
set of spices for fish -
collagen film - 1 pc.;
forming mesh - 1 pc.

Cooking instructions:

Process and cut catfish and pink salmon into clean fillets.
Cut the pulp into cubes 1-2 cm in size. Place in a large bowl, add salt and stir.
Sprinkle fish spices onto the collagen film, lay out the fish mass in a 1 cm layer. Level the surface.
Roll the roll tightly together with the collagen film.
Place a forming net over the rolls and tie the edges with twine.
Hot smoke for 2 hours at 80°C.
Cool, keep in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.

Catfish roll is prepared in a molding grid

Proper storage of smoked catfish

Smoked catfish is a perishable product. If storage conditions are not observed, serious poisoning may occur.

Store hot smoked fish in the refrigerator:

48 hours at +3 to +6 °C;
72 hours at +2 to -2 °C;
21 days at -10 to -12 °C;
30 days at -18 °C.

Store cold smoked fish in the refrigerator:

72 hours at 0 to +4 °C;
7 days at -2 to 0 °C;
14 days at -3 to -5 °C;
60 days at -18°C.

During storage, it is necessary to observe product proximity: do not place smoked catfish next to products that easily absorb odors - butter, cheese, confectionery.

Smoked catfish is stored in the refrigerator