Hot smoked bream: a recipe for how to smoke in a smokehouse at home

Features of hot smoking

To smoke bream in a hot smoker, you should know the rules for processing hot smoke.

One of them is to choose fresh bream for smoking and preferably of the same length. This way the fish meat will be evenly processed by hot smoke.

Hot smoked bream

Interesting to know! Bream weighing 800-900 g is smoked whole, and larger fish are first chopped.

Hot smoked bream turns out juicy, tender and with a pleasant smell, and it is cooked for 30-100 minutes at a temperature of 45-125 ° C.

During preparation, it is necessary to salt the bream for hot smoking in salt brine or simply rub it with salt.

Salting bream using the dry method

Healthy! To add an amazing smell and interesting aftertaste, brush the carcass with liquid smoke and pepper after drying.

To properly smoke hot smoked bream, you need to know:

Using apple or alder chips, we get fish with a special smell. At one time you will need about 1 cup of sawdust. For gourmets: you can throw herbs onto the wood chips, but even without them the finished product will be aromatic.

Alder and apple wood chips
To dry the carcass after 20 minutes of smoking, the smokehouse lid should be opened slightly to allow excess steam to escape. When the fish on top becomes dry, close the lid again to prevent the bream from becoming too soft.

Preparing bream for smoking

For smoking, it is best to take freshly caught fish.
Not large, and not small. Smaller fish will have dry and bony meat. Large bream, although fattier, take longer to cook. Yes, and they become saturated with smoke worse. Medium fish are the best option. Moreover, you need to choose carcasses of approximately the same size for cooking. The approximate weight of bream is 900 grams - 1 kg. The selected fish do not need to be scaled. This will keep the meat juicy. We won't remove the head either. We just take out the gills and gut the bellies. An incision should also be made on the back along the ridge. This is necessary for uniform salting of the fish.

For large carcasses, spacers can be inserted between the abdominal walls before smoking. This way the smoking will occur more evenly.

Common recipes for marinades for hot smoked bream

The easiest way to prepare fish carcass is salting. But if you marinate bream for hot smoking in spices, it will turn out even tastier. Therefore, let’s look at common marinade recipes.

Spicy marinade

To prepare the brine, add two types of citrus fruits (half each), onions (1-2 pcs.), salt (50 g), sugar, cinnamon, black and red peppers (5 g each), bay leaves into boiling water (1 l). leaf (2-3 leaves) and spices - thyme, rosemary and sage (a little of each spice, to taste). You can also add your favorite spices if desired. Boil the resulting liquid for 10-15 minutes and set aside to cool. Pour the cooled marinade over the carcass and leave for 9-11 hours.

Spicy marinade

Marinade with soy sauce and white wine

After boiling water (2 liters), add sugar, salt (4 tablespoons each) and stir thoroughly. Add lemon juice (150 ml) - preferably freshly squeezed - to the cooled liquid, soy sauce (100 ml), white wine (200 ml), garlic (3-4 cloves) and spices - coriander, basil and pepper. Cover the fish completely with the resulting brine and leave to marinate for 12 hours.

Marinade with soy sauce and white wine

Honey marinade

Mix lemon juice (100 ml), olive oil (180 ml), salt (5 g), pepper (on the tip of a knife), parsley, any fish seasoning (a whole package), garlic (1-2 cloves) and honey ( 120 g). After mixing well, pour the mixture over the carcasses and place in the refrigerator for 6-10 hours.

Preparing the fish

The entire process of preparing bream or bream begins with the stage of preparing the fish. Next comes the question of salting, how to smoke bream and how long to store it. To properly prepare the fish, determine its weight. Specimens up to 500 g are not gutted, so they will turn out juicier and softer, because there is not much fat in small fish, and in high temperatures even its small reserves melt.

Large specimens are cleaned of their entrails, their gills are cut out, and they are thoroughly washed under running cold water. If the fish weighs more than 1.5-2 kg, an incision is made along the ridge. This will allow the carcass to smoke evenly.

If the fish was frozen, defrost it in cold water for several hours. Water prevents the skin and scales from drying out during the thawing process, and this is the key to the integrity of the carcass during smoking. Overdried skin quickly cracks, and the quality of the prepared dish will be much lower.

Smoked bream is a fatty and tasty fish, so it can be used to prepare not only snacks, but also other dishes, for example, filling for sandwiches, adding to cold cuts, salads and even fish soup to give it a smoky and smoked flavor.

Recipe for an outdoor smokehouse

To prepare fish carcass in an outdoor smokehouse you will need:

Gut the bream, remove scales, cut off gills and fins, rinse with water and dry in fresh air.
Soak the wood chips in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning during smoking.
Salt the bream for smoking inside and outside (add seasonings to taste if desired).
Place the prepared wood chips along the bottom of the smokehouse, place a grate and lay out the fish.
After covering the smokehouse with a lid, set it on the fire and make sure that it gradually decreases.
As soon as smoke starts to come out, try the carcass after 15 minutes. If it is white, then this indicates the product is ready.

Serve the finished delicacy completely cooled. This way you can better feel the pleasant taste and hear the wonderful aroma of spices and smoke.

Interesting! The preparation and the smoking process itself takes from 1.5 to 2 hours. It all depends on the size of the fish and the volume of the smokehouse.

Smoked bream on a baking sheet with straw

Do you want smoked fish, but don’t have a smokehouse at hand? Then a regular baking sheet will come to the rescue. Place straw on a baking sheet, pre-prepared carcasses on top and place it immediately on medium heat.

Smoking bream on a baking sheet

The straw will begin to smoke and saturate the bream with its aroma, which will simultaneously bake and smoke.

How I caught bream in St. Petersburg early in the morning

Around three in the morning I waited for the bridges to be closed.

Quiet yacht club

The landscapes here are very beautiful and the place is absolutely quiet until 9 am! Sometimes boats with couples with wine and champagne float by.

Arranged the gear.

I caught it using a feeder rig, maggots and a worm.

Features of cold smoking

Cold smoked bream at home retains its beneficial substances; moreover, the shelf life of such a delicacy is longer - 2-3 months. Preparing the product is quite simple, but to get a truly spicy aroma and unsurpassed taste, install the smokehouse under a canopy or in a barn.

Cold smoked bream

During all smoking, the smoke temperature should not exceed 24 °C. Cold smoked fish carcass takes from 1 to 3 days to prepare – it all depends on the size and quantity of fish.

Preparing bream for cold smoke treatment

To preserve the necessary vitamins and minerals, you should prepare the bream for cold smoking according to all the rules. To do this, do the following:

wash the fish and cut off the gills;
to ensure even salting, make a cut along the spine;
after that, proceed to salting or marinating.

Washing the bream carcass

To prepare more than 1 kg of fish, in addition to rubbing the carcass with salt, placing it in a container, each layer is also sprinkled with a salty mixture.

Healthy! Preparing fish for cold smoking occurs in the same way as for the hot method.

Calorie content and beneficial properties

Knowing the processing technology and how to smoke bream correctly, you can get the maximum benefit from the finished product. When smoked, fish retains a large amount of useful micro- and macroelements and minerals, such as:

phosphorus;
sodium;
potassium;
nickel;
chlorine;
chromium;
iron.

Such a rich mineral composition in combination with vitamins A, B, D have a beneficial effect on the condition of the circulatory, digestive, nervous, and skeletal systems. At the same time, per 100 grams of the product there is only 4 grams. healthy fats, which makes the product dietary. There are no carbohydrates in smoked bream, while most of the product is proteins. They make up 27%. The calorie content of cold smoked bream is 140-145 Kcal. Hot smoked product – 16-170 Kcal. Calories are indicated per 100 g. smoked meats

Smoking bream at home is very simple, following the recipes described above. A little effort, high-quality fish, and an exquisite delicacy will appear on the table, delighting not only with its taste, but also with its beneficial properties. Smoke it yourself and see for yourself!

Methods for marinating bream for cold smoking

There are several ways to prepare a carcass for cold smoke treatment. Both options make the fish tender and tasty. Therefore, choose a more suitable recipe and delight your family and friends with a new delicacy prepared with your own hands.

Dry salting

Remove the entrails, gills, and fins and rinse thoroughly with water so that no bitter taste remains.
Make a neat cut from head to tail. In this case, the fish should not break into two parts.
Take salt (25-50 g per 1 kg of product) and distribute evenly throughout the carcass - in the belly, incision and against the scales.
Wrap with cling film and refrigerate for 3-6 hours.
Also, before smoking the bream, after the time has elapsed, remove any escaping liquid from the product using a paper napkin and hang it in a ventilated place for 60 minutes to dry.

Dry salting of bream

It is important to know! Always check bream for salt. After salting, taste the fish meat with the tip of your tongue. If the product turns out to be highly salted, rinse it with water and dry it again. And if, on the contrary, it is under-salted, then put it back into the salting mixture and leave it there for some more time for more intensive salting.

Salting in salt brine

You can salt bream for smoking just before serving it in a cold smokehouse. Place the prepared carcasses in a container and add a liquid of water (1 l), salt (80 g) and spices according to taste preference. Cover with a lid and leave to steep for 8-12 hours.

Salting bream in salt brine

When the time is up, transfer the fish to cool water and leave for 30 minutes. Afterwards, dry in the fresh air and proceed to smoke treatment.

For large quantities of fish, soaking in water lasts for 24 hours and the liquid should be changed periodically.

Healthy! To speed up drying, insert spacers inside the bream.

Common marinades

Before smoking, the product must be marinated - this will give it a special aroma and taste. The important thing here is not to overdo it with spices so that you can hear the smoky flavor.

Marinade recipes:

With the addition of saltpeter. Before smoking bream, you need to throw garlic cloves (5-6 pieces), salt, sugar (50 g each), pepper (to taste) and saltpeter (10 g) into boiling water. Stir and leave on fire. After 5 minutes, remove the pan and let the liquid cool. Then pour over the carcass and leave to marinate for 5-13 hours.
Brine. Add chopped citrus fruits (1 piece each), onions (2-3 pieces), garlic (3-4 cloves), sugar, cinnamon and salt (25 g each), bay leaf (2-3 pieces) to the boiling saline solution .) and spices to taste (this could be sage, rosemary, thyme or others). Boil the resulting liquid for 10 minutes and pour it over the fish. After 11 hours, switch to the cold smoking method.

Good to know! To get the right concentration of brine, throw the potatoes into boiling water and add salt until they rise to the surface.

How to pickle bream for smoking

To salt bream before smoking, you can choose any of the following methods:

rubbing fish with dry salt;
soaking in saline solution.

When dry salting, 1.5 kg of salt is taken per 10 kg of fish. The dry salting method involves sprinkling the gutted carcasses with coarse salt. Salt is thoroughly rubbed under the scales and into the belly of each fish. The carcasses are placed in a container so that the heads and tails alternate; a pressure is placed on top to ensure the removal of excess liquid. The salting time for fish is 12 – 16 hours.

For the second method, when preparing salt brine, it is recommended to use 80 g of salt per liter of water. Salt and, if desired, spices are poured with water, after it is completely dissolved, the resulting solution is poured into the fish and left to salt for 6 - 12 hours.

Then the bream is soaked in running water for half an hour, after which it is dried. If the fish is large, then it is recommended to insert spacers inside the belly to speed up the drying process. Small branches with rounded ends can be used as spacers. After drying, the bream is ready for smoking.

Smoking bream in an apartment in two ways

It is not always possible to cook smoked meat outdoors, especially if you live in the city. Fortunately, there are recipes that allow you to smoke bream cold-smoked or hot in an apartment.

Smoking bream in an apartment

Hot method

To cook hot smoked bream in an apartment, you will need:

remove the insides of the product, rinse thoroughly and wipe with a paper towel;
rub generously with salt inside and out (add pepper and seasonings to taste if desired);
Place wood chips (pre-prepared yourself or purchased in a store) in a bag and distribute over the entire baking sheet;
cover the raw material with foil and lay out the prepared bream;
place the baking sheet in the oven and set the temperature to 300 degrees;
After about an hour, the smoked meat is removed and served (during this time, it is advisable to check the contents so that nothing burns).

Hot smoked bream at home

Smoked bream in the oven turns out golden in color and has a pleasant smell.

Cold method

To treat fish carcasses with cold smoke in an apartment, you will need to do the following:

prepare the carcass - remove the entrails, scales and cut into two parts;
dry for 3 hours;
pour liquid smoke into the container with bream and let it brew for 15-20 minutes;
hang in a cool place for 24 hours.

Cold smoked bream with liquid smoke

Important! During drying, excess liquid will drain from the fish, so place a tray underneath.

For lovers of spices: the carcass can be pre-rubbed with salt and spices to taste. Let it brew for 24 hours and continue to prepare according to the recipe.

How to smoke bream with liquid smoke

You need to salt fish before hot smoking in the same way as before baking. For 1 kg of fish you need to take 2-3 tsp. salt. We rub the carcasses with it outside and inside. You can also use your favorite spices. After a couple of hours you can start smoking. There is no need to rinse the fish!

The bream should be placed in foil. Each carcass separately. Pour 2 tbsp for each fish. liquid smoke. And another 1 tbsp. inside. Then wrap the bream tightly in foil and place on a baking sheet. At 200°C, the fish will be baked and smoked for 1 hour.

All about storing the finished product

When smoking bream at home in a hot-smoked smokehouse, the product is subjected to heat treatment, so it should be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in cling film, for no more than 3 days.

Storing fish in foil

Interesting! Fish processed with hot smoke can be placed in the freezer, but it must be defrosted at a temperature no higher than 8 degrees.

Cooking using the cold method is different from smoking bream in a hot smoker, so storing it will be different. Cold smoked bream retains its beneficial properties from 7 days to 1 month - it all depends on the temperature conditions. The fact is that when bream is properly smoked, it contains less liquid, and a large amount of salt is used when preparing the product.

A little about the product

Like other river fish, bream is often used as food. And this is understandable:

it lives in all bodies of water, so it is accessible;
fish is healthier than meat;
suitable for preparing a variety of dishes;
frozen, salted, smoked or dried, can be delivered to any region.

If you have to buy bream, then it is advisable to know how to choose it:

the surface of the fish should not be sticky or dry, without defects;
eyes – no signs of clouding;
gills – red, wet;
body – elastic;
scales – fit tightly;
the smell is fresh, river, not repulsive.

If the fish is purchased frozen, although it is better to take fresh or chilled bream for smoking, then you need to examine the shape of the carcass. It should not be twisted or bent, including the tail, and the eyes should be clear.

Bream from your own catch should not be kept in the air for a long time. It is necessary to sort it as quickly as possible by size and purpose, then process it accordingly.

Important. Uneviscerated fresh carcasses can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day. Without entrails - 2 days, in ice - 8 days.

Calorie content and beneficial properties

Bream is one of the fattest freshwater fish among the family. With a low energy value, only 105 kcal, the fat content is up to 37%, the protein content is 63%, and there are no carbohydrates. In addition, it contains:

vitamins B1, B2, A, E, PP;
potassium;
calcium;
magnesium;
sodium;
sulfur;
phosphorus.

Recommended reading: How to cook trout in a slow cooker

As well as saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Including Omega-3, which is very rare for freshwater inhabitants.

Regular consumption of bream meat contributes to:

normalization of redox processes in the body;
energy metabolism;
acid-base balance;
prevention of anemia, anorexia, rickets.

Hot smoked bream has a calorie content of 170 kcal due to the reduction in moisture, and 160 kcal after processing with cold smoke. The fat content is reduced to 25%, and the proteins increase to 76%. Hot smoked carcasses are very popular with children, even those who do not like other fish.

How long does smoked bream last?

Since during hot smoking the humidity of the fish still remains quite high, it can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days, and wrapped in paper, but not in polyethylene. Cold smoked bream can be stored for more than a month in a cool room, in the freezer - up to six months.

Salting before smoking

To cook bream by smoking, it must first be salted.

You can pickle bream for smoking either by rubbing it with salt or soaking it in a saline solution.

When dry salting, 1.5 kg of salt should be used for 10 kg of fish. To do this, sprinkle the carcasses with salt in an enamel bowl of a suitable size. Before stacking, each carcass must be thoroughly rubbed with salt inside and out. In this form, bream are marinated for 12 - 13 hours.

For brine pickling, you will need 70–90 g of salt per 1 liter of clean filtered water. Make a brine from the ingredients and pour it over the stacked carcasses. The process takes approximately 5 – 13 hours. The duration depends on the size of the fish.

Types of smoking

Carcasses can be cooked in two ways, namely cold and hot.

The hot smoking method for cooking fish is used more often. During the process, the meat is not dehydrated and retains more beneficial properties and vitamins. The entire procedure lasts 2–4 hours and occurs in 3 stages.

These include:

preparation of carcasses, drying under the influence of low temperature smoke;
baking carcasses, in which the meat is thermally processed (becomes boiled) and is easily separated from the bones;
smoking at 90 - 120 degrees.

At the final stage, the fish is given a specific smell and taste.

The cold smoking method takes longer to cook fish (from 3 days to 2 weeks). During the cooking process, carcasses undergo prolonged exposure (fumigation) to cold smoke with a temperature of approximately 17 to 24 degrees.

During the process, excess moisture is removed from the meat, the skin dries out and the carcass becomes denser. With this method, the role of an antiseptic is played by resins that penetrate deep into the carcass.

You can smoke this fish at home in any way.