Here is a little bit of advice which
will help "sorcerer's apprentices" to avoid deceptions, get
off on the right foot and joyfully and freely let go of their creativity
and, why not, create surprises. As time goes on, new suggestions we will
added on to this page. To be continued...
A few golden rules :
The raw material should always be of good quality.
Smoking will not upgrade a mediocre fish.
Basic principles for smoking fish at home
The "sorcerer's apprentice" or the "Sunday alchemist", must respect certain basic rules when he experiments with home smoking. A frequent error is oversalting. We forget that smoking dehydrates the flesh and, consequently, the salt that was added during the brining becomes more concentrated. Dry salting calls upon experience because we have to keep in mind the thickness of the fillets and the fat content of the different types of fish.
For example, sprinkle a 6 to 8 ounce rainbow trout with a thin coat of a mixture comprising of 2 parts salt for 1 part sugar. Let absorb at room temperature, then eliminate the liquid that has developed around the fillets, and finally put the latter in the refrigerator for some 12 hours.
This stage, called ripening, allows the salt to diffuse equally throughout the fillets. The surface proteins that were rendered soluble will form a sticky film on the fillet during this stage. This film will later permit the smoke to adhere to the flesh and will give a luster finish to the final product.
Another frequent error made during smoking consists in too great and too rapid changes in temperature. When these changes occur, the liquid proteins contained in the flesh tend to rise to the surface, cracking the precious film and causing the liquid proteins to coagulate into a whitish foam, thus taking away from the refinement and appearance of the final product. Go easy friends! Take your time! Make the pleasure last!
For hot smoking, good results can be obtained with small electric or propane gaz or even charcoal smokers that we can find in large hardware store.
But, let it be said, the pros are the pros. That's what we are, and generous at that!
Freezing the raw material or the finished product should be done in the best of conditions. Domestic freezers which are full to the brim and in which we deposit an unfrozen product become gastronomic "tombs". The faster and more intense is the freezing, the better the product will maintain its original characteristics.
Therefore, the more rapidly the water contained in the flesh crystalizes, the less the small crystal points will tend to break the protein structure. The products which render a large quantity of water when defrosting, and whose flesh breaks down, is suffering from the "gastronomic tomb syndrome".
The product must absolutely be devoid of air. If your grocer is really your friend, he will, against a fair compensation, vacuum-pack your product. Should you be all alone in the world, wrap the product the most hermetically possible in a plastic wrap with acceptable barrier properties.
Another method, called glazing is traditionally used in the Gaspésie. It consists in freezing a piece of fish as is, then dipping it in successive coats of water until it is surrounded by several coats of ice. This technique, although a bit laborious, is otherwise very efficient, since it is the protective coat that will evaporate instead of the fish being dehydrated.
The sports fishermen's catches should be put in a cool place as soon as they are caught, but first should be bled by removing the gills with the thumb and the index. If they are not to be eaten soon after, they should be frozen whole, uneviscerated. Beautiful catches are often spoiled by cold burns in the abdominal cavity. This way of doing also has the advantage of saving the fragile eggs of the female to make caviar!
