Paradoxically, the relatively inexpensive herring is of particular value among industrial fish. It is mined in the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The largest herring suppliers in Russia deliver products from the Murmansk coast, the Baltic Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic coast of Europe. But our main “vein” is in the Far East.
Everyone knows that thawed herring places increased demands on itself. Indeed, transporting this fish is very problematic, due to the fact that it quickly deteriorates. Therefore, it can only be found on the shelves in salted or frozen form. Despite this, it lends itself well to smoking, and the result is a product with excellent taste.
Choosing herring for smoking
For smoking, you should choose high quality frozen fish.
For smoking, you should choose high quality frozen fish. When purchasing, you should pay attention to the fact that there is not a lot of ice on the herring. The carcasses should be elastic, and the films should not be cloudy before the eyes. At the same time, the eyes themselves should not sink. It is advisable to buy fish of the same size. In this case, smoking it will be much more convenient.
How to properly prepare fish
In order to prepare delicious smoked herring, it is necessary to properly prepare it for the processing process. Only if everything is done correctly, the delicacy will have the required color, tasty and aromatic meat.
First you need to peel each carcass.
If the herring is large enough, you can cut off the head. Then you need enough inside. Milk or caviar should be put aside, because they can be prepared separately. In order to remove any remaining blood or husks, the herring is thoroughly washed under running water. Then the fish is carefully wiped with a napkin and left for a while in the fresh air.
Salting and marinating
Each fish must be rubbed with salt both outside and inside.
In order to prepare hot smoked herring, it is enough to take 75 grams of coarse salt per kilogram of fish. Salt is mixed with black pepper. If desired, you can put a little onion in the belly, which is cut into rings. The herring is left to marinate for several hours. On a note!
There are a huge number of recipes for herring marinades, but the end result remains almost the same. The only difference is that smoked meat has the flavor of different spices and herbs.
Calorie content of foods possible in the dish
- Herring in vegetable oil – 301 kcal/100g
- Herring in sour cream – 97 kcal/100g
- Herring in tomato sauce – 159 kcal/100g
- Hot smoked herring – 215 kcal/100g
- Pickled herring – 192 kcal/100g
- Fresh herring – 161 kcal/100g
- Salted herring – 217 kcal/100g
- Vegetable oil – 873 kcal/100g
- Green onion – 19 kcal/100g
- Liquid smoke – 0 kcal/100g
Calorie content of foods: Herring, Vegetable oil, Liquid smoke, Green onions
Recipe for smoking in the oven with liquid smoke and onion skins
If you don’t have a smokehouse, you can use a regular oven to prepare delicious smoked herring.
All the insides of the fish are carefully removed. Carcasses are washed with cold water. The belly is stuffed with onion peels and garlic. Next, a salt mixture is made and each herring is rubbed with it. If you wish, you can add a small amount of your favorite spices to the mixture. It is enough to leave the prepared fish for half an hour. This time is enough to preheat the oven.
Pour 50 milliliters of liquid smoke onto a baking sheet and place the herring. The delicacy is smoked for 40 minutes at a temperature of no more than 180 degrees.
In a slow cooker
Modern multicookers are additionally equipped with a special bowl, which is intended for smoking food. A “Smoking” function was also provided. In order to prepare smoked herring using a multicooker, you must follow these steps.
- It is necessary to prepare the fish and remove all parts that cannot be eaten. Remove the entrails and trim the fins. If the head is not removed, then the gills will definitely be removed from it.
- The carcasses are washed under cold water so that no film or blood clots remain.
- Salt is rubbed into the herring from all sides. The fish is left for an hour, then washed thoroughly. In order to enhance the taste of the future delicacy, each herring is rubbed with liquid smoke.
- Next comes the preparation of the multicooker for the smoking process. The bowl is installed in the body, a small amount of slightly moistened alder sawdust is poured onto the bottom. Cover the top with a small piece of thick foil onto which the fat will drain. A grill greased with vegetable oil is installed.
- The prepared carcasses are laid out on the grill so that there are small gaps between them.
- The multicooker lid closes tightly and the “Smoking” mode is set. You can choose either a hot or cold processing method.
- After the fish is completely cooked, it is left for some time in the fresh air to ventilate a little.
In a convection oven
Modern models of air fryers also have a “Smoking” function.
You can choose any processing method. The herring is prepared and salted as described above.
Carcasses are treated with a small amount of liquid smoke. In the air fryer, a grate is installed at the very bottom, on which the fish are laid out. A little higher there will be a grate with fuel. Next, you need to close the glass bowl, set the temperature from 100 to 140 degrees and cook the herring for two hours. After the process is completed, the delicacy is ventilated in the fresh air for some time.
Salting and marinating
The salting or marinating stage when preparing capelin for smoking should not be skipped. It provides aromatization, and most importantly, removes harmful substances and microorganisms.
Note Vladimir Kuznetsov Professional smoker
Some recipes say that it takes 24 hours to salt the fish, but capelin carcasses are very small in size and 2 hours are enough for salting.
The same applies to drying fish - 1-2 hours is enough for it, since the structure of its meat does not allow moisture to be completely removed from the product. It loses liquid during the smoking process, so to protect against the formation of condensation, you need to open the smokehouse chamber from time to time.
Dry pickling
For the curing mixture take:
- 6 tbsp. l. finely ground salts;
- 1 tsp each sugar, coriander and black pepper;
- 2 pinches of dry ginger;
- 4 bay leaves.
Mix the ingredients, place the fish in a bag and sprinkle with the mixture. Leave to salt for 2 hours.
Salting in brine
Salting in liquid brine allows the meat fibers to be better processed, destroying more bacteria. However, due to the high humidity of capelin, this method may affect the taste and consistency of the pulp.
For brine, per 1 liter of water take 30 g of salt and 5 g of sugar, 1-2 bay leaves and dry dill or parsley. Also add black and allspice peas, 3-4 pieces each.
Add all the spices to the water, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Only after complete cooling, the capelin is poured with brine, after which it is left for 12 hours.
Another unique marinade option - with tart mustard
. It is prepared from 750 ml of water, 3-4 cloves of garlic, 75 ml of soy sauce, 50 g of sugar and Dijon mustard, as well as a mixture of Provençal herbs and 50 ml of wine vinegar.
First, water is boiled with garlic and dry spices, then soy sauce and vinegar are added to the slightly cooled mixture. After cooling, pour the fish for 14 hours.
Spicy marinade
prepared from 20 g of fresh ginger and 40 g of salt per 1 liter of water and 0.5 liter of red wine.
Add 3-4 dry cloves and 5 g of cumin and rosemary. First, add dry spices to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
When the marinade has cooled to 30 degrees, the remaining components are added to it. The fish is poured with cooled liquid for 4 hours.
Using a spicy marinade
you can achieve the original taste of capelin.
To prepare it, for 1 liter of water take 300 g of salt, 100 g of sugar, 3-4 limes, 5 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp. l. a mixture of herbs or a separate spice, 75 ml of wine vinegar.
Water is mixed with dry ingredients and boiled for 5 minutes, then cooled. Add vinegar and lime juice to the mixture and pour over the fish for 4 days.
Another delicious herb marinade
- from 1 tbsp. l. basil, saffron, celery, coriander and parsnips per 100 g of salt and 50 g of sugar.
All ingredients are added to boiling water and cooked for 3-4 minutes. Pour the cooled water over the fish for 6 hours.
A delicious marinade is obtained from the following mixture:
- 1 liter of water;
- 30 g salt;
- 10 g sugar, black and red pepper;
- a bunch of fresh cilantro;
- 2 g herbs to taste;
- 5 pieces. dry coriander;
- 5 bay leaves;
- 1 onion;
- small grapefruit and orange.
First, boil the dry spices in water for 5 minutes, then cool slightly, add onions and citrus fruits cut into rings, heat, chop and add greens to the marinade. The fish is poured with the cooled mixture for 12 hours.
Unusual wine marinade
will give the fish a unique aroma, to prepare it take:
- 500 ml of white table wine per 2 liters of water;
- 6 cloves of garlic;
- 500 g salt;
- 80 g sugar;
- juice of 2 lemons;
- rosemary, basil and mint to taste.
Boil salt and sugar in boiling water, add garlic and ground herbs and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, after 15–20 minutes add wine and lemon juice. When the marinade reaches room temperature, pour it over the fish for 4 days.
Hot smoked recipe
Hot smoked herring turns out to be very tasty. It is very easy to prepare and takes minimal time.
Classic way
For smoking you will need a hot smoker, fuel, several large herrings, two tablespoons of salt and a little ground black pepper.
The fish is cleaned and thoroughly washed, rubbed with a mixture of salt and pepper.
Each herring must be wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Next, the remaining salt is washed off, and the herring is dried a little in the fresh air. The fish is placed in the smokehouse and remains there until cooked. You should not take it out immediately after finishing the processing process. It is better to wait until the device has completely cooled down. During this time, the smoked meats will have time to become additionally saturated with smoke.
In Scots
You can also prepare the delicacy according to the recipe that is popular in Scotland.
- All carcasses are cut along the ridge, but the belly should not be cut.
- Next, prepare a solution of very strong tea and coarse salt. You need to take a liter of water and 125 grams of salt.
- The herring is placed in the resulting solution and kept in it for five minutes.
- After this, the prepared fish can be sent to the smokehouse
In Finnish
In order to prepare Finnish smoked herring, you need to gut the fish, remove the scales and very carefully remove the backbone from it.
At the same time, you should try to ensure that the meat is not damaged. The carcasses are rubbed with salt and infused in the refrigerator for three hours. Then the herring is dried for several more hours in a draft or fresh air. The peculiarity of this recipe is that a small amount of peat is added to the sawdust. It takes approximately 13 hours to prepare the delicacy.
Recipe for herring with lemon
Smoked meat with lemon turns out quite tasty.
It has an interesting taste and pleasant aroma. In order to prepare the delicacy, you need to cut off the head of the herring, gut the carcass and rinse under running water. Thoroughly washed lemon is cut into slices. All the bones are removed from it. The herrings are cut along the belly and start with lemon with the addition of a small amount of bay leaf. Next, each carcass is tied with thread, wiped with saline solution and put away in a cold place for several hours. Then you need to remove excess salt from the fish and dry it for half an hour in the fresh air.
You can start smoking the finished herring.
Interesting Facts
The disparaging name “herring” covers about 60 species of different fish, united by the same generic characteristics. Their family is very large and widespread, so many fishermen can boast of a fresh catch of this type. She lives in three oceans and is one of the most inexpensive owners of gills, scales and a tail. However, price does not indicate value:
- We absorb all 20% of the protein that makes up the whole fish, as well as vitamins B12, A, D and PP.
- It is easily digested and delivers the necessary amino acids.
- Unsaturated fats of the Omega-3 family help women maintain vitality during pregnancy.
- Regular consumption of herring can reduce cholesterol levels and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.
- Leaning on the herring is useful for ladies who take care of the condition of their hair, nails and skin.
- Salted and gutted herring can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.
Cold smoked recipe
Cold smoked herring prepared at home is incredibly tasty. In order for the smoked meat to be aromatic and tender, you should definitely follow the chosen recipe.
- Products should be smoked only at a temperature of no more than 25 degrees.
- The herring will be processed several times longer with cold smoke than with hot smoking.
- For the cold smoking method, it is necessary to use special devices equipped with a smoke generator.
The classic recipe for preparing the delicacy is as follows.
- Fish carcasses are prepared exactly as for hot smoking.
- It is best to salt the herring for the cold processing method in brine. Therefore, a very strong saline solution is prepared, which consists of five liters of water and a kilogram of salt with the addition of spices.
- The carcasses are loaded into brine for salting. The fish must be left in this form for half an hour. Then the carcasses should be ventilated in the fresh air for about an hour.
- The prepared products are sent to the smokehouse for 7-19 hours, depending on the size of the fish.
Using cinnamon and soy sauce
Before placing the herring in the smokehouse, you first need to properly prepare the marinade. In this case, soy sauce acts as salt. The fish is pre-freshed so that all the fibers are well saturated with the marinade. Then the carcass is rubbed with sugar and wrapped in cling film. The herring should be kept in a cold place for 12 hours. Due to the film, the juice that the fish secretes will not drain. After this, the herring is soaked for two hours in soy sauce. If necessary, add your favorite spices. When the herring is completely prepared, you can start smoking it.
Which wood chips are suitable?
The smoke that will be produced during the uniform smoldering of sawdust penetrates deep into the fibers of the fish. Since finished products are used for food, it is very important to choose the right wood for smoking. In no case should smoke negatively affect human health, as well as the taste, aroma and appearance of finished smoked meats.
This is why you cannot use coniferous trees. Such chips contain a huge amount of resin, which will cause an unpleasant odor in the finished product. In addition, the resin begins to release carcinogens, which can greatly harm health and even cause poisoning.
For smoking fish, fruit tree chips are ideal. It is better not to conduct experiments, but to immediately use apple or cherry sawdust. Plum sawdust may also contain small amounts of resin. If it is not possible to purchase such fuel, then alder chips will do. It can be used for both cold and hot smoking. Before placing the wood chips in the smokehouse, it must first be slightly moistened. This will allow it to smolder evenly and produce several times more thick and dense smoke.
Useful qualities of herring
Cold and hot smoked herring are equally tasty and at the same time very healthy if you eat the product in moderation. It contains a huge amount of useful elements that will have a positive effect on the human body.
- Herring contains a large number of amino acids, which help the body function normally, and all organs can function fully.
- Herring contains many vitamins from group A, B, and PP.
- Herring is rich in microelements, especially potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
- Contains a sufficient amount of minerals.
- Herring meat contains fats that several times reduce the risk of developing blood clots and cardiovascular diseases. With their help, it is possible to lower cholesterol levels over time.
It is worth noting that ready-made smoked meats can be consumed even on a diet, but in small quantities, because the composition of the fish is so rich that it will bring exceptional benefits to the body.
Drying
An important stage that cannot be ignored when preparing herring for smoking is drying. This is important so that the skin becomes covered with a crust, which will absorb the aroma of smoke. If you smoke wet fish, the combustion products will penetrate into the meat, which will make it sour and not very tasty.
Important! It is better to dry fish in a special chamber with forced ventilation.
The air temperature during this process is within 23 degrees Celsius. Once dried, the fish feels dry to the touch and the meat thickens. This procedure takes on average 1.5 hours. You can dry it naturally, but it will take more time.
