Smoked fish is made from high-quality, low-fat fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, and whitefish. It can be pickled and then hot or cold smoked, with hardwoods being the preferred wood for smoking. Cold-smoked fish is cured with smoke but not cooked, while hot-smoked fish is cooked in a smoker. The finished product can be eaten on its own or used in a variety of dishes.
Different types of fish can be used to create smoked fish, a popular food in many countries. Smoked fish is often pickled and then hot or cold smoked; these processes can cure the meat or cook it completely. The finished product can then be eaten on its own or used in a variety of different meals and dishes.
Smoked fish is usually made from high quality fresh fish with a low fat content; depending on the type of fish, it can be smoked whole or in pieces. Salmon, mackerel, trout and whitefish are the most popular and usually ideal for smoking. In some cases, sturgeon, sea bass, herring and halibut can also be used.
To aid curing and add flavor, fish is often pickled in a wet or dry salt mixture before smoking. If the fish is pickled, it is left to dry for a few hours before being placed in the smoker. Attempting to smoke wet fish can result in an unwanted texture, especially when smoking cold.
Cold smoked fish is cured with smoke but not cooked. The temperature inside the smoker is kept below 90° Fahrenheit (33° Celsius). Setting the smoker at this temperature makes cooking fish impossible. In some cases, cold smoked fish is smoked for only a few hours for flavor and then cooked. Cold smoking can take several days in the smoker depending on the size and amount of fish.
Hot smoked fish is cooked, rather than cured, in a smoker. For several hours, the fish is cooked at a temperature between 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74° Celsius) and 265 degrees Fahrenheit (130° Celsius). This type of smoked fish is ready to eat once it comes off the stove.
The most important factor in making this type of fish is the variety of wood used. Hardwoods are considered by many to be essential to the process, especially when using smoke to cure meat. The components present in hardwood smoke act as a preservative, thus killing existing bacteria and limiting the growth of new bacteria.
Softwoods often create too much soot when burned, thus destroying the flavor of the fish and diminishing the healing properties of the smoke. In rare cases, small amounts of softer woods may be used in conjunction with hardwoods for aroma. Fish can also be smoked with charcoal or propane, although this tends to limit the flavor.
This type of fish is eaten around the world in a variety of environments. The cold-smoked variant is a common breakfast food in many different countries. Hot smoked fish is a popular addition to salads and appetizers and is used in many Asian countries as a base for soups.
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