How to cook cold smoked halibut. Smoking halibut, hot smoked halibut, cold smoked halibut recipes by type of fish on Stalkerfish. Cold smoking halibut

One of the representatives of the flounder family is halibut, which is also called sole. The asymmetry of the skull characteristic of this family is present in halibut, but it is not as noticeable as, for example,. The body is shaped like an oval, it is flat and elongated along the ridge. The dorsal fin begins almost above the upper eye and stretches along the entire body. On the opposite side, in the area of ​​the pectoral fins, a characteristic bend is noted on the body of the halibut.

The species includes three known genera:

1. White-skinned halibuts are listed in the Red Book; they are giants, as they reach up to 4 meters or more in length. This also includes Atlantic halibut.
2. The Arrowtooth halibut genus is represented by Asian and American species; these fish do not grow more than 80, while their weight varies within 3 kg.
3. The black halibut gave its name to the genus; as the only representative, it will be larger than the Asian one, and its mass amounts to tens of kilograms.

The habitat of halibut is the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but black halibut can be found in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, as well as in the Bering and Barents Seas. This habitat is associated with an abundance of animal food, because halibut is a predator. In addition to small plankton, he does not mind eating cod, sand lance, herring or pollock. The body shape, similar to that of a flounder, suggests that the halibut is considered a bottom-dwelling fish. In some reservoirs, its activity is carried out at a depth of up to 700 meters. The average life expectancy of our “hero” is 25-30 years.

Useful properties of fish meat

White halibut is considered the most expensive fish of the family in question. Its meat has exceptional benefits for the body, and is not only famous for its sour taste. The catch of these representatives is not commercial in nature, since this fish is already on the verge of complete extinction. Those individuals that we meet on the counter belong to the arrow-toothed or blue-barked representatives. Despite its somewhat greater availability, halibut is very expensive for the average consumer. But it is good as any dish, and its caviar is sold as a separate snack.

Halibut stands out among other fish due to its unusually white flesh. At the same time, its taste qualities correspond to its outlandish status.

The high fat content makes the fish very delicate in taste. Liver fat will replenish the supply of vitamin A. Compared to the fat content in the liver of other fish, there is 200 times more fat here. Omega-3 acids are a life-saving miracle for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases and oncology. Do not forget about other vitamins, these are groups D, B, E, as well as nicotinic and glutamic acid.

With high fat content, the calorie content of halibut per 100 grams is only 140 thousand calories. With such indicators, it can be considered a dietary food. It consists of 80% water. There is quite a lot of protein in halibut meat; they account for 19% of the total mass.

Protein has no effect on weight gain, although it is a building material in the body; it, along with fats, is absorbed in a short time. That tiny proportion of carbohydrates that is present in fish is not even taken into account. But microelements really benefit the body, because they reach us in their pure form.

Perhaps no other product can boast such a set of quite rare and valuable elements such as selenium, zinc, potassium, magnesium, molybdenum, iodine.

Any fish in large quantities is contraindicated for humans. Halibut was no exception. Fish smoked at home contains carcinogens, so it should be consumed with caution by people suffering from disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and liver. But if you use the product as a snack, you can get a specific aroma, excellent taste, health benefits and a reason for a feast.

Do-it-yourself hot smoking

Smoking halibut at home is available to everyone who has a private home or cottage. You can consider the option of using liquid smoke, but this process cannot be called smoking. Any smoking is accompanied by natural smoke passing through the fibers of the product. It is a good preservative, so it prevents the product from developing microbes.

The essence of preparing fish for smoking is that it is treated with salt and spices. But it is salt that removes moisture from the fibers, affecting the structure of fish meat.

By and large, properly salted fish is ready to eat, it is easily digested and harmless. But salting is followed by smoke treatment.

It turns out everyone's favorite product that can be stored well in the refrigerator. But this only applies to cold-cooked fish. Hot smoked halibut should be consumed as quickly as possible.

Fish is rarely found on sale chilled. Due to long transportation, the fish have to be frozen so that it does not disappear. Naturally, this does not benefit the preservation of vitamins and somewhat changes the taste. But if you prepare the smoked delicacy yourself, you can save a lot of money. In addition, hot smoked halibut is almost impossible to find in stores.

To prepare the carcasses, you need to follow the basic instructions step by step. Fish is quite expensive, and hardly anyone would agree to risk such money. The entire cooking process is divided into several stages: cutting the carcasses, salting and smoking itself.

You will have to skip the first stage, since the halibut is sold gutted. It is advisable to cut the carcass into strips of 7 cm, since large dimensions of the fish will require an appropriate size from the smokehouse. In addition, such cuts will be smoked in a matter of minutes, which will allow you to organize outdoor recreation and quickly get to the table.

The recipe for salting fish is based on dry marinating.

• Coarse salt is poured into a suitable container.
• Black, red pepper and chopped bay leaf are added to taste.
• The mixture is rubbed into the halibut pieces, making sure there is enough salt to cover each piece.
• The carcasses are wrapped in cling film and placed in the refrigerator for a day.
• Subsequently, excess salt is removed from the carcasses with a towel or napkin.
• The salted fish is lightly aired to remove moisture. The duration of this procedure can be determined by the appearance of the pieces. If they begin to turn gray and dry out, then it’s time to start smoking the halibut.

The fire in the barbecue is lit in advance, otherwise it will be difficult to control the temperature of the smoke. Some experts advise not to start smoking until all the wood has turned into coals. Sawdust or wood chips are placed in the smoking box. It is better to use alder chips, as they contain less resin. The smoke temperature reaches 120°C degrees.

Under such conditions, fat and juice will certainly be released from the carcasses. If they get on sawdust, an unpleasant burning smell will appear. It is recommended to build a tray under the sieves. The sieves themselves are lubricated with oil to make it easier to remove the fish.

The smoking process at high temperatures is not that long. After 25-30 minutes, you should check the degree of readiness of the halibut. The smokehouse lid opens slightly and you can try to tear off the fin; it should come off easily if the dish is cooked. After the cooking process has come to an end, it is recommended to cool the fish. It tastes best when cold. It is advisable to eat the resulting delicacy immediately, since it will not be possible to preserve it for a long time.

Cold smoking

The store sells smoked halibut, this is the so-called cold smoking. Homemade recipes are more in demand and popular.

• Firstly, cold smoked halibut retains its original taste.
• Secondly, meat without heat treatment retains more nutrients, it remains high in calories and nutrition.
• Thirdly, the shelf life of fish smoked using this method in the refrigerator reaches several weeks.

The halibut carcass for cold smoking should be as fatty as possible. After selecting and defrosting the fish, you need to measure its mass. The marinating mixture is made according to the following proportions: per kilogram of fish, take 20 g of salt, as well as 5 g of sugar. The resulting dry marinade must be thoroughly rubbed into each carcass. After this, the halibut is moistened with lemon juice and stored in the refrigerator for 2 days. From time to time it is necessary to stir the fish for uniform salting. The color of the future dish can be improved with onion broth. The fish should be soaked in it for at least half an hour.

Before smoking, you need to dry the fish. The less moisture remains in the fibers, the less likely it is that an expensive product will spoil. Please note that halibut attracts not only people, but also insects, so during the drying period you will have to ensure the integrity of the fish.

Cold smoking will last a day. This is the distinctive feature of halibut, since other fish can be smoked for several days. The smokehouse device allows you to treat the fish with smoke, the temperature of which does not exceed 25°C degrees. The smoking process must not be interrupted to prevent the halibut from spoiling. Especially large pieces can be cut so that the meat is smoked throughout its entire thickness.

Smoked halibut is served as an appetizer. It cannot be consumed as a main dish due to its high fat content. But it goes perfectly with any dish. Due to the special fiber structure of halibut meat, it does not require long-term salting or energy-intensive smoking. The yellowish tint that appears on the fibers indicates that it is time to remove the fish from the smokehouse and send it for airing. This must be done, otherwise a bitter taste will appear.

A huge fish, as food for humans, has undeniable advantages over other similar inhabitants of the seas.

1. It consists of almost nothing but tender and tasty meat, which has a high calorie content, and has almost no bones.
2. Ease of fishing, a fairly large population and the size of individuals determine its average price level.
3. Fish is very healthy. Halibut liver oil contains 200 times more vitamin A than fish (cod) oil. The meat contains valuable Omega-3 acids, 7 amino acids, trace elements of selenium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and magnesium, vitamins A, E and D.

Regular consumption of halibut can protect against the development of Alzheimer's disease and vision loss. This fish is also incredibly tasty. Dishes from it are prepared simply and quickly. Smoking at home does not create any special problems and, unlike other heat treatments, retains all the beneficial substances and properties in full.

Preparing for smoking

For smoking you will need fish weighing approximately 3-5 kg. Choose a fatty carcass with a good smell. Its scales should shine damply, and the meat should be white and elastic. You can easily check the freshness of chilled halibut by pressing it with your finger. If the dent quickly disappears, then you can safely buy. It's fresh. Frozen fish are often hidden under a thick layer of ice. This means that they want to deceive you. Either the fish was frozen several times, or its weight was increased using frozen water. Chilled carcasses can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week.

Before smoking fish, it must be defrosted and cut into pieces approximately 6-10 cm wide. For a carcass up to 3 kg, it is enough to cut off the head and remove the entrails. If you are confident in the quality of the fish, you can leave the liver inside or cook the liver separately.

To prepare meat directly for smoking, choose the recipe that you like best.

Cold smoking halibut

It is this method that preserves all the nutrients and beneficial substances in the product and allows it to be stored longer than with hot smoking.

A common recipe that uses a smoker.

1. Rub the halibut with a mixture of salt and pepper: for 100 g of salt, 1/3 tsp. black pepper. Leave at room temperature for 12 hours.
2. Rinse with running water and place in water for 3 hours, changing it every half hour.
3. Dry the fish and, placing it on a wire rack, place in the smokehouse for 4 hours.
4. Remove the halibut, sprinkle with water, lightly pepper with the pepper mixture and place back in the smoker.
5. Smoke for 18 hours at a smoke temperature of 25-30 o C.

This smoked product is stored for about a month in the refrigerator without losing its amazing qualities.

The flavor of cold-smoked halibut depends largely on the fuel used to create the smoke. These can be wood chips, branches, or even better, sawdust from juniper, alder, all types of fruit trees, hazel, bird cherry, etc.

The home method of cold smoking involves the use of “liquid smoke”. This recipe is convenient, but dangerous due to an overdose of carcinogens.

1. Rub the halibut with a 5:1 mixture of salt and sugar, sprinkle with lemon juice and, cover tightly, place in the refrigerator for 50-70 hours. Turn the pieces once a day.
2. Prepare a decoction of half a liter of water and a handful of onion peels.
3. Wash the fish, dry it and place in cold broth for 40 minutes.
4. Dry again and coat with liquid smoke using a brush.
5. Hang in a cool room with a bowl underneath to drain the fat.

In a day, the elite product will be ready to decorate your table. It can be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than two weeks.

Hot smoking halibut

It is almost impossible to get hot smoked halibut in an apartment. For this, a special oven or smokehouse is used. Therefore, we move to the dacha and cook it there. The thawed, washed carcass should be cut into steaks.

1. Prepare a mixture of salt and pepper. Rub it over the fish pieces.
2. Marinate for 3-4 hours.
3. You can place foil on the grill and poke holes in it to allow the fat to drain out. Place the chopped halibut on it and place everything in the smoker for half an hour.

The smoke should be hot, not lower than 80 o C. Hot smoked halibut can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week.

When smoking, so that the dripping fat does not provoke combustion and does not make the smoke bitter, experienced specialists install a tray with a small amount of water.

Serving smoked halibut

You have prepared a wonderful delicacy product. Its calorie content is 142 kcal per 100 grams. Nutritionists claim that when frying, it increases another 4 times.

As a rule, this oily fish is rarely used for preparing other dishes, as it is a tasty elite product in itself. Cold smoked white fatty meat is perfectly cut into thin 3-5 mm pieces and served on a separate plate, garnished with dill and lemon wedges.

Hot smoked halibut in the form of steaks is served divided into two parts, as the meat easily falls apart into layers. This is the best beer snack. It performed well in a hot salad with potatoes and savoy cabbage.

Smoked halibut does not last long because it is very tasty.

If you have any new, interesting recipes for preparing or smoking this wonderful fish, be sure to share with us in the comments.

One of the most delicious products obtained using the cold smoking method of fish is, without a doubt, halibut. This is a fish of the flounder family, very fatty.

Cold-smoked halibut acquires an exceptional taste, rightfully elevating this product to the elite category. Therefore, cold smoked halibut in stores is very expensive, although it is not as rare as it was just a dozen years ago.

If you really love cold-smoked halibut, you can learn to cook it yourself using the automatic “Dachnik”. The name itself suggests where it can be used, since such a device, of course, cannot be placed in a city apartment.

She will do the most tedious and time-consuming part of the work for you - she will monitor the adjustment of the required parameters, because cold smoking halibut requires smoke of a certain temperature and quite a lot of time.

The process of cold smoking halibut is quite complex, so when you enjoy the taste of the finished product, you understand why it costs so much.

Cooking process cold smoked halibut

So. For smoking, take halibut weighing approximately 3 kg. It is cut into fillet pieces, which are salted and, additionally, a little black pepper is added. Salting continues for 12 hours. Then you need to rinse the salted fillet pieces for at least 3 hours, and carefully remove the pepper. That's it, the halibut is ready for smoking.

Now the pieces of fish are placed on a sieve, placed in the smoking chamber, the “Dachnik” smokehouse is activated and smoked for 4 hours. Attention! After 4 hours, you need to remove the pieces of fish from the smokehouse and blot them with a cloth soaked in... vodka! Now sprinkle again with a mixture of white and black pepper and return to the smokehouse, where the process will continue for another 18 hours. That is, compared to other fish, cold smoking of halibut is carried out relatively quickly.

The temperature of the smoke is kept within 25-30 degrees; if it is lower, the duration of exposure will be longer.

Of course, every smoking lover has his own little tricks and secrets; you can’t tell everything. But it can be argued that if you become passionate about this business, then you will soon have your own little secrets and special recipes, the execution of which will become better and better from time to time thanks to such a wonderful thing as. After all, another big advantage should be considered the repeatability of the result, which can extremely rarely be obtained using a homemade smokehouse.

Country smokehouse. From the construction of a smokehouse to the proper preparation and storage of products Anton Valerievich Kozlov

Cold smoked halibut

Cold smoked halibut

Halibut fillet pieces are salted and sprinkled with black pepper. Salting time is 12 hours. Then the pieces of fish are washed, cleared of pepper and placed on a sieve. Smoked in 2 stages. The first stage is 4 hours. Before the next stage, the fillet is moistened with a cloth soaked in vodka and sprinkled with a mixture of white and black pepper. The second stage is 18 hours of smoking.

The most delicious smoked fish is fresh, fresh from the smokehouse! But if there is a need to store fish, you should remember that smoked fish is stored in a clean, dry place with a constant temperature of 3 °C. Storage in the refrigerator without special packaging is acceptable for no more than one week. The fish has a pronounced taste during the first 3 days after smoking; as it is stored, the quality of the fish is lost.