Hot smoking fish in a tabletop smoker

Ingredients

• Portion-sized fish, gutted (e.g. trout of 250 to 400 g)
• 60 g salt per litre of water for the brine
• Beech or alder smoking dust, no softwood
• Methylated spirits for the smoker

How it works

1. Gut the fish, remove the kidney along the spine and rinse them thoroughly. Leave the head and skin on.
2. Make a brine of 60 g salt per litre of water. The fish should be fully covered. Leave them in it overnight in the fridge, covered.
3. Rinse the fish briefly, pat them dry and let them dry in a cool, airy place for about 1 to 2 hours, until the skin feels dry.
4. Set the smoker up outdoors on a stable, fireproof surface. Sprinkle a thin layer of smoking dust into the tray and put the drip tray in place.
5. Hang or lay the fish on hooks or a rack with a little space between them. The drip tray catches fat so it does not drip onto the smoking dust.
6. Fill the burners with methylated spirits, light them and close the lid. Portion-sized trout need about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the smoker and their size.
7. Measure with a thermometer at the thickest part: the core should reach 70 °C for at least two minutes, as the BfR recommends for cooking food.
8. Doneness test: the dorsal fin pulls out easily and the flesh is no longer glassy. The skin is golden brown.
9. Let the fish rest briefly and enjoy them warm. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge and eat them soon.

Tips

• Use resin-free hardwood smoking dust. Resinous softwood and burnt fat make the fish sooty.
• The skin must be dry before smoking, otherwise the fish does not take on the smoke well.
• For more flavour, you can put a few juniper berries or a sprig of rosemary on the smoking dust.
• Salt quantity and smoking time are common rules of thumb from practice. Every smoker is different, the thermometer has the final say.

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