Smoked crucian is a very tasty dish, but to buy it is very problematic, because it is not prepared on an industrial scale. But you can cook it yourself, if you buy your own smokehouse. There are many options for this equipment on sale today: from models for smoking in nature to cooking at home ordinary kitchen in an apartment building. Smoked crucian is little different from other species of fish. There are many recipes, essentially, Every fisherman and owner has his own - unique and the best. But before you smoke, certainly, the carcass must first be prepared.
Preparing crucian carp for smoking
Preparation of carcasses for smoking is almost the same, regardless of the chosen recipe, that is, the crucian carp ambassador for cold smoking is similar to all other methods of cooking in smoke:
- Fish can be gutted and cleaned, or you can not do it.
- Carp should be rubbed with salt and black pepper, you can also use spices, herbs or spices. Ingredients are also embedded in the gills.
- The carcasses are placed on a plate and pressed with a press. If possible, place the container in the refrigerator, it is better to use it. The plate should be there for an hour and a half. At room temperature, the ambassador will be faster, but will be uneven.
- After receiving the fish, it should be thoroughly rinsed of excess salt.
- Then the carcasses are hung in place, where there is air movement. They should be completely dry and even slightly wilted.
Methods of cooking smoked crucian
Smoked crucian carp at home can be prepared in different ways, which can be conditionally classified into natural and chemical. The first type includes the treatment of fish with sawdust or wood chips. In the second case, different chemical compositions are used, example, you can treat crucian carp with liquid smoke.
cold smoking
Cold-smoked crucian is cooked for a long time, especially, if it's big fish. In this case, the prepared carcasses are put on hooks or placed on the lattice. The temperature in the smokehouse should not exceed 30 degrees C, but this figure depends on the size of the fish. The cooking time also depends on the same factor. For cold smoking small carcasses will be enough 4-6 hours, for heavier fish need from 1 days before 2. Giant crucian carp are prepared for 36 hours.
Preparing fish for smoking - from choosing fish to marinade
Importantly! If you smoke crucian carp, then after cooking they do not need to immediately remove them from the smokehouse. They need to cool down with it. Use wood chips or wood chips for smoking, better, if it is an alder, oak or fruit trees. To give the dish extra flavor, you can add a sprig of juniper or other fragrant plants to the embers a few hours before the end of cooking.
Hot fish treatment
Hot-smoked crucian is cooked faster. To cook, pre-heat the smokehouse to +65 degrees C. Then the carcasses are placed in it, better, if they are laid out on a deck or lattice. Depending on the size of the carcasses, the smoking time can vary from one and a half to 4 hours. It is important to open the equipment hatch from time to time, to release excess smoke. Otherwise, the dish may acquire a dark unpleasant color and will be bitter.
Importantly! Practice shows, what if you want to smoke a big crucian, it is better to choose hot smoking. The carcass must be consumed, and put any porridge in the peritoneum. This filling will take away excess fluid and fat. If the weight of the fish is over 1 kilogram, it is better to make an additional incision in the back.
Liquid smoke treatment
Treatment with liquid smoke at home - a simple method. It does not require equipment, just a bottle of liquid called "liquid smoke" is enough. Although there are other recipes. Example, smoking in the most popular multicooker today. To do this, the fish must be cleaned and consumed, salt, pepper and cover with liquid smoke. Then the carcasses are packed in foil and placed on the bottom of the container. The appliance is set to baking mode. The process lasts for half an hour. The subspecies of such processing includes giving color to carcasses by means of saturated brewing of tea or infusion of a husk. But this recipe will only give an appetizing golden color to any dish.
If you know any features of smoking crucian carp (including liquid smoke) at home, tell us about them in the comments block.