Smoking fish with a standard BBQ/grill

[Janne]

I love hot smoked fish. Mackerel, cod, halibut, local Caribbean fish.

As I do not have a dedicated smoker ( the last one rusted through) I now only use a gas grill, one of the wide Weber grills.
I tried both the ABU smoker you use outdoor, and one of those smoker boxes you use in the oven, but did not like the result.

This is what I do:

First I salt the fish, by rubbing table salt all around the fish, and rest in the fridge for an hour or two.
Wipe off salt.
I prepare the grill this way: I have a s/s tiffin container ( cheap, Tiffin kit came with 3 round containers) which I fill with wood chips ( any wood, cherry, apple, local woods like mangrove or mango).
I place the filled tiffin container well above the flame ( only use the smallest setting on ONE burner to the far side), quite high, on the warming rack.

Fish go on the other side of the grill. I create a kind of wall with Alu foil between the fish and flame, to prevent the direct heat overcooking the fish.
Takes maybe hour and a half.

In Norway, I have a round Weber, charcoal.
There I fill the Tiffin containers with Juniper twigs, chips and needles. Just a few briquettes, add when they burn down. There I have made three feet for the Tiffin box ( long S/s M6 bolts) so the charcoal does not touch the box.
Alu foil wall.

Is there anything tastier than freshly caught, home smoked fish?

Do you guys smoke fish too?

(I also smoke pork to get proper European smoked pork, but there I brine the meat or a couple of days, and smoke for over 12 hours, on a low tem. I get smoked meat which is in between cold and hot smoked, and needs cooking before eating. I like it that way.)

 

[Robson Valley]

Not here. Round fish gets pan fried or baked in my house.
A little flour, a knob of butter melted, a shake of S&P = that's it.
I do have a lot of Spanish smoked sea salt "Matiz" that goes well.

If I run across an old metal, 4-drawer filing cabinet, I will build a serious smoker.
Fire/smoke in the bottom drawer and 3 levels of heat above.

 

[Billy-o]

I love hot smoked fish.

Do you guys smoke fish too?

No. Have done meat in the past but there is a little European deli at the end of my block that sells hot and cold smoked fish .. especially mackerel So, I go there and that way I get to pick up all sorts of other goodies too, like blackcurrant jam and lots of pickles.

 

[Janne]

Home smoked is fresher...
Mackerel season is upon Europe!
The problem with mackerel is that it needs to be cooked at the latest the next day. Freshness is the key.

 

[Robson Valley]

These mackerel on some sort of migration thing? What size do you expect?
We won't see any salmon this far up the Fraser for at least another 4-6 weeks.
Springs to 45 lbs and Sockeye to 8lbs.

 

[Janne]

Yes, they come close to shore and procreate.
They also follow the shoals of Herring, which they hunt.

When boat fishing, find where Herring is 'boiling' and you will find large Mackerel. Outside the Mackerel, you will find large Coal fish.

The fun is trying to catch the Herring, without catching Mackerel or Coalfish!

From shore - up to a half kilo. Offshore - up to maybe 3 kilos or so? (rare though)

 

[Janne]

Summertime up in Lofoten, we catch quite a bit of Mackerel.
To eat, to use as bait for crab and halibut

I use then a Spiderwire line, break strength 2-3 kilo and light rod/reel.

Once we have what we need, I use an oldfashioned Mono line, break strength just under 2 kilos and ultra light rod and reel.
With that equipment they feel like a good sized Tuna!

Mackerel are great sport fish.

As we bleed all our fish we will eat ( not the ones destined for bait) it is a bit messy with Mackerel. Once the jugulars are cut, the blood sprays all over the boat.
And us.
Wife hates it when we come back, as she dislikes cleaning the flotation suits.

 

[Robson Valley]

First Nations have built long connected series of rock-wall ponds along river sides.
The salmon rest in those. Maybe knee deep. Just stand still and spear the fish.
The weirs are not traps. Unattended, the salmon swim up the row of them, around fast water.

Best for smoking are females with started eggs. That pulls a lot of oil out of
the flesh so they dry and smoke far better and are not dripping-greasy/oily.

 

[Janne]

Bleeding the fish removes most of the blood. Blood is fatty, plus tastes strongly.

Mackerel is still very fatty, difficult to grill over direct heat ( coals or gas ) as the dripping fat ignites and smokes.
Indirect heat is the trick.
Make a Alu foil wall, PLUS an Alu foil "container" under the Mackerel. If you do not, your next steak will be Mackerel flavoured.

I wish we still had wild Salmon ( Salmo Salar) in European waters.
Rare as hen's teeth. Unobtanium.
Salmo Salar Unobtanium Linne.

Last time I had wild Atlantic Salmon, it was poached by a friend. 6 or 7 years ago. Shhhhhhh...........

 

[srod]

I have a bbq made from an old beer barrel that washed up on the beach.

In one corner light a few lumps of charcoal an once it's glowing hot throw on a handful of oak chippings. In the opposite corner so not directly over the heat place the fish. Close the lid and leave for 30-45mins.

A nice way to eat it.

Or just bbq'ed over a good load of hot charcoal for 5mins per side then shut the lid to damp down the flames from the oil and smoke for a further 10 mins is equally as good, if not better as more crispy.

Might head out in the kayak tomorrow with a hand line to see if they are in yet.

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