fish smoker

[punkrockcaveman]

so this was today's lockdown project. I had some whiting fillets from a sea fishing trip earlier in the year, and for me whiting tends to taste a bit bland so it was the ideal candidate to try smoking to help a little flavour.

I had some hazel poles lying around so lashed a tripod together. I won't patronise anyone with how to details as it's as simple as it looks! I had an old DIY canvas tarp lying around so I used that as the cover. About to cook the fish up and taste test shortly!

 

[Robson Valley]

punker: I don't see your pictures but I can understand what you did. It isn't complicated, it's paleo.
Have you got a favorite smoke wood? Here in the Pacific Northwest, First Nations always use alder with salmon.
Trout is OK with apple wood.

I badly need something really fishy for supper tonight.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Hi! That's a shame, although the pics aren't anything special to be honest! I used a mix of ash and cherry, which seemed to work well, I've used cherry for trout before and that tasted great

 

[Sundowner]

Can't see your pics. I've used a carton box with skewers pushed through to smoke trout. I'm famous in the village for my smoked fish

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Sorry about the pics folks! I've just spent up to become a full member, I think that will allow me to upload pics straight from my comp? Hopefully I'll be able to edit this soon and show you the pics.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

 

[punkrockcaveman]

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Hopefully that works now?

 

[Robson Valley]

Excellent images. Just what my imagination expected.
I believe we all better get ready to do a whole lot more basic food cooking.
Just a hunch.

 

[Sundowner]

Need trout now ......

 

[Robson Valley]

Can you forage for shellfish?

Pacific Northwest First Nations cultivated clam and oyster beds. Mile after mile of beaches.
The shell fish meats were strung on cords and smoke-cooked & dried as a winter staple food. Millions of them,
judging by the sizes of the shell middens.

Roasted shells were used as a source of white pigment for the early renditions of totem poles.

Punkrock has the perfect set-up for just such a delight.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Hopefully when lockdown is over I'll be able to get to the coast for some fishing and foraging, it shouldn't be too long before my favourite fish, the Mackerel are in.

It never crossed my mind that you could smoke shellfish! I've not put much time into foraging shellfish yet, but I have a voucher to redeem for a Craig Evans course, so hopefully I'll get a good chance to target mussels, cockles, razorfish and clams from Wales this year.

I don't live too far from the famous Morecambe bay, renowned for shrimp and cockles. I wonder if shrimp is worth smoking?

 

[punkrockcaveman]

smoked over cherry and ash for two hours with a steak dry rub, then finished off on a hot rock for some goooood crispy skin

 

[plastic-ninja]

Hopefully when lockdown is over I'll be able to get to the coast for some fishing and foraging, it shouldn't be too long before my favourite fish, the Mackerel are in.

It never crossed my mind that you could smoke shellfish! I've not put much time into foraging shellfish yet, but I have a voucher to redeem for a Craig Evans course, so hopefully I'll get a good chance to target mussels, cockles, razorfish and clams from Wales this year.

I don't live too far from the famous Morecambe bay, renowned for shrimp and cockles. I wonder if shrimp is worth smoking?

If you're near Cumbria check out Foodsmoking Jo. She's an abyss of knowledge about all things smoked and I think she still runs courses now and then. I went on one a few years ago which included Morecambe Bay Shrimps, Mince Pies, Sangria and Scallops as well as all the usual meats and fishes. The day finished with a feast in which every dish had an element of smoke in it : even the aforementioned Sangria. She also did a book quite a while ago which was excellent. It may still be in print. Her real name is Jo Hampson. I've known her for years and she'd always be my first call on all things smokin'.
Cheers, Simon.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Nice one Simon, thanks!

This?

http://smokyjos.co.uk/About Us.htm

 

[plastic-ninja]

Nice one Simon, thanks!

This?

http://smokyjos.co.uk/About Us.htm

Yes that's her. I guess Jo must have decided to finally retire! The book is well worth getting hold of.
You'll have a filing cabinet rigged as a cold smoker in no time.
S

 

[bigbear]

Prawns traditionally preserved in that area using butter, Morecambe bay shrimps, delicious if you can find them.

 

[Sundowner]

Just bought a large SS roasting tin at Ikea and a somewhat large chopping board as a lid. Tin has a grid in it and bingo, I instantly have a smoker. Mind you legs of grid need "adjusting"!!!
£18 For both

 

[Robson Valley]

Somewhere on line, you are bound to find a bunch of pictures to show First Nations smoking salmon in the Pacific Northwest.
Notice that the fish are cut open along the spine, not the belly, and flattened out for smoking.
That's a much more even thickness of fish so it dries faster and more evenly.
Those fish mostly would have been speared in weirs at the river mouths during the spawning season.

For the shellfish, a cheap cotton cord (NOT nylon) is what you need. Heavy needle, string the shucked clams/mussels/oysters
so that they touch. That way there's no exposed string to burn through and fall into the fire. As a staple, usually 50+ per string.
They would be cooked in water with hot rocks in water tight bent wood boxes.
I never paid attention as to whether the paleo cords were leather thong or some sort of veg fiber/cedar bark cords.

Not much wild fruit wood along the coast. Some hazelnut and some Pacific Crab apple but that's it.
Alder is a pioneer species here because of the mycorhizae symbiont in the root system.
Makes for very good smoke wood and for delicate wood carvings with a lot of detail.

 

[Cornholio]

How did you cure the fish first?