Hot smoked herring at home

Compared to almost any marine fish, herring noticeably wins in price. However, it is considered an important fishery object due to its environmental friendliness. This fish is also popular among lovers of fish dishes. There are many recipes for its preparation at home, hot smoked herring is very tasty.

Useful Properties

Herring is a very common ocean white fish. Its fatty, tender meat is very suitable for hot smoking. The finished product is especially valued due to the presence of essential amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are required for normal metabolism, tissue repair at the cellular level, providing the body with the necessary energy.

Of the vitamins in hot-smoked herring, the presence of almost the entire group B, A, D, E, PP is noted. They are “complemented” by macro- and microelements:

• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• calcium;
• magnesium;
• sodium;
• sulfur;
• iodine;
• manganese;
• zinc;
• cobalt;
• copper;
• iron;
• fluorine.

This rich composition provides comprehensive health benefits. If hot smoked herring is not abused, it has a beneficial effect on the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive systems, normalizes blood clotting and composition.

Despite the heat treatment with hot smoke, after smoking, herring retains most of the substances that are beneficial to human health.

BJU and calorie content of hot smoked herring

The energy value of hot smoked herring is relatively low – 215 kcal per 100 g. But the fish is extremely rich in proteins (21,8-24,6 g per 100 g). The fat content depends on where the fish is caught – the further north, the thicker the layer of subcutaneous fat in herring. It varies between 11,4-14,3 g per 100 g.

Almost 2/3 of the finished delicacy consists of water. Because of this, hot-smoked herring can be considered a dietary product. In reasonable quantities (150-200 g per week), it can be included in the diet for those who are on a diet, want to get rid of extra pounds or need a source of protein due to intense physical exertion.

Rules and methods for smoking herring

Any fish can be smoked in two ways – hot and cold. Herring is no exception. In finished form, after hot smoking, the meat turns out to be very tender and juicy, crumbly.

The advantage of the method is that it allows you to do without a special smokehouse, replacing it with household appliances or kitchen utensils. The process takes less time, because the temperature of the smoke with which the fish is treated is higher. For a beginner, it is especially valuable that there is no need to follow step-by-step instructions exactly, “improvisation” is allowed within reasonable limits.

Selection and preparation of fish

“Raw materials” for hot smoking must be chosen carefully and meticulously. The taste of the finished product depends on the quality of raw fish. It is worth buying herring:

• without damage to the skin, ruptures, blood stains and other “injuries”;
• with smooth skin, without mucus and scaly scales;
• with a light “marine” aroma, without the slightest hint of rottenness;
• with “clear” eyes, without turbidity and film on them;
• belly white or pale grey, not yellow;
• with elastic meat (after pressing, a shallow dent disappears in a couple of seconds), without swelling on the belly.

If you smoke spoiled herring in a hot way, it will not turn out tasty even with strict adherence to technology.

Herring is a medium-sized fish, so it is quite possible to smoke it whole. Its simplest cutting is that, having cleaned the scales, the insides are removed through the incision on the belly and the black film is “smoothed out”. The head is removed completely or only the gills. After that, the fish is thoroughly washed.

When removing the insides, it is necessary not to damage the gallbladder, otherwise the smoked herring will be unpleasantly bitter.

If desired, you can continue cutting by cutting off the viziga (longitudinal vein along the ridge) and dividing the herring into two layers along the spine. It is then also cut out, as many bones as possible are pulled out with tweezers.

The last stage of preparing herring before hot smoking is drying. The fish is suspended for about 1,5-2 hours for airing in a relatively cool (20-23 ° C) place with good ventilation without direct sunlight.

Fresh fish attracts insects, so if it is dried outdoors, insect protection will be required.

How to pickle herring for hot smoking

The easiest way is to salt herring for smoking in a dry way. To do this, mix:

• coarse salt – 1 tbsp.;
• sugar – 2 st. l .;

Coriander seeds, cumin, allspice, bay leaf are added at will and to taste. The fish is placed in a container on a “cushion” of the pickling mixture, covered with it on top, and put in the refrigerator.

Smoking after dry salting can be started after 20-24 hours

You can also salt the herring for smoking in the “wet” way, pouring it with brine (200 g of salt and 50 g of sugar per liter of water). Having boiled, it must be cooled. Salting takes 8-10 hours, the fish is periodically turned over.

In brine, herring salts out faster

How to pickle herring for smoking

Different marinades for hot-smoked herring allow you to experiment with flavors, giving the fish an original and unusual flavor. Marinade recipes are given per 1 kg of chopped herring.

With lemon and spices:

• salt – 2 Art. l .;
• sugar – 1 tsp;
• medium-sized onion – 1 pc.;
• lemon – 1 pcs .;
• bay leaf – 2-3 pcs .;
• ground black pepper and cinnamon – 1 tsp each;
• any spicy herbs (rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme) – only 2-3 pinches.

Boil water with salt and sugar, add all the other ingredients, after cutting the onion and lemon. After 5-7 minutes, the marinade is removed from the heat, insisted for about an hour. Then they cool and fill them with herring. It takes 8-10 hours to marinate.

With kefir:

• kefir 2,5% fat – 1 tbsp.;
• olive oil – 100-120 ml;
• salt – 1 Art. l .;
• sugar – 1 tsp;
• Garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• fresh mint – 2-3 sprigs;
• ground black pepper – to taste.

All ingredients are simply mixed, finely chopped mint. The resulting liquid herring is poured for 6-7 hours before hot smoking.

With honey:

• liquid honey and lemon juice – 100 ml each;
• olive oil – 200 ml;
• salt – 1 Art. l .;
• ground black pepper – to taste.
• Garlic – 3-4 cloves;
• any fresh greens – a bunch;
• seasoning for fish – 1 tsp;

To pickle herring, it is poured with a mixture of all ingredients. Hot smoking starts after 5-6 hours.

Is it possible to smoke salted herring (bought in a store)

You can “skip” the salting or pickling stage before you start smoking hot-smoked herring at home by buying already salted fish in the store. Before hot smoking, it is soaked in cool water for 1-2 hours, depending on the desired degree of salinity of the finished product. Then the fish must be dried.

Hot smoked herring recipes

In addition to the “classic” recipe for hot smoking herring in a smokehouse, there are many more different ways that involve the use of ordinary kitchen utensils. Many northern peoples have their own methods that can be repeated at home.

How to smoke a herring in a hot smoked smokehouse

Smoking herring by hot smoking in a smokehouse goes like this:

1. Prepare the smokehouse itself. A couple of handfuls of wood chips are poured onto the bottom, a tray for dripping fat is installed, the grates are lubricated with vegetable oil (if the design provides for them), a pipe is connected through which smoke will flow.

   

2. Arrange the herring on the grill, hang on hooks. Ideally, the carcasses should not touch each other.

   

3. Make a fire, a fire under the barbecue or connect a smoke generator.

   

4. Smoke herring until tender. Once every 30-40 minutes, it is necessary to slightly open the smokehouse, releasing excess smoke.

   

   Important! Thus, in nature, you can smoke herring in a hot way, both in a purchased smokehouse and in a home-made one.

Scottish smoking herring

A very original national recipe for hot smoked herring at home:

1. Cut the fish “in reverse”, cutting the herring along the spine and not touching the belly. Expand layer.

   

2. Prepare a brine by dissolving 1 g of salt in 120 liter of very strong black tea. For 5 minutes, pour the herring with this liquid.

   

3. Smoke in a factory or homemade smokehouse for 8-9 hours.

Fish smoked in this way needs additional “cooking”. It, as if raw, is fried on a grill, a frying pan, boiled for a couple.

How to smoke herring the Finnish way

Smoking herring in Finnish has two specific features compared to the “classic” way:

1. Cut the fish, cleaning the scales, removing the head and tail. Dry for 2-3 hours outdoors. Then, as carefully as possible, remove the spine without violating the integrity of the herring.

   

2. Grate the fish with coarse salt, cover with it, leave in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Let it dry for about 3 hours, wipe off the grains of salt with a dry cloth.
3. Smoke for 13 hours using sawdust mixed with peat chips in a ratio of approximately 4:1.
   
   

   Peat gives the herring an “earthy” flavor that not everyone likes, so you should not cook a lot of hot smoked herring at once

Recipe for smoking herring with lemon

Hot smoked herring prepared according to this recipe has an original sour-spicy flavor:

1. Cut the fish, removing the head and entrails. Slice the lemon thinly. Lay the plastics inside the belly of the herring and in the transverse cuts on the skin from the outside, adding a bay leaf if desired. So that the whole “construction” does not fall apart, tie it with a thread.

   

2. Sprinkle the fish sparingly with salt. Place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
3. Smoke for 3 hours.

   

   Important! Very little salt is used here. Therefore, according to this recipe, only hot smoked herring can be cooked.

How to smoke hot smoked herring with soy sauce

The main feature of this recipe is the marinade. The smoking process itself is standard. For the marinade you will need:

• drinking water – 1 l;
• salt – 75 g;
• sugar – 50 g;
• soy sauce – 75 ml;
• freshly squeezed lemon juice – 200 ml;
• dry white wine – 125 ml;
• Garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• ground black pepper and bay leaf, cinnamon, basil, coriander – 2-3 pinches of each ingredient.

All ingredients are mixed, heated until sugar and salt are dissolved, left to infuse for about an hour. After that, the gutted herring is poured with liquid. Marinate it for 10-12 hours.

How to smoke hot smoked herring in a pan

This original recipe allows you to do without a smokehouse and wood chips:

1. Gut the fish, remove the head and tail, rinse thoroughly. Plentifully moisten with soy sauce inside and out, wrap tightly with cling film if possible, put in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

   

2. Wipe the herring with a paper towel. In the belly, put sliced ​​​​lemon and any herbs to taste.

   

3. Mix rice and large-leaf black tea in approximately equal proportions, add sugar, ground bay leaf and cinnamon (about a tablespoon each).

   

4. Line the bottom of a deep thick-walled pan or cauldron with foil in 2-3 layers, pour the smoking mixture on top and set the grate.

   

5. Heat the pan over high heat for 3-5 minutes, put the fish on the grate, reduce the heat to medium.

   

6. Cover with a lid, turn the herring over after 12-15 minutes. After another 12-15 minutes, the fish is ready.

   

   Important! Instead of the original mixture in this recipe, you can also use “classic” wood chips, sawdust.

Homemade herring smoking with liquid smoke

“Liquid smoke” is a chemical that allows you to give any product a flavor similar to that of a naturally smoked delicacy. Of course, gourmets do not consider this hot-smoked herring to be “real”, but it is far from always possible to cook it according to the “classic” recipe.

“Imitation” of hot-smoked herring can be distinguished by a very rich, almost brown skin color and a more pungent smell.

In air grill

If the device provides for the “Smoking” mode, you just need to select it and follow the instructions. Otherwise, “liquid smoke” is required. It is applied with a brush to the salted or pickled herring from the outside, the fish is laid out on the lower grate, greased with vegetable oil. Sawdust wrapped in foil is placed on the upper grate or attached to the lid.

For hot smoking herring, the temperature is set at 110-130 ° C, it is ready in 1-2,5 hours

In the multivariate

Preliminary preparation of fish in this case is standard. Just like with an air grill, “liquid smoke” is required only if the “Smoking” mode is not available. The chemical is mixed with salt, which is poured over chopped herring. After the time required for salting (1-2 hours), the fish is placed in a baking sleeve and cooked according to the instructions for the “Baking” or “Steaming” modes.

Herring cooked in a slow cooker with “liquid smoke” looks more like baked rather than smoked, but it turns out to be very tasty too

How much to smoke hot smoked herring

The weight of herring varies within 0,3-1,5 kg, respectively, the smoking time also changes. The smallest specimens are smoked for about an hour, the largest require more time. It takes 3-4 hours to smoke such a hot-smoked herring.

Much depends on the size of the smokehouse. The more spacious it is, the more fish are placed there and the longer the heat treatment becomes. The process of hot smoking can stretch for 6-8 hours.

In the finished herring, the skin acquires a pronounced brownish-golden hue. If you pierce it with a wooden stick or other sharp object, the puncture will remain dry, the liquid will not come out.

Storage Rules

Any hot smoked fish is a perishable product. In the refrigerator, it will lie no more than 4-5 days. Further, pathogenic microflora dangerous to health begins to develop in it. Herring, before being put in the refrigerator, is wrapped in cling film, parchment paper so that other products do not absorb the smell of smoking.

In the freezer, hot smoked fish is stored for a maximum of 1,5 months. Hermetically sealed packaging (plastic container or zippered bag) is required. Freeze herring in small “one-time” portions; re-freezing a defrosted product is contraindicated.

Conclusion

Hot-smoked herring cooked at home on your own is a completely natural product. This compares favorably with fish bought in a store. There are many recipes for its preparation, you can simply experiment with spices and spices. Self-smoking herring in a hot way does not even require a special smokehouse; you can get by with household appliances and kitchen utensils.