How to smoke a sterlet in a hot, cold smoked smokehouse

Smoked sterlet is deservedly considered a delicacy, so they are not cheap. But you can save a little by preparing hot smoked (or cold) sterlet yourself. A significant plus of homemade smoked meats is complete confidence in the naturalness and high quality of the product. But it is necessary to strictly follow the technology and the algorithm of actions in regard to the preparation, pickling of sterlet and the smoking algorithm itself.

The benefits and calorie content of the product

Red sea fish is considered the most valuable and beneficial for health. But Sturgeon, including sterlet, are not much inferior to them. Useful substances in it are preserved even after smoking. Fish is rich

• proteins (in the form that is absorbed by the body almost completely and provides it with the necessary energy);
• polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3, 6, 9;
• animal fats;
• minerals (especially calcium and phosphorus);
• vitamins A, D, E, group B.

The composition causes a positive effect on health:

• stimulation of mental activity, less fatigue with intense stress on the brain, prevention of its age-related degenerative changes;
• beneficial effect on the central nervous system, the fight against apathy, depression, chronic stress;
• prevention of vision problems;
• strengthening the walls of blood vessels, lowering cholesterol levels in the blood;
• prevention of strokes, heart attacks, other pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
• protection of bone and cartilage tissue, joints from “wear”.

The undoubted plus of sterlet is its low calorie content. Hot smoked fish contains only 90 kcal, cold – 125 kcal per 100 g. There are no carbohydrates at all, fats – 2,5 g per 100 g, and proteins – 17,5 g per 100 g.

Ukha and smoked meats from sterlet in Our Country were considered “royal” dishes

Principles and methods of smoking sterlet

At home, you can cook sterlet both hot smoked and cold. In both cases, the fish turns out to be very tasty, but in the first it is tender, crumbly, and in the second – more “dry”, elastic, texture and taste are closer to natural. In addition, there are the following differences between smoking methods:

• Equipment. Hot-smoked sterlet can be cooked in the oven; cold smoked requires a special smokehouse, which allows you to provide the necessary distance from the fire source to the grill or fish hooks (1,5-2 m).
• The need to follow technology. Hot smoking allows certain “improvisations”, such as the use of “liquid smoke”. Cold requires strict adherence to the algorithm of actions. Otherwise, pathogenic microflora, dangerous to health, may begin to develop in the fish.
• fish processing temperature. During hot smoking it reaches 110-120°С, during cold smoking it cannot rise above 30-35°С.
• Smoking time. It takes much more time to process fish with cold smoke, and the process must be continuous.

Accordingly, cold-smoked sterlet requires a lot of time and effort. Here the fish is marinated and cooked longer. But its shelf life increases and more useful substances are stored.

Choosing a method of smoking, you need to consider not only the taste of the finished product

Selection and preparation of fish

Its taste after smoking directly depends on the quality of raw sterlet. Therefore, naturally, the fish should be fresh and of high quality. This is evidenced by:

1. Like wet scales. If it is sticky, slimy, flaky, it is better to refuse the purchase.
2. No cuts or other damage. Such fish, most likely, is affected by pathogenic microflora.
3. The elasticity of the texture. If you press on the scales, the dent that appears disappears without a trace in a few seconds.

Fresh sterlet must be chosen as meticulously as possible

The selected sterlet carcass must be cut, after dipping in hot (70-80 ° C) water to wash off the mucus from it:

1. Use a stiff wire brush to scrape off the bony growths.
2. Cut out the gills.
3. Remove head and tail.
4. Cut off the screech – a longitudinal “vein” that runs outside along the ridge. When smoked, it gives the fish an unpleasant aftertaste.

The cut fish is thoroughly washed in running water and dried on paper towels, a clean cloth. If desired, after that the sterlet is cut into portions.

How to pickle sterlet for smoking

Salting sterlet before smoking is the most important stage in its preparation. Salt allows you to get rid of pathogenic microflora and excess moisture. There are two ways of salting – dry and wet.

For one cut fish (3,5-4 kg) in both cases you will need:

• coarse salt – 1 kg;
• ground black pepper – 15-20 g.

Dry salting looks like this:

1. Thoroughly rub the dry fish inside and out with a mixture of salt and pepper, after making shallow notches on the back.
2. A layer of salt and pepper is poured onto the bottom of a container of suitable size, the fish is laid out on top, then salt and pepper again.
3. Close the container, put oppression on the lid, keep in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

The dry method of salting fish is considered the most suitable for hot smoking.

Wet passes according to the following algorithm:

1. Pour salt and pepper into a saucepan, add water (about 3 liters).
2. Heat until the salt dissolves completely, allow to cool to about body temperature.
3. Put the sterlet in a container, pour brine so that it completely covers the fish. Leave in the refrigerator for 3-4 days (sometimes it is recommended to increase the salting period to a week), turning over daily for even salting.

It is not recommended to overexpose any fish in brine – you can “kill” the natural taste

Marinade recipes for smoking sterlet

The natural taste is highly valued by gourmets and professional chefs, so many believe that the marinade will only spoil it. But it is quite possible to experiment with different compositions.

Marinade with honey and spices gives the fish an original sweetish flavor and a very beautiful golden hue. For 1 kg of fish you will need:

• olive oil – 200 ml;
• liquid honey – 150 ml;
• juice of 3-4 lemons (about 100 ml);
• Garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• salt – 1 tsp;
• ground black pepper – to taste (1-2 pinches);
• spices for fish – 1 sachet (10 g).

To prepare the marinade, mix all the ingredients, chop the garlic first. The sterlet is kept in it for 6-8 hours, then they start smoking.

In the wine marinade, the sterlet turns out to be very tender and juicy. For 1 kg of fish take:

• drinking water – 1 l;
• dry white wine – 100 ml;
• soy sauce – 50 ml;
• juice of 2-3 lemons (approximately 80 ml);
• cane sugar – 2 tbsp. l.;
• salt – 2 Art. l .;
• Garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• a mixture of peppers – 1 tsp.

Sugar and salt are heated in water until completely dissolved, then cooled to body temperature and other ingredients are added. Sterlet is marinated before smoking for 10 days.

The citrus marinade is especially suitable for hot smoking. Required Ingredients:

• drinking water – 1 l;
• Orange – 1;
• lemon, lime or grapefruit – 1 pc.;
• salt – 1 Art. l .;
• sugar – 1 tsp;
• medium bulb – 1 pc.;
• a mixture of peppers – 1,5-2 tsp;
• dry spicy herbs (sage, rosemary, oregano, basil, thyme) and cinnamon – a pinch each.

Salt, sugar and chopped onion are thrown into water, brought to a boil, after 2-3 minutes they are removed from heat. Onion pieces are caught, chopped citruses and other ingredients are added. Sterlet is poured with marinade, cooled to 50-60 ° C, they begin to smoke after 7-8 hours.

Coriander marinade is very easy to prepare, but not everyone likes its specific taste. You will need:

• drinking water – 1,5 l;
• sugar and salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
• bay leaf – 4-5 pcs .;
• cloves and black peppercorns – to taste (10-20 pcs.);
• seeds or dry coriander greens – 15 g.

All ingredients are added to boiling water, vigorously stirred. Having cooled to room temperature, the sterlet is poured with liquid. Smoking starts after 10-12 hours.

Hot smoked sterlet recipes

You can smoke hot smoked sterlet not only in a special smokehouse, but also at home, using an oven, a cauldron.

How to smoke hot smoked sterlet in a smokehouse

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Set firewood on fire, let the flame flare up so that it becomes stable, but not too intense. Pour small chips into a special container in the smokehouse. Fruit trees (cherry, apple, pear), oak, alder are best suited. Any conifers are excluded – a bitter “tarry” taste is guaranteed to spoil the finished product. The suitability of birch is a controversial issue; not everyone likes the appearing tar notes in taste. Wait until light white smoke appears.
2. Arrange the fish on the grates or hang on hooks, if possible, so that the carcasses and pieces do not touch each other.

   

3. Smoke the sterlet until golden brown, opening the lid every 30-40 minutes to release the smoke. It is impossible to overexpose it in a smokehouse to a chocolate color – the fish will be bitter.

   

   Important! Ready hot-smoked sterlet should not be eaten immediately. It is aired for at least half an hour (even an hour and a half is better).

Hot smoked sterlet in the oven

At home in the oven, hot smoked sterlet is cooked using “liquid smoke”. As a result, the fish has a characteristic aftertaste, although, of course, the difference between a natural product and a “surrogate” is obvious to gourmets.

Hot smoked sterlet is prepared as follows:

1. After dry salting for 10 hours, add a mixture of 70 ml of dry white or red wine and a teaspoon of “liquid smoke” to a container with fish. Place in refrigerator for another 6 hours.

   

2. Rinse the sterlet, arrange on a wire rack. Smoke by selecting the convection mode and setting the temperature to 80°C for at least an hour.
   Important! Readiness is determined “by eye”, focusing on the characteristic color and aroma.
   

   The specific cooking time depends on the size of the sterlet pieces and the oven itself.

How to smoke sterlet in a cauldron

Very original, but at the same time simple technology. Before smoking, sterlet must be marinated according to any recipe:

1. Wrap sawdust or wood chips for smoking in foil so that you get something that looks like an envelope, pierce it several times with a knife.

   

2. Put the “envelope” on the bottom of the cauldron, place a grate with pieces of fish on top.

   

3. Close the container with a lid, put on the stove, setting the average flame power level. When light smoke appears, reduce it to a minimum. Hot smoked sterlet is ready in about 25-30 minutes.

   

Recipe for smoking sterlet with a smoke generator

If you have such a device at home, you can cook hot smoked sterlet like this:

1. Dip the cut fish pieces into the water, adding salt to taste. Bring to a boil, remove from heat. Dry the fish by wiping with napkins and spreading it on wooden boards.

   

2. Pour very small chips or shavings onto the grid of the smoke generator, set fire to it.
3. Put a grate with pieces of sterlet on top, cover with a glass lid. Adjust the direction of the smoke so that it goes under this “hood”. Cook sterlet for 7-10 minutes.

   

   Important! Professional chefs recommend that fish smoked in this way be served on toast with butter, sprinkled with finely chopped chives on top.
   

   Not every housewife can find a smoke generator in the kitchen

Cold smoked sterlet recipes

For cold smoking, a special smokehouse is required, which is a container for fish, equipped with a smoke generator and a tube connecting it to the “heating element”. If it’s not a campfire, maintaining a constant temperature is much easier.

How to smoke a sterlet in a smokehouse

The process of cold smoking sterlet at home is not much different from hot smoking technology. Sterlet needs to be salted, washed, hung on hooks or laid out on a wire rack. Next, they make a fire, pour chips into the generator, connect it to the chamber in which the fish is located.

The readiness of cold-smoked sterlet is determined by the consistency of the meat – it should be tender, elastic, not watery

Cold smoked sterlet with apple flavor

You can cook such a cold-smoked sterlet using the technology described above. The original flavor of the fish gives the marinade with apple juice. For 1 kg of sterlet you will need:

• drinking water – 0,5 l;
• freshly squeezed apple juice – 0,5 l;
• sugar – 2 st. l .;
• salt – 1,5 Art. l .;
• half a lemon;
• black peppercorns and cloves – 10-15 pcs.;
• bay leaf – 3-4 pcs .;
• onion peel – half a glass.

First you need to boil the juice and water, then add onion peel to the pan, after another 5-7 minutes – lemon juice and other ingredients. Boil for about half an hour, until a brick shade.

In such a marinade, pieces of sterlet can withstand at least a day. It must first be filtered and cooled to room temperature.

Apple marinade gives smoked sterlet not only an unusual taste, but also a beautiful color.

How much to smoke sterlet

The term varies depending on the size of the fish carcass or its pieces. Hot smoked fish in a smokehouse is cooked for at least an hour. Cold – 2-3 days without a break. If the sterlet is especially large, smoking can take 5-7 days. When the process is interrupted for some reason, even if only for a few hours, it is necessary to extend it for another day.

Storage Rules

Homemade smoked sterlet is a perishable product. In the refrigerator, hot smoked fish will lie for 2-3 days, cold – up to 10 days. If you freeze it in sealed plastic bags or containers, you can extend the shelf life up to 3 months. But you need to freeze in small portions, since re-freezing is strictly prohibited.

At room temperature, cold and hot smoked sterlet can be stored for a maximum of a day. To do this, the fish is covered with nettle or burdock leaves and wrapped tightly in paper, leaving it in a cool, well-ventilated area.

Conclusion

Hot smoked sterlet is an amazingly appetizing and fragrant fish. Its taste qualities do not suffer even with a cold method. In addition, when consumed in moderation, it is extremely beneficial for health. The technology for smoking sterlet in both cases is relatively simple; you can cook a delicacy at home. But in order for the finished dish to live up to expectations, you need to choose the right fish, prepare the right marinade and follow the instructions exactly during the cooking process.