Grill smoked mackerel slow and slow cooked over oak wood. Rich in fish flavor and combined with an easy-to-dry sea, it’s just as good as smoked fish. Find out everything you need to know with our Hot Smoked Mackerel recipe.
Smoked mackerel is unlike any other type of fish. Unlike white fish like haddock or smoked tilapia , it’s an oily fish full of moisture and flavor. This makes it perfect for hot grilling. Best of all, it couldn’t be easier to make at home.
In our simple recipe , we prepare the fish in a dry sea containing only salt, before smoking each mackerel fillet over low heat for a few hours.
You can season them with black pepper and mustard or just the fillets alone! Fish oil works wonders at preserving the moisture and natural smoky flavor of the grill’s embers, and it beats any store-bought mackerel.
How to fillet mackerel for grilling
Mackerel fillet is pleasant to smoke as it creates an even surface for the fish to cook. Luckily, mackerel is one of the easiest fish to prepare, even for a beginner. As long as you have a sharp fillet knife and follow these instructions, your fish will be ready in no time.
Place the fish on the table parallel to the edge. Place the knife behind the pectoral fin(this is the fin closest to the head) and hold the knife at a 45 degree angle to the fish’s back. Once the knife touches the bone, level it and cut parallel to the tail. Turn the fish and repeat on the other side. This should separate the head and spine from the meat.
Next, take each side of the fish and place it skin-side down. Slice around the exposed rib cage and discard the bones. You can flip the fillets and remove the skin if you like, but mackerel skin is quite thin and takes on a lot of flavor in the smoker.
Finally, remove the bloodline – the thick, dark red vein that runs down the center of each fillet. Make a shallow incision on each side of the vein and pull it out. Your mackerel is now ready to grill.
How to put mackerel fillets in brine for grilling
Once YOU have separated the mackerel fillets, YOU must soak them in brine before smoking them. Mackerel in brine adds flavor and keeps the fish juicy as it cooks.
First gather your ingredients. You’ll need lots of cold water, large amounts of salt, and spices. The choice of spices depends on your personal preferences. Choose herbs and spices that will stand up well to soaking in water, such as juniper berries, bay leaves, or mustard seeds.
Take a large pot and fill it with enough cold water to cover the mackerel. Then add one raw, unpeeled potato. You don’t have to boil the potato; You only need it in the brine to know when the solution is salty enough. add salt until potato floats; He wants the brine to be as salty as the sea.
Finally your lake is ready for your mackerel fillets. Make sure the fillets are clean and rinse them under cold water to remove any blood or entrails. Soak for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
Cold smoked vs. hot smoked
Once you have your smoker ready, you can prepare hot or cold smoked mackerel. But what’s the difference?
Hot smoked mackerel is cooked in a slightly heated smoker. The result is a tender and juicy fish that is ready to eat in minutes. Hot smoked mackerel is ready to serve immediately.
Cold smoking pumps smoke but no additional heat into the smoker. Cold-smoked fish takes longer, up to 2 days, and is still raw afterwards. It’s an excellent way to preserve fish for later use, but YOU must cure it first. Cold smoked mackerel is much more complicated.
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