ProNews_1_06_EN.pdf - Kemppi

From fish to dish
Smoking is the traditional method for preparing fish, in which the fish is given a
pleasant smoke flavour and aroma as well as beautiful colour.
Nearly all types of fish can be smoked. Fish with a high fat content are best for
smoking. The most common of these are perhaps rainbow trout, powan and
herring, but ide, flounder, eel and mackerel are also often smoked.
There are two smoking methods: hot and cold. In hot smoking the fish is somewhat
cooked by the hot smoke. The most delicious hot smoked fish is best
served immediately after smoking.
When smoking, it is very important that all cooking utensils are clean and the
right type of wood is used. Probably the best wood for smoking is alder. Resinous
woods give a bitter flavour. Commercially-available smoking grounds are
also worth trying.
Powan is one of the most delicious smoked fishes. Photo: Pro Kala ry.
plates are cut. Round the plate edges and drill
6.0 mm holes. For the hinge pin, use an (approx.) 80
mm long M6 stainless steel bolt. The door and pipe are
joined to one another with hinges. After bridge tacking
the pieces, ensure that the door is tightly fitted and opens
and closes smoothly.
And now, it’s time to smoke some fish …
A grease trap prevents the fish fat from collecting on the
bottom of the smoker. A removable grease trap is easy
to keep clean and enhances cooking hygiene. A suitable
material for the grease trap would be, for example, 1.5
mm stainless steel plate, 480 mm x 200 mm. Four 10
mm x 15 mm pieces are welded to the grease trap base
approximately 50 mm from each corner, thus leaving a
gap between the smoker wall and grease trap through
which smoke can escape.
Then make two 30 mm wide handles from two sheets
of 2.0 mm stainless steel, which are formed as desired.
Also make a handle for the door using the same 2.0 mm
stainless steel sheet and formed as desired.
For the smoker legs, use two, for example, 5.0 mm
stainless steel plates and form as desired. A leg-mounted
smoker can be used both on grills and in fireplaces. If
you would like to smoke fish out doors, for example, on
rocks, weld brackets on the legs. A fire pan, which serves
as the platform for the fire, is made to rest on the brackets
using 4.0 mm steel plate. This will reduce the risk of
forest fire and prevent damage to the rock face.
The completed smoker is finished by grinding off splatter
and defects, and the weld seams are brushed using a
stainless steel brush.
Heat the smoker and grates over an open fire before
smoking and apply cooking oil to the grates. •
In smoking the amount of smoke produced is more important than the temperature.
Fish being smoked should be cleaned, but not necessarily scaled. Dried
or rinsed fish can be salted either before or after smoking. The fish is done when
the fins come loose easily.
Retain the fish’s flavour
Lightly salt the fish fillet or piece, brush lightly with oil or clarified butter. Put
high-quality smoking chips or grounds on the bottom of the smoking box, but
not too much. Butter the grate, place the fish on it, put the grate in the box, close
and smoke at a suitable temperature.
It is important that the fish not be too darkly smoked, because this will destroy
the fish’s flavour. Smoking at too high a temperature will dry out the fish.
16 Kemppi ProNews 1 • 2006