Description
Make restaurant-quality smoked mackerel right in your kitchen with this foolproof recipe. The recipe combines old-world smoking techniques with modern precision that results in tender, smoky fish you’ll want to make repeatedly.
Hot smoking creates perfectly cooked mackerel with a golden exterior and moist, flaky interior. The secret lies in balancing the brining and smoking steps to achieve professional results.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 whole mackerel (gutted, cleaned, heads removed).
- 1/2 gallon water (60°F).
- 1.2 lbs salt (approximately 2 cups).
- 1/2 lb brown sugar.
- 1 Tbsp Cure #1.
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice.
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder.
- 1/2 Tbsp onion powder.
- 1/2 Tbsp white pepper.
- 1 tsp ground allspice.
Instructions
- Prepare the Brine: Mix water with all seasonings in a large bowl and whisk until sugar and salt dissolve completely.
- Brine the Fish: Place mackerel in the brine mixture for 1-2 hours at room temperature. The fish should stay fully covered and weighted down.
- Dry the Fish: Take fish out of brine, rinse under cold water, and air dry for 2 hours to develop pellicle.
- Smoking Process:
- Stage 1: Smoke at 86°F for 30-60 minutes with light smoke
- Stage 2: Raise temperature gradually to 122°F with heavy smoke for 30-45 minutes
- Stage 3: Increase temperature to 176°F until internal temperature reaches 145°F
- Cool and Store: Cool the fish quickly to 50°F, then refrigerate until it reaches 38°F.
Notes
- Important: Let the smoked fish cool before eating; flavors develop better at room temperature.
- Smoke the fish on the bone to boost flavor.
- Add tea leaves during smoking to create deeper color and flavor.
- The smoking process takes about 4-5 hours.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Brining Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Smoking