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