Using fish, you can cook a huge number of delicious and fragrant dishes. If you have the opportunity, then you can soak crucian carp at home, which will save money. You can also add spices based on your own preferences. This article discusses the technology of cold and hot smoking.
Selection and preparation of ingredients
A huge amount of fish is presented on the shelves of shops and markets, so you need to know the main signs that allow you to choose a high-quality and fresh ingredient for cooking:
- a thin layer of transparent mucus;
- whole and shiny scales;
- pink or red gills;
- meat elasticity;
- transparent, not cloudy eyes.
First of all, fish must be prepared. First, clean it from the scales, and then remove the fins with sharp scissors. Next, cut the gills so that they do not spoil the taste and aroma of the cooked dish.Did you know? The crucian has a very developed sense of smell. He can smell food by recognizing the smallest components.
If during the cooking process you are not going to use your head, then it is better to immediately remove it - this will significantly reduce the cooking time. At the end of the preparation, the entrails are removed. Perform all actions carefully so as not to damage the gallbladder. If he bursts, then he will have to throw out the crucian, as his meat will be spoiled.
Did you know? In reservoirs, it is often possible to catch hybrid forms of fish, as carp and tench can fertilize caviar of crucian carp.
Smoked crucian recipes
To smoke fish, it is not necessary to have specialized equipment and special skills. With the help of simple and understandable recipes, you can make delicious smoked dishes without much effort. Follow the steps in the cooking process.to avoid mistakes and unsuccessful results. Observing all the rules, you can cook flavored fish at home with confidence in the naturalness of the ingredients.
Cold smoked
202.5 days
smoked wood chips (alder and cherry)
2 kg
Nutritional value per 100 g:
Salt the prepared fish. To do this, carefully wipe it with salt on both sides.
Put in a large container in layers, each of which sprinkle with salt. Place a plate and oppression on top.
Place in the refrigerator for 48 hours, turning over the crucian carp daily. After the time, rinse the fish from salt in running water.
Soak the main ingredient for 5 hours. To do this, fill it with clean cold water, changing it every hour.
Hang the soaked fish on a wire to dry it. In this position, crucian carp should be at least two days old.
Cover the dryer with a cardboard box. Connect a smoke generator and compressor to its base, and make a hole for soot exit from above.
Fill the generator with wood chips and start the equipment. Crucian carp needs to be smoked for 6–8 hours at a temperature of + 28 ° С to + 35 ° С.
Salt the prepared fish. To do this, carefully wipe it with salt on both sides.
Put in a large container in layers, each of which sprinkle with salt. Place a plate and oppression on top.
Place in the refrigerator for 48 hours, turning over the crucian carp daily. After the time, rinse the fish from salt in running water.
Soak the main ingredient for 5 hours. To do this, fill it with clean cold water, changing it every hour.
Hang the soaked fish on a wire to dry it. In this position, crucian carp should be at least two days old.
Cover the dryer with a cardboard box. Connect a smoke generator and compressor to its base, and make a hole for soot exit from above.
Fill the generator with wood chips and start the equipment. Crucian carp needs to be smoked for 6–8 hours at a temperature of + 28 ° С to + 35 ° С.Video recipe
Important! Drying should be covered with gauze to protect from insects and dust.
Hot smoked
121.5 days
Nutritional value per 100 g:
Salt the fish by soaking it in salt for two days.
Rinse it and wipe it with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Soak the sawdust in cold water for 1 hour.
Put chips in the shape of a small hill at the bottom of the smokehouse so that they smolder longer.
Place the crucian carp in layers in the structure and place it on the grill where the hot coals are located.
Smoke fish for 2 hours.
Salt the fish by soaking it in salt for two days.
Rinse it and wipe it with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Soak the sawdust in cold water for 1 hour.
Put chips in the shape of a small hill at the bottom of the smokehouse so that they smolder longer.
Place the crucian carp in layers in the structure and place it on the grill where the hot coals are located.
Smoke fish for 2 hours.Video recipe
Important! If there is caviar in the fish, then it is not necessary to remove it. With it, the snack will turn out more humid and soft.
Features of storage of smoked crucian carp
Storage conditions for smoked crucian carp depend on how they were prepared. If you are going to store fish that has undergone heat treatment by hot smoking, do this at a temperature of -3 ° C to + 3 ° C. Under such conditions, it retains its palatability for three days. It is also possible to increase the storage duration to one month by freezing the product at a temperature of -30 ° C. It should be thawed at + 8 ° С. Crucian carp prepared by cold smoking should be stored in conditions from -2 ° C to + 5 ° C. 
The product will preserve its taste for 40-60 days. It is recommended to store fish in foil or parchment paper so that the product does not absorb extraneous odors. Often smoked crucians are hung in the attic, after packing them in fabric bags. Also suitable for storage are wooden boxes in which the snack is stacked in layers.
In this case, it must be sprinkled with sawdust or chopped. Cooking smoked crucian carp at home will not be difficult if you have a smokehouse. It can be bought in a store or made from improvised materials. Follow the step-by-step cooking instructions to get a natural and tasty product that will be a great beer snack.
