How one smoked fresh fish in the high country

8/9/2008 | mrjesse

[mrjesse]

Pictures of a simple fish smoker setup for the high country

Above: A wooden tripod made from dead sticks holds up the freshly caught and cleaned fish, while a small stainless bowel (This one is from an old ladle) sits on the camp-stove to hold the hickory chips (which can be purchased at most grocery stores). A small stainless wire runs through the fish, and hooks onto the tripod to suspend them.

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Above: Now over the whole works is put one of these oven-proof plastic bags also from the grocery store or the like (in the ziploc/glad bag section, probably) -- these bags are good to 400F, and are designed to put the thanksgiving turkey into to prevent oven spatter and to keep the bird moist. One could use tinfoil instead, but then they wouldn't know when the hickory chips caught fire, etc.

Then to top it all off, a thermometer is inserted into the top to measure air temperature. In this case, the fish was smoked for 40 minutes at about 230 degrees or thereabouts. It was juicy and tender and pleasantly smoky, and was to be eaten right away, and these were small fish. If the fish were bigger, one would want to give ample time for them to cook clear through. Fresh hickory chips were fed in from time to time with a long handled stainless spoon, and also drops of water were delivered from time to time to the hickory chips when they burst into flames. If the hickory chips flame, the smoke is reduced and the "oven" temperature rises drastically. It is advised to soak the hickory chips in water overnight.

It is important to note that if one is doing the more traditional smoking where the fish is to be stored for a long time, then the fish must first be put in seasoned brine for a while and then smoked for a lot longer in order to assure correct temperatures and to dry it out (and make it more smoky), so one should find a proper recipe for such a situation if they don't intend to eat the fish right away.) The simple procedure pictured above simply cooked the fish gently but certainly and gave it a good smoky flavor

[mrjesse]

> But, that appears to be a bass, which I don’t eat, no matter > WHAT you do to it......

It’s Eastern Brook Trout, in this case.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

I stand corrected.....

[txhurl]

Redneck fishin’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LksuKTD8y0o

[1066AD]

smoked bowels Probably an Olympic delicacy !

[Fast Moving Angel]

This is one of the world’s greatest inventions ... a small smoker that will fit on your stovetop (or campfire, for that matter):

http://www.cameronscookware.com/Stovetop%20Smoker.aspx

Fish, ribs, chicken ... it all works in there and they turn out heavenly. Sorry to make anyone hungry.

[Grammy]

Thanks for the post. I just sent it to Mr G to think about for a boy scout campout.

[Sacajaweau]

How about a nice Walleye from a Canadian Lake...always my favorite.

[Dusty Road]

Thats the ticket. I've been fishing Manitoba and Ontario for many years. We fly into remote lakes and fish for 5 days. Get up early and go hit our Walleye holes, then fish for Northerns until lunch. Find an island and pull over for lunch. Clean the fresh caught Walleye, bread them and throw them in the fryer. Fry up some potatoes and onions. Heat up some beans and you have heaven.

[Sacajaweau]

WE went to a little town called Notre Dame de Pontmain. My dad had fished there with his brothers. It became an annual trip for our family. After I got married, hubby and I went with my parents one year. He never liked fish. By the time we left there, he was eating walleyes for breakfast.

[beebuster2000]

see many moose or bear?

[GladesGuru]

Ah, but you are almost certainly better at spelling/typing than am I.

I have never smoked trout, but smoked salmon is a delight. And, salmon is but a large, sea going trout.

Happy posting.

[Dusty Road]

see many moose or bear?

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Every time so far. Our last trip was to Apisko, we seen Moose, Bear, Beavers, Otters, Mink and Martins. We've yet to see a wolf, but we have heard them. And don't forget the Northern Lights! Nothing like sighting out with a good cigar, a nice drink and just sitting back and watch the show.

[beebuster2000]

i was in northern alberta (way north) a few yeas back at a flyin camp. guy had lived there 20 years. never seen a wolf although you could hear them every morning. you would hike out, and on the way back to camp, their tracks would be on top of yours on the way out. they watch you pass then come out.

i guess they know man is something to stay away from. the game warden told us to shoot them on sight if we got the chance. they dont like wolves much up there.

[Species8472]

Ping!

[Eska]

We do ours in screened in sheds, so air flows. Actually, everything is air dryed; light smoke just to keep bugs off. We also freeze dry chums come October for the dog food on outside racks.