Curing And Smoking Fish

Book excerpt: Curing and Smoking Fish provides all the information needed to understand the entire process of preparing and smoking fish. The subject of making brines is covered in detail and simplified by advocating the use of brine tables and testers. We don’t want the reader to blindly follow recipes, we want him to create them - this is the approach that has been taken by the authors. Fish can be dry salted or immersed in brine; salt can be applied alone or with sugar and spices; brine can be weak or strong; fish can be cold or hot smoked; wood chips can be dry or wet. There are many parameters to consider. To a newcomer, this can become confusing; however, all these details are mentioned and explained in such a way that the reader will feel confident to take control of the process. Master the basics, but not be afraid to apply this knowledge in real applications. Additionally, smoking methods are thoroughly described, as well as proper design of basic smokehouses. The discussion is not only limited to fish, but also covers shellfish such as clams, mussels, oysters and shrimp. To get the reader started, there is a collection of recipes for smoking fish, making fish spreads and preparing sauces for serving fish.