Smoking fish is a three step process which will take you, literally, all day. If you plan on serving this at a party at 7 pm, you should start this process at about 7 am. You can also make it the day before.
Ingredients For The Brine:
- 2 Quarts water
- 3/4 Cups Kosher salt
- 3/4 Cups sugar
- 1/4 Cup soy sauce
- 2 Bay leaves
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 Sprigs of fresh dill, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried.
Plus 4 Fillets of average-sized bluefish. Usually 5-7 pounds
Directions:
Mix all the brine ingredients in a glass, porcelain or plastic container that is large enough to hold the fish and the brine. You must stir until the salt and sugar is dissolved. You may warm the water to help dissolving but the water must be cool when you add the fish.
Put the fish in the brine. Place a plate on top of the fish to keep it submerged and brine the fish for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove the fish, rinse off and pat dry. Lay it out on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Place it in a dust free environment and dry uncovered, at room temperature for 4 hours. You may use a small fan to help this process. When done, a “skin” forms on the surface of the meat, this is called a pellicule.
Smoke, skin side down a greased foil covered rack at about 200º F. Depending on the thickness of the fish, 2 to 4 hours. Most fillets are done in about 2½ hours. When done, the fish should be honey to molasses brown and still visibly moist. When pressed, it should feel like a rare steak.
Cool. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature on Saltine crackers with the dill sauce below.
Easy Dill Sauce: Mix together…
- 2 Tablespoons Mayo
- 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
- 1 Teaspoon dried dill
Serve a piece of the fish on a saltine or melba toast with a dollop of dill sauce on top.
Alternative Recipe
This recipe comes from an old fisherman through my “fisherman” (in his own mind) brother in law.
It’s very easy: Place two bricks on hot grill and heat them until they are red hot. Put the bluefish on the bricks and cook for 20 minutes. When done, throw the fish away and eat the bricks.
Bluefish doesn’t get much respect. It’s dark, oily and strong tasting. Just about everything people don’t want in a fish. This is why it’s so good for smoking.
I will admit, I have never paid for a piece of bluefish at the market. If I was going to buy bluefish I would buy it cooked and ready to serve. We live just 2 miles from Narragansett bay where they are abundant. They get caught just about every time a weekend fisherman goes out on the bay. Most, thankfully, are thrown back.
