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Tips On Building A Fish Smoker


jew chaser

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tried some smoked Flathead and tailor a few weeks ago for the first time and WOW it was one of the nicest pieces of fish Ive had!

real keen to build a smoker , Ive heard a old keg is good or a fridge? has anyone built one ?just after some tips

on making one! thanks

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Hi Jewchaser

The Fridge probably would be more for a cold smoker (where you tunnel the smoke thru pipes to underneath the fridge where a hole has been cut to allow the smoke to filter up thru the hanging fillets. The fire is built outside & the fish is S L O W L Y smoked, but not cooked (like haddock.)

If you want a normal smoker (fish is hot cooked in about 1/2hr) you can just use an old electric fry pan for small quantities, so long as it has a high lid. Check with the wife first, or get one from Sallies or Vinnies for about $2!! Put some alfoil on the base, place the dust or wet chips in the middle of the alfoil, then whack a high cake rack into it with the fish fillets (or whole fish) on top (you can sprinkle the fillets with a mix of salt & brown sugar - some use honey.) Put the lid on. I use a portable camp stove (about $25 at most camp shops with 'throw away' gas cans like Gasmate.) Turn it on until the dust/chips start to smoke & then turn the gas down to low/moderate. If using whole fish, turn them after 20 mins. Most fillets would be fully cooked within 20-30 mins depending how many you do. 2 cake racks (with clearance between them) allows you to do about 8 fillets.) Whole fish take longer. If smoking whole fish, always put a skewer into the shoulder of the fish to check that it is cooked. Cook 2nd side slightly less than 20 mins. Wrap up the alfoil & toss! No Mess!

Fish should be at least 24hrs old or they curl up in the smoker. They must 'relax' before cooking.

Whole fish - pull off the fins off the back & stomach, then pull the skin off & eat the flesh from the top, pull off the skeleton & eat the rest! YUM!

Old Covered Roasting tins are good too. They often come with a rack already.

Always do it outside.

Google 'DIY Fish smoker' and click on 'images' (up on the top row of the google menu) and then choose which one you want to look into further - it will show you the different ones to make.

Cheerio

Roberta

Blackfish, mullet & tailor smoke beautifully - as does chicken!! Par cook the chicken first, so it doesn't take so long tho!

Edited by Roberta
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thats some great tips roberta.iv been wanting to try smoked tailor for ages but never got to do it.now that you mentioned the old frying pan method,im gonna do it.cant wait,just need to catch some fish now.

cheers johnny. :beersmile:

p.s.cant wait to meet you at the lure social.

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Hey Jew Chaser.

And you can get really cheap ones at any of the outdoor/camping shops.

All of the above but I just have to add.

"Smoked duck breast". Note skin on!

Absolutely mouthwateringly gorgeous.

Roberta as a connoisseur of smoking reckon you should try this.

Cheers

Trapper Tom

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....Roberta, as a connoisseur of smoking reckon you should try this....... Sounds good TT - it would suit smoking.

1) First, catch your duck!! :074:

Reminds me of a funny story! When I was living in NZ, a buddy used to go duck hunting on the FIRST day of the season, shoot some ducks & that was it, went back to fishing. He asked me if I wanted any ducks he caught! I said 'YEAH'! (she thinks, nice duck fillets ready to cook!)

Next weekend, a knock at the door & there's Mike with 2 ducks ...... whole ..... with skin, feathers & head still on & gut within ....... tied together thru their snouts with a bit of river reed! :1yikes: NOT exactly as I'd imagined it!! After profuse thanks, I took the ducks outside & started plucking them! As you can imagine, feathers were going everywhere & I'd barely started! Hmmm must be an easier way than this ...... I thought I would skin it & then just take the flesh off. But I cut the wrong bit & duck poo & gizzards went everywhere. I was puking & holding my nose at the same time!! Finally I got the flesh off & managed to cook up a reasonable 'duck l'orange'! It was lovely!

The next year, when the ducks arrived, I was prepared!! I just split the skin between the breasts, peeled it away from the carcass & gently removed the breasts from the duck! THe rest went into the bin. :074:

Back on track ........

I smoked 4 blackies & 2 bream last night & right now am about to make them into about 4 smoked fish pies! YUM!

CHeerio

Roberta

Looking forward to putt ing faces to a LOT of names on the 20th, FD!!

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Hi Roberta,

You will have to pm me that receipe for smoked fish pies,my

kookaburra only gets the tailor. Could eat them everyday.

But if I could do the pies,Pam just might try them.

cheers Rick.

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Wrap up the alfoil & toss! No Mess!

I am a massive fan of doing fish in alfoil, whack it in the oven. also use baking paper if i'm grilling lamb chops or something, why clean all the fat up when you can just let it cool and throw the paper in the bin?

building a smoker would be awesome. i'd have to catch a bit more regularly to justify it tho :)

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Hi, for those interested in buying a smoker, there is an outdoor and camping store having a sale at the moment. I saw them in there today. I think they were originally $80.00 but are on sale for $40.00. It's a popular outdoor and camping store with 10 stores in NSW. I won't mention their name, but it should be easy enough to work out. I think the sale ends on Sunday. The smoker had 2 trays and 2 burners and looked pretty reasonable for the $40.00 price tag. I'll probably pick one up tomorrow as I have been thinking of trying smoking fish for a while after reading these posts. Now I just need to get out and catch something to try it out!

Cheers

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I am quite partial to smoked fish, it makes a lot of fish I don't rate into quite tasty morsels.

Trout especially, always take the smoker when I go to Lake Lyell on the off chance we catch some thing to put in it.

Just the Stainless box type with the little metho burner, works a treat.

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