Tag: fish
Smoked Steelhead
Smoked Steelhead
Steelhead trout are anadromous fish, meaning that they can go in and out of saltwater to freshwater, much like salmon; the exact opposite for it’s relative, the rainbow trout. Steelhead can get up to 55lbs and almost 4 feet in length. They are indigenous to fresh and ocean waters of North America, but have been introduced to every other continent with an exception of Antarctica. Steelhead migrate and spawn during the summer and winter months.Steelhead smokes the exact same way salmon does. It tastes really close to salmon; maybe a little stronger in flavor. I made a simple brine of water, sea salt, and brown sugar. The steelhead only needs 2 hours of brining. Anymore, the fish will be too salty. I cut my steelhead fillet into 6 pieces; each about 8 oz. Once they are done brining, place on a rack and pat dry with paper towels. The smoke won’t stick to the fish if they are wet. They are ready to smoke as is. If you want any extra seasoning on them, do so now. I made one with black pepper, one with gochugaru, and brushed honey on the tail piece. Preheat you electric smoker to the manufacturer’s directions. Some people like to smoke their fish at a lower temp for a longer time(180-200 degrees for up to 4 hours). Others do higher temps for shorter amount of time(200-225 degrees for 2 -3 hours). I kept my electric smoker between 200-225 degrees. I used apple and cherrywood, but alderwood and cedar are also good choices. You will want to use a probe thermometer to monitor the internal temp. 145 degrees is the recommended internal temp for fish. But I want the steelhead to be cooked all the way through, so I set my thermometer at 160 degrees. It took almost 2 1/2 hours to smoke. Once the internal temp is reached, remove from the smoker. Refrigerate once cooled.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
Ingredients
- 1 side steelhead cut into 6 pieces
Brine
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Wood Chips
- applewood
- cherrywood
Instructions
- Mix the brining ingredients together.
- Give the steelhead fillet a rinse.
- Cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on how big you want them.
- Place in a gallon sized storage bag with the brine. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Brine for 2 hours.
- Take out of the brine and place on a rack. Pat dry with paper towels. They are ready to smoke as is. If you want to add additional seasoning or glazes to the steelhead, do so. I have 3 plain, 1 black pepper, 1 gochugaru, and 1 brushed with honey in the picture.
- Preheat your smoker to 200 degrees. Place the steelhead in the smoker. The pieces I have are fairly thick and took 2 hours to smoke. The internal temp for fish consumption is 145 degrees. It is best to have a probe thermometer to monitor the temp. Since I wanted the steelhead cooked all the way through, I smoked it to 160 degrees internal temp.
Tip for smoking steelhead
- Brine the fish for 2 hours maximum. Any more then that, your steelhead will be too salty.
- Pat the steelhead dry with paper towels before smoking. This will allow the smoke to stick to the fish.
- There are 2 ways you can smoke your steelhead: low and slow(180-200 degrees for up to 4 hours) or high and fast(200-225 degrees for 2-3 hours).
- Since you want smoked fish to be cooked all the way through, use a probe thermometer to monitor the internal temp. You want the smoked steelhead to read 160 degrees internally.
- Applewood, cherrywood, alderwood, and cedar are all great woods to use for smoking.
Saba Misoni
Saba Misoni
Mackerel is a staple fish in Japanese cuisine. They are inexpensive, nutrient dense, and are quite tasty. You can find mackerel fillets at any Asian market. I purchased mine at a small Korean market that is less than 2 blocks away from me. They came in a box of 6 individually quick frozen fillets for only $10.Saba misoni are mackerel fillets stewed in a miso broth that also contains sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger. This dish takes 5 minutes to prepare and only 15 minutes to cook. Since mackerel is a strong flavored fish, the miso broth helps cut through the pungent fishiness. This dish is best served with steamed rice to sop up all of the sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless mackerel fillets cut in half
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sake
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 6 slices ginger
- 3 tbsp miso paste
Instructions
- Mix the water, sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger together.
- Pour the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Place the mackerel skin side up. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes.
- Scoop out a 1/4 cup of the sauce and mix with the miso paste in a small bowl.
- Pour the miso into the saucepan. Flip the mackerel so they are all flesh side up.
- Simmer uncovered for another 7 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Tuna Empanadas
Tuna Empanadas
I’m a huge fan of empanadas and their various forms. These tuna empanadas are quite exquisite. There just isn’t any old can of tuna in the filling. I like to use this fancy Mexican brand of tuna that is actually whole chunks of yellowfin. It only costs $1 more than your Starkist or Chicken of the Sea and is light years ahead in quality. The dough to these empanadas has ancho chili powder in it. You can find ancho chili powder in your grocery store’s international aisle in the spice section. You can also use a whole dried ancho chili pepper and either grind it in a spice grinder or soak it in warm water for 25 minutes, then purée it in a blender. Either way is good. You can skip adding the ancho all together, but it does give the dough a nice color and some added flavor.You will need to use a tortilla press to flatten the dough. I like to take a gallon sized ziplock bag and cut it apart in 2 pieces to use as a barrier for the press. Place a dough ball in the center of the press on top of one of the plastic sheets. Place the other sheet over the top. Flatten the dough ball to a little less than 1/4” thick. Take off the top plastic sheet. Place 2 tbsp of the filling in the center of the dough. Using the bottom plastic sheet, fold the dough over in half, crimping the edges. Now you have an empanada. The empanadas only take 4 minutes a side to fry. Serve them on a bed of shredded cabbage with the hot sauce of your choosing. You can make large batches of the empanadas and freeze them down on a baking sheet. Store them in freezer bags.
Equipment
- tortilla press
Ingredients
Empanada Filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium white onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 can yellowfin tuna drained
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Empanada Dough
- 1 cup masa flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the tuna and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
- Mix together all of the dough ingredients. Roll into 6 equal sized balls.
Empanada Assembly
- Place a dough ball on the center of a tortilla press. I like to cut apart a gallon sized ziplock bag to use as a barrier for the press.
- Mash it down to 1/4” thick.
- Place a couple of tbsp of the filling in the center of the dough.
- Using the bottom piece of the ziplock bag, fold the dough over the center and crimp the edges.
- Make the rest of the empanadas and let sit on parchment paper.
- Heat up a 1/4” deep of vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Place the empanadas in the oil, making sure to not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry for 4 minutes a side.
