How to Smoke a Kingfish
Kingfish is the common name for a variety of fish, including the king mackerel, cero mackerel, northern kingfish and the southern kingfish. They weigh from 75 to 100 pounds and are found near shore and offshore in the Western Atlantic ocean. Smoking fish reduces moisture content and slows the rate of bacteria growth, allowing a longer shelf life. Kingfish are ideal for smoking because of their fatty tissue, which will not dry out in the process, resulting in a strong, distinct taste.
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Things You'll Need
- Fillet knife
- Plastic container with lid
- Cutting board
- 1/8 cup salt
- 1 cup water
- Pinch black pepper
- 1 small garlic clove, diced
- 1/8 cup brown sugar
- Drying rack
- Meat thermometer
- Maple, oak or hickory firewood
- Large cardboard box
- 2-2 1/2 foot wooden dowels
- Baking rack
- Matches
Instructions
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Prepare your kingfish immediately after catching it. Do not prepare fish that has been stored under improper conditions or handled carelessly.
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Fillet the fish on a cutting board. Make a cut with your knife behind the fin and slice along the backbone toward the tail. Place the fish skin down and slice horizontally toward the head to remove the skin. Turn the fillet over and cut down the center to remove bones. Wash and chill the filleted fish in a refrigerator or freezer if you plan to cook it later.
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3
Brine the fillet. Mix water, salt, black pepper, garlic and brown sugar in a plastic container. Place fish inside container and cover. Place in refrigerator to brine overnight.
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Rinse the fish for 10 minutes in cold water after it has brined overnight.
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Place fish on drying rack for three hours in refrigerator.
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Construct smoker by removing bottom of the cardboard box. Make sure top flaps are not tucked in, but face upward. Choose one side of the box and cut a square out of it, leaving three inches on the top and sides.
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Poke both dowels all the way through the box near the top. Place baking rack on top of dowels.
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Build a small fire near the smoker using wood and matches. Wait until the wood has burned into bed of hot embers that produces smoke.
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Place smoker over the fire and add fillets to the baking rack. Make sure fillets do not touch each other.
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Allow fish to cook for four to five hours. Test temperature with meat thermometer. Maintain 180 degrees for the duration of the process for ideal smoked kingfish.
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Tips & Warnings
Always monitor your fire as cardboard is flammable.
References
Resources
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