Preparing Fish to Suit the Smoker
Splitting the Fish
There are two ways
that fish can be
prepared for smoking;
filleting or splitting.
The advantage with splitting
the fish is that there is no
waste - even the head can be
left attached and everything
smoked.
To split the fish begin to fillet
in the traditional manner but
leave the fillet attached along
the back of the fish. It can then be completely opened up and prepared for the
smoking process.
The negative part of splitting the fish is that there is a different thickness on
each side. That can change the taste of the fish on each side if salt and sugar
is applied just before smoking, without brining the fish. An overnight brine
negates most of that problem.
Splitting also leaves the bones in place. Fortunately the sweetest meat is
found around the backbone. With care the backbone can be removed before
smoking.
Filleting
The advantage
with filleting the fish
is that each piece is relatively
uniform in size, making it
easier to get consistent
results, and it looks great if
presentation is important.
There is no right or wrong
answer and experimenting is
great fun!
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