Brine for Haddock fillets

[wallie]

I would like to know the brine strength and brining time for haddock fillets?

wallie

[Ianinfrance]

Better late then never!!

Last weekend, I bought a nice sized whole haddock from the l.ocal supermarket (that has a good selection of fish, most don't). I got them to fillet it (shouldn't have!!) and when I got it home, I brined it in a simple 80% brine - that's 80% of saturation, not 800g to 1 litre water by the way - for 10 minutes. I then left it overnight uncovered in the fridge to form a pellicule. As our typical daytime temperatures are around 30C I left it decided to smoke it the following night.

The next morning, I found that I hadn't lit the CSG properly and it had gone out right away. So I decided to re-light it and carry on anyway for a while and stop when the cabinet temperature reached 25C. That was just about an hour later. The next night I carried on again with the rest of the sawdust! This time it worked, and I took out two beautiful looking smoked fillets. So we tried them out for lunch today to see just how badly I'd screwed up.

Delicious. As a counsel of perfection, they were a little over salted and arguably a tad over smoked. So what I'm going to try is to cut the brining time to 5 minutes in 80% brine which is closer to Jenny Haddow's timing.

For the moment, I'll still smoke for the full 10 hours of the CSG, and see how we get on. So I've ordered another couple of haddock for this Friday and we'll see how we get on with them.

[Ruralidle]

I have followed the same method, 10 mins in an 80% brine and smoke for a full charge of the CSG. The results have gone down very well (pun intended). I think I used cherry wood - which does not burn well in the CSG - oak dust has proved to be a good standard dust. Perhaps I will try beach dust next time I cold smoke some white fish.

[Ianinfrance]

Just made another batch. 2 large haddock, which I filleted myself, 20 mins in 80% brine with some brown sugar, dried for about 12 hours to form the pellicle and then smoked with the CSG for one complete smoking overnight. (Cut in half prior to freezing, each half weighs about 400g)



Can't wait to try them.

[wheels]

They look good Ian. Nice size fillets as well.

Phil

[Davea]

Could anyone tell me why to brine some fish and why to dry cure others?

My wife has asked me to do some smoked haddock, I'd also like do some smoked mackerel.

thanks

Dave

[wheels]

In my opinion it's down to personal choice. I tend to dry salt fish that will be cold smoked as it gives a greater weight loss which adds to the safety of the product. When hot smoking I tend to use a brine as the weight loss isn't such an issue (as the fish is cooked) and it is quicker.

Phil

[Ianinfrance]

Finally back again!

I smoked another couple of haddock recently, using almost exactly the same method as before. 80º brine without sugar. 5 minutes for two (smaller) fillets and 7 minutes for the two larger ones. Dried over night uncovered in the fridge and then made a complete f*** up over the smoking. It was so cold that I decided to use sone heat in the Bradley, controlled at 28C via a probe. However I'd allowed the sawdust to overlap one of the internal guides and I forgot to take out the nightlight. So by the time I looked again, the sawdust was in flames and the temperature at 35!!!! Oops.

However, I took everything out, and cleaned it up and started again and it all turned out perfect. Which goes to show that sometimes we do tend to be a bit anally retentive !!

I'm regularly making my own smoked streaky bacon (made my own cure) and tomorrow if I can get it I'll be buying a farmed salmon fillet which will smoke with the bacon that's currently in the fridge, due to come out on Sunday. I'm also going to get some cheese to try at the same time - no point in wasting a charge. I seem to remember that Sausagemaker said he makes nearly industrial quantities