Hot smoked Salmon, Chilean Sea Bass, Sablefish (Black Cod)

SconnieQ

New member
Did a little variety fish smoking. I used the same cure for all. 4 parts brown sugar to 1 part kosher salt. Generously packed around fish for 12 hours (actually ended up being more like 18 hours). Rinsed and dried on rack in fridge overnight. Probed the thickest salmon filet, and smoked all with Sugar Maple chips until interior temperature of salmon was 133.

Salmon: good as usual. This just turns out good every time. Have done this many times before.

Sablefish (Black Cod): Let's just get one thing straight right off the bat. This is not cod. It is not even remotely related to any species of cod. Black Cod is a nickname given to this fish by fisherman, because it kind of looked like a cod, and it's skin is black. It is properly referred to as Sablefish. That being said, you will often find this on restaurant menus as Black Cod or Butterfish. (Don't even get me started on Butterfish. Butterfish is an entirely different species.) Now that we have that out of the way, Sablefish is in my top two of all-time favorite fish (the other being Chilean Sea Bass). It sets the bar by which all fish should be judged. Fatty, and rich in flavor, with a lightly flaky texture. And the skin is great. Smoked Sablefish is probably the most popular smoked fish in Alaska besides smoked Salmon. I buy my Sablefish filets from Alaska, sent overnight on dry ice. I had a couple tail pieces in the 10 pound order, so I thought they'd be good to smoke. They actually turned out a bit mushy. The taste was great though, fatty, rich, but I probably should have given them a different brine or dry cure recipe and time than the other fish. My cure time might have broken down the flesh too much. Also, I think these could have been smoked/cooked to 140. I ended up cooking them in the oven later, and the texture was much better, but I think I would only cure them for a few hours next time, due to the more delicate texture, flavor, and thinness of the tail sections. The salt/sugar flavor was a bit strong.

Chilean Sea Bass: I have never smoked this. I don't even know if anyone smokes it. I didn't bother to check. I had a bag of frozen filets from Costco, and thought, why not try to smoke a couple pieces? OMG, this is the most unbelievable smoked fish I've ever had! It is so succulent, juicy fat separates every flake! It's like the most tender and juicy fish-bacon you've ever had (but without the chew of bacon). If anything, I could have cooked it just a touch longer. When the salmon was 133, the Chilean Sea Bass, being kind of thick pieces, was probably in the upper 120s, a texture I like, but just slightly shy of flaking all the way to the middle. I think it could have gone to an internal temp of 135 or just a touch more, just to optimize the flake to fat experience. I later cooked it a bit more in the oven, and it was perfect.

What I have learned is that if you are a Costco member, get a bag of the Chilean Sea Bass filets, and try smoking them. Kirkland Signature Wild Chilean Sea Bass is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
 

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JustChillin said:
Kari, where did you get your grates for smoking fish?
Look at any housewares store for baking cooling racks.  I got mine for about $6 at the local hardware store. 
 
JustChillin said:
Kari, where did you get your grates for smoking fish?

Actually, the stainless steel grates you see are the standard racks from the smoker, sitting on a sheet pan. The mesh right beneath the fish are Frogmats, or QMatz are the same thing. You can cut to fit the size of your standard grates. They are non stick, and wash up really easily by hand, or in the dishwasher. Better and cheaper than buying separate seafood shelves.

https://www.amazon.com/Frogmats-Non-Stick-Grill-Mat/dp/B00LBH7TVY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508341795&sr=8-1&keywords=frogmats

https://www.amazenproducts.com/category_s/46.htm
 
Kari, Thanks for suggesting Sea Bass as a great fish to smoke. I smoked some last night and served it with a Thai Peanut sauce pasta (Shirataki noodles - 0 calories and carb free). The fish was outstanding and it made a nice meal for my carb free diet.
 

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JustChillin said:
Kari, Thanks for suggesting Sea Bass as a great fish to smoke. I smoked some last night and served it with a Thai Peanut sauce pasta (Shirataki noodles - 0 calories and carb free). The fish was outstanding and it made a nice meal for my carb free diet.

Looks delicious!
 
I usually use a heaping cup or so of chips. I don't weigh them, because chips dry out so fast that they are pretty light, so I go by volume for chips. I soak the chips for an hour or more if they seem really dry (which they almost always are). At 180, salmon with be done (internal temp of 130-135) in about an hour to 1.5 hours, depending on the thickness of the fish.
 
Kari, rough measurement for the 4 parts brown sugar, 1 part kosher salt. Tablespoons, multiple tablespoons, or cups.
 
es1025 said:
Kari, rough measurement for the 4 parts brown sugar, 1 part kosher salt. Tablespoons, multiple tablespoons, or cups.

A typical salmon smoke for me would be 6 approximately 4" x 4" pieces of filet, which I lay out in a single layer in a 9x13 glass pan for curing. I usually start with 2 cups brown sugar and 1/2 cup kosher salt. Then if I feel I need a little more to really pack it on there thick, I will mix up a little more (maybe another 1 cup brown sugar to 1/4 cup kosher salt). If I'm doing eight 4" x 4" filets, then 4 cups brown sugar to 1 cup kosher salt seems to work just right. You really want to pack it on there above and below your filets. You can't really put too much on, since the curing stage is more about time than amount of cure. Those are the general amounts you can expect to use anyway. You won't be getting out your tablespoons for this one. ;)
 
This link is for Joe Patti's Seafood. I have shopped there when traveling in the area and their seafood is always good. I was speaking to a friend this weekend regarding local Sea Bass prices ($29.99/lb at Whole Foods) and he suggested ordering from them.  http://www.joepattis.com/shop/select-quantity.cfm?productnum=6969&typeNum=83
 
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