We went out a couple of weeks ago and caught some cod in the channel, and I didn't want to just freeze it all down. (After 3 days of eating cod I was starting to wish I hadn't caught any!! )
So I decided to smoke some. I mad a cure up of 60% salt, and 40% mied sugars. I like to add some molasses sugar to my cures and I find the background taste goes incredibly well with the smoke. I also added Bay leaf and some cinnamon.
I bought some plastic CD storage boxes with clip on lids a while back and they really suit curing fish at home. so I laid them in the box layered with handfulls of the cure for just over 4 hours. Then they were rinsed, dried and placed in the smoker for 8-10hours, (I can't actually remember...)
what surprised me was the colour thatt the fish took on. It looked like it had be dyed but it was completely natural.
The finished product was fabulous. I can't wait to get some more cod and try it again. I did 8 sides and think I only have a couple left now.
I poached it in milk with some butter, and onion and some garlic for about an hour on the hot plate. Served with creamy mash and sprouting broccoli it was a most satisfying meal.
I'm out Bass fishing in a couple of weeks so I hope that if I get a spare fish then I might be really extravagant and smoke some bass too.
FB
