# Smoking smelts?



## howzit (Jul 2, 2012)

I love smoked fish, any fish. I buy canned Sprats from Russia and they are delicious; very smokey flavor. I've had fried smelts and like them. has anyone ever tried smoking smelts? Any suggestions? Thanks


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## buckytom (Jul 3, 2012)

i'm very interested in the responses to this thread.

i've wanted to smoke fish, any whole fish, for a while now.  from trout, to mullet, to whiting.

my family loves fried smelts, i'd bet they'd be great smoked.


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## Harry Cobean (Jul 3, 2012)

howzit said:


> I love smoked fish, any fish. I buy canned Sprats from Russia and they are delicious; very smokey flavor. I've had fried smelts and like them. has anyone ever tried smoking smelts? Any suggestions? Thanks





buckytom said:


> i'm very interested in the responses to this thread.
> 
> i've wanted to smoke fish, any whole fish, for a while now.  from trout, to mullet, to whiting.
> 
> my family loves fried smelts, i'd bet they'd be great smoked.


love smoked anything-fish,bacon,chicken,duck etc.best smoked fish i've had bucky was at bolas's.he did bass,trout & mackerel(brined 1st).the mackerel was outstanding.mackerel is my fav fish....amazing isn't it,the cheapest most plentiful fish outta the sea & imo the best!
i live in an apartment so conventional smoking is not on the cards.i do a "cheats smoke".line a wok with foil,chuck in some soft brown sugar mixed with tea leaves,cover with another layer of foil with holes punched in it,put in the wok's rack,fish on the rack,lid on,on the heat,20mins later hot smoked fish or whatever you put in.i always brine the food before smoking,don't see why it wouldn't work with smelts


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## CWS4322 (Jul 3, 2012)

I've never had smoked smelts, but would probably like them if they were moist smoked instead of dry. Curious if anyone living in MN, MI, or WI has eaten smoked smelt (I'll have to look at the locker plant next time I go to northern MN). A quick search on the Internet, and it would seem that smoking smelts is common--Alton Brown even has a recipe.


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## justplainbill (Jul 3, 2012)

Scales on & guts in?


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jul 3, 2012)

howzit said:


> I love smoked fish, any fish. I buy canned Sprats from Russia and they are delicious; very smokey flavor. I've had fried smelts and like them. has anyone ever tried smoking smelts? Any suggestions? Thanks



I personally haven't smoked smelt.  But my Dad did, and they were superb.  To smoke them, he brined them, then brushed with a brown sugar glaze.  He put them into his "Li'l Indian" smoker with hickory.  It was like eating candy, only better.  The smelt flavor came through, in combination with the smoke and brown sugar flavors.  I remember eating the smelt, bones and all.  It was almost a ritual during smelt season in the U.P.  We normally just dredged them in flour, pan fried in a little oil, salted them, and munched them down.  But the smoked smelt he made that one year were truly a treat.  Just don't make the brine too salty.  If I recall, you should be using a cup of salt for every gallon of water.

I wish I had the recipe he used, to give to you.  Sorry.

You don't know what good memories you have invoked within me, with this thread.  Thanks.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## CWS4322 (Jul 3, 2012)

justplainbill said:


> Scales on & guts in?


I don't remember that the smelt we'd eat (just the way Chief mentioned--dredged in flour and fried) had "scales" on them. Smelt aren't very big. When the smelt would start running in early, early spring, it was a ritual to go smelting...yes-memories here too!


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## GotGarlic (Jul 3, 2012)

I have those same memories, CSW. Spring smelting and lots of yummy little fried fish.


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## CraigC (Jul 3, 2012)

Been a long time since I smoked any fish. When I did it was with an el cheapo water smoker. I used ice in the water pan, which kinda acted as a cold smoker. Back then I only used hickory chips and I think it took 3-4 hours. I'm sure I brined the filets first.


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## howzit (Jul 3, 2012)

*Thank you all for your posts...*

I feel inspired! I have a bunch at home and I'm gonna' smoke 'em tomorrow. They have the heads and insides removed. I'm going to use my usual brine (someone suggested maple, so I think I'll add some maple syrup to the brine) and soak 'em for about 45 minutes, then smoke 'em for 20-30 minutes. I always use water in my smoker. I will use hickory for a strong smoky flavor. I'll let you know how they come out. Thanks again for all your thoughts and suggestions. Check back Thursday to see if I was a success or a flop.


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## Addie (Jul 3, 2012)

Brined and Smoked Smelts Recipe : Alton Brown : Recipes : Food Network

Alton Brown's recipe. It is rated five stars.


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## giggler (Jul 3, 2012)

Why would one Brine Fish?

Aren't they all ready brined?!

Eric, Austin Tx.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 3, 2012)

I think when fresh caught, there's no brine.


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## Addie (Jul 3, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> I think when fresh caught, there's no brine.


 
Smelts are one of those fish like the salmon that migrate if not caught at sea, to where they were born. In Brewster on Cape Cod, there is a very old mill. Every year the smelts are running. We used to go there with buckets and catch them to eat. The town would put in a ladder so they could get upstream easier. Once they got past a certain point, you weren't allowed to catch them. They had to be allowed to finish their journey. That way there would be more for next year. They would come in from Cape Cod Bay. It took a lot of them to feed a family just one meal.


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## CWS4322 (Jul 3, 2012)

The ones we ate were freshwater. As I understand it, there are fresh- and saltwater smelt. The ones we harvested came from Lake Superior, or thereabouts. They were very good as appetizers.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jul 4, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> The ones we ate were freshwater. As I understand it, there are fresh- and saltwater smelt. The ones we harvested came from Lake Superior, or thereabouts. They were very good as appetizers.


 
We always got ors as they ran into streams either from Lake Huron, or Lake Superior, usuall Lake Superior.

The variety that lives in the great lakes region are a freshwater species called Rainbow Smelt.  And yes, they are deliscious.  The fish are small enough, that you eat them with the bones.  The fish-heads are removed, and the fish are cleaned.  Usual ways of preperation are to dredge in corn meal or flour, season with salt, and fry in a couple inches of hot oil.  Usually there is nothing but the fish except for something to drink, which in our house was always milk.  We all loved our smelt.

Sadly, smelt are not indigenous to the Great Lakes.  They were planted as a foodfish for larger fish, such as Lake Trout, and Pike.  From the time I was born, in 1855, until about 1974, the smelt ran so thick, that if you caught them in a run, you could practically walk accross the stream on their backs.  If you didn' catch the run, you simply walked the stream in the daytime, and dipped the holes.  In no time, you could fill a 5-gallon bucket.

Now, it takes hours of dipping, and you have to be there on the right night, when they are running.  It takes a lot of dipping to get 5 gallons worth now.

I asked a local biologist about the decrease in smelt numbers.  He said that there is more pressure on the smelt than when I was young.  There are many more salmon, steelhead, and other predatory fish in the Great Lakes than before.  Couple that with comercial fishing boats that net and sell them, and the invasive cormorants, and you can easily see why the numbers are down.  In addition, since this wasn't there original biological home, they just may have peaked until the local eco-systems have adapted to their presence.  He believes the smelt with never be found in the numbers that they were found in their heyday.  So sad, but in actuality, better probably for the environment.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## CWS4322 (Jul 4, 2012)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> From the time I was born, in 1855, until about 1974, the smelt ran so thick, that if you caught them in a run, you could practically walk accross the stream on their backs. walked the stream in the daytime, and dipped the holes.  In no time, you could fill a 5-gallon bucket.Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


My gosh, CLoN, I had no idea you were born in 1855! No wonder you know so much about cooking and techniques...you've had so much longer to master these skills than the average Joe. May I have permission to use this as an example of comma placement?


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## justplainbill (Jul 4, 2012)

Comma placement notwithstanding, the blurb provides some interesting info.  Wondering if the smelt was introduced in 1955.


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## CWS4322 (Jul 4, 2012)

justplainbill said:


> Comma placement notwithstanding, the blurb provides some interesting info.  Wondering if the smelt was introduced in 1955.


I have a warped sense of humor. I laughed until tears were rolling down my checks re: the comma placement. It was "Today's Funny" for me.


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## CharlieD (Jul 4, 2012)

If you are buying sprats you should be able to buy smoked smelt in the same store I bet. I know for fact they sell it here in MN.


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## CraigC (Jul 4, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> The ones we ate were freshwater. As I understand it, there are fresh- and saltwater smelt. The ones we harvested came from Lake Superior, or thereabouts. They were very good as appetizers.


 
There are many fish species that are euryhaline. They can handle a wide range of salinity. Bull sharks have been found to travel way up the Mississippi and other freshwater rivers, streams and lakes.


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## buckytom (Jul 4, 2012)

yup. fortunately, only bull sharks have a salt gland that allows them to spend a long time in fresh water.

the bad news is that bull sharks are tied with great whites in terms of curiosity and aggressiveness.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jul 5, 2012)

It is true.  I wasn't born in the 1800's, but rather in 1955.  My co-workers are younger than me by close to a decade, and poke fun at my age, and that I am slower than they are.  What they don't realize, and I'm talking about adults who are young enough to be my kids, that they are in worse shape in their early thirties, than I was in my early 40's.  What does that bode for them when they are in their mid-fifties?  My closest co-worker started with us when he was about twenty years old.  I kept up with him completely at that time, though I was in my early forties.

I make fun of myself for fun and to amuse others, as I am perfectly satisfied with how I have run my life, how my children turned out to be spectacular adults, and a host of other factors in my travels through life.

AFter all, how many can clame that they created the world's best pancake recipe?

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jul 5, 2012)

Don't bogart that smelt, my friend. Pass it over to me.


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## howzit (Jul 6, 2012)

Thank you all for the input... it's been a very lively conversation, and very informative.

I live in Las Vegas, so there's not a lot of fresh fish available locally.  I spotted the frozen (already cleaned) smelts at one of the local Chinese markets.  I've had them fried and always enjoyed them so I figured I'd try smoking them.  I brined them for 1:15, which in hindsight was too long; they are _very_ salty.  My basic brine is 1 gal. water 2 cups kosher salt, 1 cup brown sugar and a bunch of spices.  After brining I rinsed the smelts with fresh water.  I smoked them at 170 degrees for 2 hours and used hickory chips for smoke.  I added the hickory chips at the start and then added some at about 1:30, which again with 20/20 hindsight was too much.  They were so strongly flavored that I actually rinsed them with freash after they cooled and allowed them to air dry for a couple of hours.  they are firm but not quite what I'd call "dry" (I read of folks who smoke them 'till they're completely dry, 12-24 hours).  I think that the brining should be limited to about an hour, maybe cutting back a little on the salt (possibly because I'm getting sea run smelts and they're naturally saltier?) and smoking to 1:30 or a little less.  I also would not use hickory again, the next batch will be apple or maple.  I'm eating them anyway and will try another batch in 2 weeks; I'll let you all know how I do on the next batch.  Thank you all again.  Happy Smoking!


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## buckytom (Jul 6, 2012)

thank *you* for the details, howzit. 

i may actually get to smoke fish someday soon, and your tips will be very valuable. 

i'm glad you mentioned smoking with apple wood because i just saved a load of branches from my tree.


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## CWS4322 (Jul 6, 2012)

buckytom said:


> thank *you* for the details, howzit.
> 
> i may actually get to smoke fish someday soon, and your tips will be very valuable.
> 
> i'm glad you mentioned smoking with apple wood because i just saved a load of branches from my tree.


I've been saving "windfall" branches off the apple and pear trees for about 2 years now...it's about time I figure out how to use the smoker I picked up last summer...my issue is getting fresh fish........my cousin smokes a lot of fish and sent me a pdf on how to smoke fish. He prefers lake trout moist smoked.


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## Rocklobster (Jul 7, 2012)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Don't bogart that smelt, my friend. Pass it over to me.


LOL. I don't know how you can smoke those things. I can never keep them lit..


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## Dawgluver (Jul 7, 2012)

Rocklobster said:
			
		

> LOL. I don't know how you can smoke those things. I can never keep them lit..



You're lighting the wrong end.


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