Malc

Just checked in the River Cottage Cook Book by Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall, there's a section on hot and cold smoking in it.

Excellent, good result even though you struggled to get bait

Went out with my friends to see if we could get a few more species for the competition. First was a try outside the piers for mackerel or launce, I had one first drop but that was it, then over rough ground for pollock and wrasse but they were being shy and my friends were getting a few codling including some stunning kelpy codling to about 4-5lb. We then tried for flats, pout and whiting over a mixed bottom but I had already scored with dabs and that's all I got, however my friends got their mackerel, so on the score board for mackerel. We always travel with hope and went in really close to rough ground and were flinging SP's and other things about in the hope that a bass of any size might take them but after several drifts gave it best and headed home. Points for all of us as we hadn't had mackerel yet, so not a waste of time but it seems that the fish are here one day and gone the next at the moment or it could be that the bait fish are not in big shoals and the fish are moving about a lot? Good fun and great company to be in as usual.

I am not an expert but we have been smoking fish, fowl and vegetables for around 20 years so I hope that I can cover the basics. Our smoker was blagged by my wife when we were buying our new kitchen units and the smoker was part of a display kitchen, it's a Camerons smoker Quick search but you could make your own with 2x roasting tins and a cake cooling rack, the heavier the better as I would expect cheaper tins to buckle. If you have a deep enough single tin you could try sealing the top with foil. That's my set up you can easily get 2-4 mackerel fillets in it or 2 chicken breasts. Meat and fish need to be salted before smoking as it really does enhance the flavour, brine or dry salt is used, I prefer dry as it is easier to see it working and you don't need to weigh the ingredients or wait for brine to cool, but brine is great to flavour a chicken for Sunday lunch. Coarse or fine salt can be used and I prefer any salt that doesn't have anti caking agents or anything else, just pure salt. You can use sugar as well as salt and I sometimes use it when doing hot smoked mackerel for a salad rather than paté, 50/50 seems to work well enough. You can also try adding other flavours (spices, chilli garlic etc) but you need to be bold as the smoke may mask subtle flavours. How much salt? This is the magic bit...just bung it on! Not 3" thick but a bit like a doughnut, a good covering, if you are using sugar, demerara is good, use a spoonful of each mixed together and coat the meat/fish. We have smoked sweet peppers and chilli which worked fine, no need for salt, just wash and split into two. Length of time is indeterminate, mackerel takes about 15-30 minutes and what I like to see is fluid on the plate, below is just after salting and you can see it is just dry. Next is about half done and the salt looks wetter, but as I said I like to see fluid on the plate that the salt has drawn out. After that wash off the remaining salt and dry well on kitchen paper, if you can leave it on the rack to dry further before smoking. Timings? How long is a piece of string? I put it onto the smallest gas ring at 1/2 heat for about a minute or so but I wait until the top of the smoker is getting a little too hot to touch, then I turn down to lowest setting. Once I think it is half cooked I turn up to 3/4 for a minute and then turn off and leave (don't open it up) for 15 minutes or so to maximise the smokiness. Timings are not set in stone unless you have the same smoker as me, however I find that around 10 minutes cooking for mackerel or similar size fish, 20 minutes for chicken and 30 for peppers. Leaving in the smoker gives more smoky flavour but that's just personal preference, you could take it straight out and scoff it. However always check that the food is fully cooked first, meat thermometers are good but most people can tell if you cut through the thickest part. Wood. I have been processing my own wood for many years and initially I ran my saw with vegetable oil instead of chain oil for a while and then cut some oak and cherry limbs and kept the chips. They were good but I also use hand saw sawdust as well. A level tablespoon dampened works well enough for fish and heaped for chicken and veg. You will mess up on occasions, but a couple of leather hard and blackened mackerel fillets isn't the worst thing to happen to you (we forgot to set the timer!) but over cooking is preferable to uner cooking. If it's too salty this time just use less salt next time or reduce the salting time. It isn't rocket science but it is fun and the results are tasty! If I've missed anything or you aren't sure what I meant just ask.

Just heading out...

Not enough time this afternoon, possibly this evening or failing that next week as I'm off fishing, a concert and food with friends over the weekend 👍

My set up. At the back is the base for outdoor use, but I don't have the burner, lid on the right and on the left the main body will smoking plate and grill above. Chips and sawdust, I use about a level tablespoon of 50/50 and dampen it before use. Bung the chips and dust in the centre and I found that the chips got stuck to the bottom of the plate so I raised it by putting rolled up foil either side. It just helps the clean up afterwards. Stick the plate over the top with your food on, put the top on and place on the hob. I have it on the smallest burner but on full for about a minute to get heat into the box and start the wood smoldering, then lowest setting for however long the food needs to cook. For outdoor use the burner would go inside and the sides would protect it from being blown out I suppose. Hope it helps Mike, any relevant (you know who you are) questions please ask.

I shall consult the time Lords and see what they say about it.

No problem, I'll put some pictures together and get back to you in 1/2 hr

No probs, may have a "tang" to it if I post it 🤢

Easy to do with either bought smoked mackerel or if you want something special DIY. I have a Camerons smoker but you can make your own from 2x roasting tins and a cake cooling rack. I fillet, skin and remove the small bones that run along the middle towards the lateral line as I smoke a lot for friends and some are fussy about bones. Salt the fish for 15-45 minutes then rinse and pat dry. Smoke them for 15 minutes on a low heat and then switch off and leave for 30-45 minutes, then put the fish on a plate and cool. I use cherry wood as I process my own firewood and use 50/50 chips and sawdust that is moistened so it smolders better. Weight the fish and use the same amount of soft full fat cheese and blend in a processor or mash with a fork until you get the consistency you want, the one below is smooth for a friend. Stir in lemon juice to taste, pepper and capers if you like. Sprinkle with paprika and enjoy! Apologies to those who prefer to see mugshots in the photos but the mackerel were shy.

Yes, a few coalies heading off together can turn the kayak, same as a decent pollock/cod or whatever can do

They're coming, smoked mackerel pate with capers 😋

Checked out a new launch site and went out into a haar but visibility was 300m and better at times. I hadn't used the yak for 9 months or so and it was nice to get out, I plotted in way points so I can get back safely as it is a rock fest if you aren't careful. Eventually spotted arches after 3/4 hrs of drifting and searching and sent down a 20gm wedge with 3 sabikis on a 10-40gm rod and 4000 shimano. Bang and away we go! Lots of fish but concentrated in a small area around 50m² or so, mackerel were in ones and twos and coalfish in threes and fours. The coalies were 1lb+ and hauled me about the place which was fun. Took 8 mackerel for the table and put the coalies back, they outnumbered the mackerel 3-1

I'm going to take a travel rod and get totally frustrated. Does anyone target mullet from boat or shore at all?

Had a similar experience, 6" muppets and half mackerel fillets and a half pound whiting neatly hooked on an 8/0 meat hook!

Not our subject really as we fish the Northumberland and Durham coasts but this forum and YouTube helped us glean lots of info and helped inform our decisions, so don't believe that huss don't like shallow water or fast current.

Annual trip was written off due to weather conditions but my friends kindly twisted my arm into going over the weekend on the proviso that they got me to the airport or home before my flight to Spain. First day was choppy at times and finished flat, but we managed to get some mackerel, scad and launce to bolster our few frozen baits and ended up with a topelet, a similar size smooth, a mid sized huss and a mid sized TBR. Day two and we headed off for tide and depth. First off was a huss of around 90cm but as the tide strengthened we headed to another spot just to the side of a drop off, the anchor kept pulling out and then stopping us, so a slow drift really. On one of the stops my friend had a knock and a slow run so we thought Huss, but on striking it went bananas! It was great to see a good bend in the rod and eventually the fish obliged and headed to the boat and then towards the warp!!!! It was expertly handled back towards us and netted and tailed in one swift move. 151cm iirc. Short while later I had a couple of sharp pulls and then a run, I gave it a count of 3 and tightened and she was off! I thought I would lose her as the tide was raging and she was using it to good effect, however I managed to get some line back before a couple of short runs, and started to pump her back in towards the boat but she wasn't heading up just keeping deep until under the boat and then she headed up... Then well before we saw the leader she saw the boat and I just held on as she shot off downtide, when she slowed I turned her and started again. She surfaced 15m downtide and managed to turn and run a few yards and then wrap herself on the leader! However after really testing the tackle she came alongside and unwound and was lifted in by my friends! mid 150's in French inches. I was cream crackered on the plane after 2 eight hour days in choppy conditions and just 2 hours kip but I have recovered sufficiently and am off to the pool to wallow and slumber! HAPPY DAYS!

Marquesa for me, just used it a couple of times most recently for tope in challenging conditions of chop and 2-3 kn of tide. It's easy to adjust the lever drag compared to my friends who use Penn (not sure which ones but level wind). Drawback is the weight but if it is in a rod holder then you don't have to worry.

If you are drifting, a drogue is a great thing and I use one on my kayak and friends boat. I find a light trip line helpful to retrieve it rather than having to haul in all that water in a chop!

Awesome! We were chilling in Northumberland with similar skies although draftier! I presume a species competition?

Good thinking saves the day

Oh, I forgot, a haddock!

Revisiting this; how is it going so far? For me I have mostly done the "local" species, cod, coalie, pout dab, whiting, dogfish, lesser sandeel, but not ling or pollock yet. Outside of the competition we hope to get TBR, tope, huss and smooth hound when we go over to the west coast of Scotland.

I'm sure someone will winkle another one out!