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Who wants to smoke eels (or other fishes) will require a
number of practical issues to resolve. The first question is obviously:
"how do I get a portion eel (fish)?"
And the next: how do I get a smoker and how do I get the right wood.
And, last but not least, cleaning, preparation, curing and finally the
actual smoking of the eel.
To smoking fish yourself is becoming popular again in recent years, and
smokers are in abundance for sale. And are well known, among which the
furnaces of Multismoke.
Amateur smokers can endlessly debate the wood they use. What is commonly
used is oak or beech. Make sure that you use unpreserved and unpainted
wood, the smell of paint and preservatives pulls in the eel and no to
forget the health risks when you use this kind of wood!!
For cooking eels you may use pine, but please note that no resin is in
the wood. Remember that wood needs at least six months to dry properly.
If there is an oak or beech tree cut down, ask for a couple of big
branches. Cut into pieces of 20 cm length and let them dry for a year.
So you always have something in stock. For smoking use generally of oak
or beech sawdust. This can be obtained from a sawmill. Even the sawdust
must be clean.
 The fish should before smoking be carefully stripped; it speaks for
itself. Especially the bloodstream to the inside of the eel along the
spine that should with extreme care be removed. Sprinkle over the
largely gutted eel a lot of salt, so that the mucus release. A handful
of white sand helps when stripping a better grip. The head and the sheet
let down of course. After stripping wash the eels several times in clean
water. Now we are ready for brining.
Mix 1 kg of salt with 7 to 8 liters of water. The water is then
saturated with salt. "A potato should float on it," said an old eel
smoker. Then divides the smoking eels into three portions, depending on
thickness. The largest specimens is allowed eight minutes in the brine,
the thinnest four minutes and the middle sort of about six minutes. Make
use of a timer.
Then put the fish in a lopsided folding crate drain. After brining,
rinse no more.
The next step is hanging the eel on metal skewers, also called splatter.
Before we actually start smoking, dry the eel thoroughly. The brine
fluid must be dropped out and the outside must dry. This can happen in
the open air, but the risk is a that flies lay their eggs on or in the
eel. So now we create fire.
This can be used firelighters which we make the barbecue. A few blocks
below the firebox insert now and then you put pieces of wood. Place the
container under the oven and wait until the wood is burning and fire
lighters are completely burned. The latter is important: the blocks, the
flavor of the fish spoils. The heat of the fire causes the smoke eels
pretty quick dry. For the record: Place the burlap sack not yet in the
oven.
Then the yarn. The temperature in the furnace must be sufficiently high,
about 80 degrees. A temperature of the oven is very useful. You do not
have such a thermometer, feel the outside of the oven how hot it is. Can
the metal of the oven yet grasp, then the temperature is certainly too
low. How long does the yarn depends on the temperature in the oven and
the thickness of the eel. Hang the thickest copies the first time in the
hot oven and thinner about ten minutes later.
Now the oven covered with a slightly moistened burlap sack and the
temperature in the furnace will be higher. By squeezing the eel, feel as
if they are cooked. That should in any case within one hour far, but
take your time: nice and slow is best.
Only now begins the actual smoking.
In the burning container are now only some smoldering wood residues and
sawdust that we cover. We now see that the oven fills with smoke. The
burlap sack let it lie. Regularly check if the sawdust is not burned,
regularly refilling is necessary. The temperature in the furnace is back
and it should. After all, the fish is cooked.
Now an hour or two is sufficient, but if you want a stronger smoke
flavor, let the fish than a little longer. When enough smoldering
charcoal in the container is, then the furnace sometimes five hours or
longer smoking
Enjoy your meal!
Translated with Google Translate
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