I just discovered the wonderful taste of Arran Foods honey mustard (sorry for product placement). I have just made my standard cheese sauce with Isle of Mull strong cheddar and was looking to enhance the taste and tried this stuff. A dollop of lovely sweet mustard taste gave an edge to the sauce. The missus agrees so brownie points again. The trout is just about done in the oven and I need to get some frozen peas out. I'm sure that there are other honey mustards out there so give it a go.
Des
Sounds lovely Des :D
I will keep a eye open for that it sounds great. I might start keeping the odd trout this season as ive just been given a smoker. Yum
A smoker is a plan for this year. I read some of the posts re creating your own but with my DIY skills I would blow myself up so a commercial product it will need to be. Any suggestions?
Just read the earlier thread, suggestions in there re commercial smokers but any other suggestions welcome.
I just use a snowbee hot smoker, does a fine job
smoked anything does nothing for the heartburn
kills me :gay4
This is very good, pretty cheap, and very easy;
http://cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html (http://cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html)
it produces much better results than the small tin type smokers. These usually cook the fish rather too fast and the fish is basically cooked not smoked although they do give a reasonable smoke flavour this is nowhere near as good as a smoker like this.
It is better to hang most fish on special hooks rather than lay them down on a grid, but both methods work.
I'm using an Abu roken smoke box that must be near 50 years old and still going strong. Inherited from my grandfather I take it out a few times a season; nothing better than fresh trout smoked at the side of a loch.
Most people who have eaten the stuff I smoked preferred the fish without any flavourings at all, but pretty well brined. Now when I smoke stuff for large partys etc I stick to a certain procedure and don't use any "flavourings" at all.
It is essential to brine the fish properly, at least four hours, but preferably overnight. It is also essentlal to rinse them off well and allow to dry thoroughly so that the skin forms a "pellicle" before smoking.
To get the right brine mixture peel a potato, put it in the water you are going to use, and add salt stirring well until till the potato floats. You can adjust this to your taste if you wish once you have tried it and know the quantities used.
If you don't brine and dry properly things don't turn out so well. You can increase the intensity of the Smoky taste by increasing the length of time in the smoke. The flavour is considerably more intensive if the fish are eaten the next day and not straight out of the smoke but some like them straight out of the smoke.
Good wood chips, I have generally used fruit woods, like apple cherry and plum, and some fresh green juniper, if you can get it adds a delicate flavour but you can use dried juniper berries as well. It is important not to smoke too hot but you have to reach a certain minimum temperature and hold it for a while. ( 20...40 minutes) depending on taste. If you want to cold smoke various stuff then a different procedure is required and the smoke must not get very hot at all.
You can't do any of this very well using the small ( abu roken etc) type smokers. In these the fish is cooked rather than smoked and the flavour is really very different to what is produced from a large smoker. This is also due to the loss of weight in such a smoker, which is an essential part of the process This does not occur in the small tin smokers.
The dustbin type smokers work pretty well. You can just use a firebox with charcoal, get this going, and add chips or dust as required. If you use good chips there is no need to soak them, this just produces a lot of steam instead of smoke.
There are loads of brining recipes, but the simple brine works very well and most people like the results.
If you don't want to make your own, which is easy and the cheapest option, and you are sure you will be doing a bit of smoking, you want to be looking for something like this;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LARGE-SMOKER-COOKER-CHIPS-BRINE/dp/B009YSKFY0/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1360827376&sr=8-15 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/LARGE-SMOKER-COOKER-CHIPS-BRINE/dp/B009YSKFY0/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1360827376&sr=8-15)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LARGE-SMOKER-COOKER-CHIPS-BRINE/dp/B009YSKFY0/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1360827376&sr=8-15 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/LARGE-SMOKER-COOKER-CHIPS-BRINE/dp/B009YSKFY0/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1360827376&sr=8-15)
But again there are many on the market.
I have a load of photos somewhere of the rig I have used for years. I will try and find a few and post them later.
This was our meal one night on South Uist.
Billy
[attachimg=1]
Quote from: BARFLY on February 13, 2013, 08:27:38 PM
Fergie, smokers are great things. Since getting mine, I`ve used it lots of times. Don`t be put off by the pish you can read about them, keep it basic and enjoy. :D
I will certainly be keeping it simple for now mate.I got some sawdust with it but the GAC sell it anyway :D
Quote from: borderbob on February 14, 2013, 01:04:49 AM
As ever the most non part time fisher I`ve ever had the company of !
Don't know about that Bob - I can't believe how little I got out last season. Hopefully might meet up for a cast with you this season; give me a shout if you're heading up North or I'm usually down at the inlaws in the borders a few times a year. I'll bring the smoker :)
Quote from: borderbob on February 14, 2013, 01:04:49 AM
I always seem to over smoke, and dont seem to get the flavours of the `ingredient`s !!
Am I expecting too much or not putting enough "Flavouring" in ?
I just use the basic Abu or Snobee wood dust; just oak I think. Only flavouring it a wee touch of salt if I remember it.
As well as fish I find good quality sausages and burgers do well in the smoker. Needs a couple of extra lotsof meths to make sure their cooked. Some thin venison sausages were excellent
Roughly how long would a half pound trout take. And sausages im just no sure on times also is the fat in burgers and sausages a problem.?
As you are hot smoking at pretty high temperatures they take about 10 to 15 minutes max.
You get a variety of wood chips for smokers out of Dobbies
The last pack I got out was in Asda. Once the barbeque stuff goes on the shelves you should be able to pick it up there. If Christmas and easter stock is anything to go by it should be on the shelves already. :8)
If I remember they had a couple of different wood types and cheaper than some of the other stockists.
Billy
Wow thats quick. :shock: For some reason i thought it took ages :D
TOO MUCH talk of food (cals) ...... Just kiddin, used to have one of the old ABU smoker tins, fab wish I still had it.
Quote from: fergie on February 15, 2013, 09:12:25 AM
Roughly how long would a half pound trout take. And sausages im just no sure on times also is the fat in burgers and sausages a problem.?
I go by number of fills of the meths burner as a guide rather than time. Trial and error and have a look now and again. Shelter makes a difference as well; I always build up stones around the smoker if I can. For meat or anything you want to cook slower and longer you can lower the heat by opening the lid a wee bit. Generally I'd say one fill of the burner does a half pound trout or two, two fills for a pound size trout, burgers or thin sausages and three fills for anything more.