smoked northern

[Kyle]

I tried to smoke a northern a few years ago and it didn't turn out well. I was really disappointed, and chalked the species up to being a poor option for smoking as I have been smoking fish for about 10 years and feel very competent.

I'm going on a trip and I know I will be getting some 8-15lb northerns. Rather than pickling a couple fish, I want to try to smoke one again but am hesitant. Last time I tried it I smoked the fillets with the skin on and the consistency wasn't right.If anything it was under cooked as this fish is not oily like other fish that are good to smoke. This time I think I'll simply gut the fish and keep it whole.

Has anyone had success with smoking northerns?

[thirdeye]

I think it's the oil content... it's not high like trout or salmon.

[pushbutton]

Have smoked them and turned out good, in my mind at least. Usually am doing up a lot smaller fish though…..couple lb hammer handles. Do not know if that would matter? Also have smoked up other non oily "whitefish" as well like sheepshead or bass with good results, but similarly with smaller fillets. Crappies as well.

[westb]

I tried to smoke a northern a few years ago and it didn't turn out well. I was really disappointed, and chalked the species up to being a poor option for smoking as I have been smoking fish for about 10 years and feel very competent.

I'm going on a trip and I know I will be getting some 8-15lb northerns. Rather than pickling a couple fish, I want to try to smoke one again but am hesitant. Last time I tried it I smoked the fillets with the skin on and the consistency wasn't right.If anything it was under cooked as this fish is not oily like other fish that are good to smoke. This time I think I'll simply gut the fish and keep it whole.

Has anyone had success with smoking northerns?

Fillet the northern out, take the skin off, cut fillet into manageable pieces, soak in your brine, rinse, and smoke. This is the way I smoke northern and I love it. Of all the different types of fish I smoke northern like this is my favorite.

[pikestabber]

Fillet the northern out, take the skin off, cut fillet into manageable pieces...

It's getting to the point where I smoke all my fish that way... No skin, brined, ready to rock. I fished the ocean last March for the first time and ended up with a bunch of Sea Trout. I thought they were terribly fishy tasting, so I decided to smoke them even though they already had the skin removed. They turned out awesome. Both sides have a nice golden brown, they aren't too dry at all like you might think, and everything gets a nice even flavor. I just turn them once during smoking. I think the "manageable pieces" advice is critical. If you use the whole fillet, it'll just break apart while trying to flip it.

And for the record (and to stay on topic), smoked pike is one of my favorites.

[jstrommen13]

I do it with no skin and in the brine for 4 hours then smoke for about 2 hours at 200. I have heard it does take twice as long with the skin on.

[minnesotathorn]

I also remove skin. I just use the tail sections for smoking & pickle the rest of the fish. after 50+ years of trying to remove y bones I gave up & just pickle.

I just soak rinse & smoke. they are my favorite for smoking.

[MJ1657]

I would like to try smoking some northerns. I have an electric smoker but have never tried smoking fish in it.

What do you guys use for a brine recipe?

Any other tips would be great.

[delcecchi]

I tried smoking a northern... The slime got the papers all wet and it was really hard to light.

(rim shot)

[blue_healer_guy]

1 gallon apple cider

1 cup kosher salt

1 and 1/2 cup maple sugar

fridgerate 24 hrs. rinse and dry for 2 hrs.room temp.

I smoked mine at 200 for 2hrs 45 min. turned out great. these were about 3lbers. skin on.

[Kidd]

Here's a post I put up a while back about smoking Northern. There's no special tricks to it just be sure to wait until the tail meat separates from the skin. If you take the fish off to early you'll ruin it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've smoked Trout (Lake), Salmon (King and Coho), Walleye, Panfish, Suckers, Cisco's and Northern. I can honestly say that the best smoked fish I have ever tasted has been the Northern. If you ever catch a 5 - 10 lb northern, give this a try.

Brine:

Enough water to completely cover the fish

1-cup Sugar

1-cup salt

Stir, with hand, until all sugar and salt is dissolved into the water.

Cover and store over night. (Or at least 5 -6 hours)

Soak your wood for at least a 1/2-hour

Prepare enough charcoal to burn for about an hour, place in your smoker once it's ready

Place wood on top of charcoal

Smoke fish until the meat starts to separate from the tail. Northern have two layers of meat and it will not be thoroughly smoked until it starts to separate.

Good eating.

[fishadb]

I smoke all the northerns I get that are over five pounds, remove skin 1/2 cup salt, 1 cup sugar and some garlic powder. I usually try and get them in the brine late at night and out right away in the morning. I have found that 12 hours can be too long and the fish gets overly salty. If the wires on your racks aren't close enough together try using some tinfoil with slots cut in it.

[minky]

This sounds good!

I can't wait to try it on the next Norton's I get.

I never thought about smoking fish with the skin off, makes sense.

[smurfy]

I would like to try smoking some northerns. I have an electric smoker but have never tried smoking fish in it.

What do you guys use for a brine recipe?

Any other tips would be great.

I have whats called a brinkman charcoal smoker. MJ my dad had one of those electric smokers and did a bang up job. here is our tricks. leave the skin on. to get rid of the slim put the pike in a container of water after cleaned and put like maybe a cup of vinegar in it mixing it up. next day drain and wash off fillets.....no more slim.

I only use pike no bigger then 4 lbs. and my smoker will only hold 8 fillets that size. the brine consists of 1 cup sugar and 1 cup pickling salt mixed in 2 qts of water. brine for 24 hours. I bake my fish at 225 degrees for 45 minutes. bake on top rack. I also add soy sauce worsterchire sauce and other spices...up to you. I get my coals so there white and the chips are soaked in water for a couple hours. drain water off chips a while before putting on coals and let it buck. takes about 2 1/2-3 hours.

[MJ1657]

Thanks guys i'll have to give it a try.

I have one more question. I use my smoker to make pork chops, chicken, etc... My step dad claims if you smoke fish in it you will get a fishy taste in the other meats you smoke. Have any of you guys found that to be true?

[pikestabber]

My step dad claims if you smoke fish in it you will get a fishy taste in the other meats you smoke. Have any of you guys found that to be true?

I've never found that to be true. Just make sure you brush down your racks before smoking something else, but I smoke a lot of fish and plenty of other things and have never had a "cross-over" effect.

[DrJuice1980]

He has probably only ate smoked fish and not much else so everything smoked tastes like smoked fish.

Its like mixing ketchup and mustard and everything tasting like a corn dog...

[Gordie]

Thanks guys i'll have to give it a try.

I have one more question. I use my smoker to make pork chops, chicken, etc... My step dad claims if you smoke fish in it you will get a fishy taste in the other meats you smoke. Have any of you guys found that to be true?

I will try and run the smoke without anything in it for a couple of hours after I smoke fish and I run the temp out it helps with any left over residue from

the fish.

[MJ1657]

Thanks for the tips guys

[fsnrod]

I tried smoking a northern... The slime got the papers all wet and it was really hard to light.

(rim shot)

If you soak'em in fuel oil they lite real easy.

[delcecchi]

But it is a real buzz kill.