Now You're Smokin' Mackerel

 

People who know me, know I smoke a lot of fish and meats. I've been doing it for over 30 years and love it! 

In the Spring, when our fish traps (weirs) were set up and fishing and I was packing our catch of mackerel at the Trap Dock in Stage Harbor,  I would put aside the fattest roe-filled macs I could get my hands on. There was no way those beautiful fish were going to markets far from my table. 

Later, you would find me at my yard tending the smoker, sipping whiskey from my great-grandmother's teacup and sharing time with whomever stopped by to chat. Often friends and family would bring their own Webber smokers over and we'd have a 'Smokefest', where we would gossip about town and fishing issues, listen to music, sip a few and swap recipes. 

One windy spring day we had such a great time that as we chatted away the smoke for our collective smokers billowed out onto the street. The Chatham Fire Department arrived with sirens blaring. Someone had become alarmed by the smell of wood burning and reported a fire. It didn't help that I lived right on Rte 28 near downtown. 

Many years and a variety of smokers later I have learned a few things that I thought I'd share with you about preparing and smoking mackerel. 

CHOOSE YOUR FISH

First off, know your fishermen or fishmonger and ask them for whole fish or filets with the skin on. Make sure they are consistent in size. As an aside, in reality, fish markets rarely, if ever, offer local caught mackerel at their counters any more. That is one of the reasons Chatham Harvesters Cooperative offers macs at their dockside sales. Eating what is available seasonally from our near shore waters is healthy, environmentally sustainable and supports the local economy. 

So back to the fish...

Spring-caught mackerel (the female fish) contain roe and tend to be fatter. The roe is tasty smoked and is excellent on a cracker topped with red onion, creme fraiche and capers. Let's just call it what it is: Cape Cod caviar. Fall mackerel can be leaner and will have no roe. The filets are a nice dark oily meat. 

Fall mackerel

PREP YOUR FISH 

Cut off the head, leave the collarbone. Clean out the intestines and stomach, split the fish down the back and spread. Rinse the fish under running water and place in a bucket of water for 15-20 minutes for additional cleaning. Remove. 

Filets of mackerel 

Next make a brine of one quart water to one pound salt- this is your time to shine by adding a touch of white vinegar, molasses or herbs to develop your own smoked fish signature taste.  Soak the fish in the brine 1-3 hours or more if you wish. Remove the fish from the brine and rinse. Lay the fish out on wire mesh racks over a bucket, tray or the sink, ideally near  a breezy area to dry for 2 hours. I hang  the brined  on my clothesline to dry if it's a breezy day. Yes, that's right my clothesline!

PREP YOUR SMOKER

You can use a webber grill, a stand up propane smoker or if you have racks to hang the fish use your fire pit. Start the fire in the smoker and get a good smoke going then lay the fish on wire racks or trays, making sure the fish don't touch each other. Hardwood is the best. I use hickory because the fish trap poles are hickory and available to me. I use both the wood and the bark. Apple and oak are fine too. Wood chips are available at most grocers. Do not, I repeat do not use pine. It is resinous and will wreck your fish.

NOW YOU'RE SMOKIN'

Keep the fire smothered to produce 'a good' smoke- use pellets or sawdust. Don't let the fire go out and keep the temp low. You will need to tend it and this is where sipping whiskey from a teacup comes in handy. Six hours is okay, 12 hours is better. For smoking, not for sipping.  

My rigged-up smoker over my fire pit. I made a wooden tripod, straddling the pit and covered with an old canvas. It work and kept a low heat/ good smoke on the fish. 

The best way to tell if your fish is ready is by the color of the filet. It should be a a dark brown, nor charred or blackened. 

Smoked fish will keep several days in the fridge and you can also vacuum seal and freeze it for up to six months. 

Now I haven't given you exact details because smoking is a process and you learn as you go.  But... if you have done it right and you invite friends over to share,

it might not last long. 

Smoked Roe on lemon toast with creme fraiche, red onion and capers. 

Have fun, support your local harvesters and follow me on Instagram @FishChickPhotog 

Best, 

Shareen 

shareen@chathamharvesters.com

Earth Day and the Awakening of Cape Cod

Today is Earth Day,  a time to reflect and connect to the abundance surrounding us. 

If you look around Cape Cod, everything is big. Houses and vehicles are big; social, economic and food issues are big. The Pandemic has reeked big havoc on our lives and the lives of our friends and family - really big. 

In the run up to big, have we lost our way recognizing the simple nuances of nature as small signs of abundance? 

Of all months of the year on Cape Cod, April is big. It is the time we roust from  dormancy. 

The ocean turns a teal green, the herring arrive, the ospreys follow. Then the porgies and mackerel, squid and striped bass along with laughing gulls and oyster catchers. 

Cape Cod has awoken, it's Earth Day. 

Fish weirs are erected in the Nantucket Sound in the spring to coincide with the awakening of Cape Cod. Fish weirs are a historic artisanal seasonal fisheries harvesting squid, scup and mackerel in the later days of spring and early summer.
Photo by Shannon Eldredge, Chatham Fish Weirs Enterprises.