How to Clean and Smoke Tullibee?

[TruckerDon]

We just got back from a great adventure to the LOW. All seven of us had a great time. Fishing was good and the Bottle Bass had a real good bite going. We caught a few Tullibee and I have heard they are great smoked. I have a smoker, and I'm not afraid to use it (Ha), but I really don't want to screw them up. Any suggestions on how to Clean and Smoke them would be great.

Thanks.

[BuckSutherland]

Go to U - tube and look up

jeff sudin smoking tullibee

it will bring you to a vid called UPNORTH- Hard Water Tullibees with Jeff Sundin #2

good video for a beginner. A lot of guys I know like to slit the throat, but leave the heads on and hang them from that slit by the gills.

I like to use a wet brine. Take cold water and add pickling salt until an uncooked egg in the shell floats. then brine them 12-18 hours depening on how salty you want them. Rinse off and smoke.

And like Sundin says once the skin comes loose from the meat in the smoker they are done.

Enjoy,

They are awesome

[shamrock7]

A lazy persons way of smoking is to slit them into 2 halves. Place skin side down and cover the the fleshy side with regular table salt. Place in refrigerator overnight. Then rinse majority of salt off, sprinkle a little liquid smoke on the meat and place in oven on the lowest temp you have. Done when the meat flakes easily.

Not the same as smoker done fish but if you do not have a smoker, you will be surprised just how good this is.

[Cheetah]

Thanks BuckSutherland. I use a very similar recipe for my salmon. Hopefully this year I can get some more tullibee to smoke up.

[eyeguy 54]

I use this on fish.

1 qt water

1/2 cup non iodized salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 inch thick fish in brine for 4 hours.

1 inch thick fish 8 hours.

I like hickory for fish. I like to put a little maple syrup on them also just before done. good luck!

[TruckerDon]

Thanks Guys, I will give it a try. I fish Lake Michigan for salmon and have good luck with them. Hopefully it translates to these.

[jigginjim]

Those fillets look goood, MMMMMMMMMMMMM, Grab a beer and in 30 seconds you have only the skin.

[CANOPY SAM]

Those smoked fillets look perfect! Great recipe, thanks eyeguy! What fish species is that?

My only issue with smoked fish, as with the batch pictured above, is what do you do with the fish you can't or don't eat within a few days of smoking? With a really big batch you really need to "store" some of the fish for future use.

What is the preferred method of smoked fish "long-term" storage? In my experience they don't freeze and thaw very well. They often end up pretty mushy.

[BuckSutherland]

I wish I could do all of my fish like the ones in the picture as half fillets, but I have found that I get way to much garbage and condensation that fall on my fillets. Take a look at the bottom right rack. The fillet in the bottom left corner has those spots of ash and soot all over it. That basically ruins the entire fillet. Better to leave the skin on like the video or the heads too and hang them on rods.

Canopy Sam the best way I have found to preserve them is to vaccum seal them and leave them in the fridge. But let them cool down and dry some before you seal them up. They should last up to two months. or a little more like that.

[eyeguy 54]

Theese are tullibbe. not big ones. I can't eat them fast cuz of the itty bitty bone that is in the top part of the piece. :>) I freeze them and havn't had an issue. Vac pak. I smoke a bit on the dry side. That may help so they are not mushy after freezing.

Usually good stuff in the cooking and recipe thread if you are looking for different brines. This one is basic and i really like it.

[James_R]

I just clean and freeze the herring fillets. I like just eating the fillets coated with egg batter and ritz cracker crumbs fried in oil or turning them into small batches of fish cakes. They don't have to be pickled or smoked like most people believe although the pictures above posted by eyeguy look pretty awesome. I just can't seem to eat a boatload of smoked fish before it goes bad.

[eyeguy 54]

share, people will love you. :>)