Well, these little beauties are the reason I got "hooked" into Barbecue. You're looking at about $150 worth of smoked albacore and yellowfin tuna. It cost me maybe $6.00 to make, since I got the fish for free....I LOVE THIS HOBBY!!!
There I was, just minding my own business, when the phone rang....it was my friend Kevin. "Hey Randy, I just got back from a fishing trip south of San Diego (Mexico) and I caught a few tuna. Would you be interested?" he asks. "Um *yes*, let me *yes* think about it*yes* for a minute....*YES!!!!*...uh, sure Kevin, that sounds great" I answered.
For this article, we are talking about "hot-smoking" as opposed to "cold-smoking" fish. If I ever get around to finishing the glossary, I'll describe it like this:
"hot-smoking" is generally done at 140°-200°, for a few hours (up to 24 or so)......for example, flaky smoked salmon
"cold-smoking" is generally done under 100°, for many days to weeks......for example, slimy pink lox.
You can smoke just about any type of fish, but some of the more popular ones that I've seen and done would be:
Salmon - the most commonly smoked fish. Tastes great when smoked, and is quite forgiving if you overcook it since it's so oily.
Tuna - Albacore, Yellowfin, Bluefin, etc. The second most commonly smoked fish around here. Albacore is delicious when smoked and has a nice little tang to it that's hard to describe. I've discovered that you must be very careful with these types of fish, which are less fatty, since they dry out very easily.
Yellowtail (member of the mackerel family?) - haven't done this one yet, but ate some on a fishing trip once....mmmmmmmm.
Trout - I did a whole trout once. Tasty, but you have to maneuver around a lot of bones and the flesh is very plain.
Personally, I look for a "strong" tasting fish that will counter the smoky tastes (and by strong, I don't mean "fishy"). Also, fish that "flakes up" well when cooked will provide a nice texture to the finished product.