Tender and nutritious asp pulp goes well with any side dish. This species of cyprinids could be considered a delicacy, but because of the increased bonyness it did not. In the process of salting and smoking, small bones soften and become fragile, so try yourself to soak asp at home to fully enjoy its unforgettable taste.

Selection and preparation of ingredients

If you were lucky enough to catch a river inhabitant with your own hands, then there will be no doubt of its freshness. But you should pay more attention to its purchase, because fresh fish is a guarantee of the safety of the product cooked in the smokehouse.

The following symptoms will help determine the quality of the carcass:

• eyes are transparent without dullness;
• the integrity of the scales and soft tissues is not broken;
• gills of pink color, not dried, mucus inside is absent;
• after pressing on soft tissues, the deformation quickly disappears;
• no smell.

Did you know? Despite belonging to predatory fish species, the teeth of the asp are missing.

To turn a fish into a balyk suitable for smoking, observe the following rules:

• it is best to smoke uncleaned asps 0.5–2 kg in size;
• on the fins it is easy to navigate the degree of readiness of the dish, so you should not cut them;
• when cutting the gills must be completely removed;
• Separate heads only in small individuals;
• carefully remove the viscera, blood clots and internal films during cutting so as not to crush the gallbladder.

After the asp is cleaned, it must be properly chopped, salted, soaked and dried.

For this:

1. Cut the fish along the line of the ridge.
2. Separate the ribs from the ridge so that the body is flattened by a "book".
3. Divide the middle carcass into 2 parts, cut very large specimens in portions, the trifle will be juicier without cutting.
4. Remove excess moisture from the pieces with a towel.
5. An insufficient amount of salt during salting of fish leads to spoilage of the product. Do not chase the salt rate in the pursuit of a salted result. At least 2% salt of its weight should be taken per 1 kg of prepared asp - the longer the carcasses are smoked or dried, the stronger the concentration of salt will be felt.
6. Take 150 g of salt and 50 g of sugar per 1 kg of asp, mix with a pinch of black pepper. You can add paprika, thyme. Sesame seeds, dill seed, basil are perfect. But be careful, because the intensity of the smell of spices should not interrupt the taste of asp.
7. Rub the balyk with salt and spices against the scales, leave it to be salted for 6–24 hours in a cool place (+ 5 ... + 7 ° С). Small fish will be suitable for smoking after 2-3 hours, and large fish will need a day. You can immediately salt a large batch of catch and take a few pieces from the brine for drying and a smokehouse as needed - the asp does not absorb excess salt and can be stored in it for a long time.
8. Rinse the fish under cold running water. If it has been lying in the brine for a long time, soak for at least 10 hours with a multiple change of water.
9. Hang it to dry in a dark, ventilated place, out of reach of insects for 7–10 hours with hot and 12–24 hours with cold method in the attic or in the closet, this will be enough for the carcasses to stare. Dried fish is completely ready to move to the smokehouse.

In order for the asp to turn out to be fragrant, without bitterness, similar in taste to salmon, you should pay attention to the correct choice of wood. Coniferous species are strictly forbidden to be used - resin is a strong bitterness and an unpleasant odor.

The amount of tar, tar and carcinogens that affect the taste and enhance the harm to the finished product depends on wood. The safest are fruit species and deciduous trees with soft wood, such as beech and alder. For aroma, you can add a couple of juniper, raspberry, blackberry branches and spicy herbs to the bottom of the smokehouse.

Important! Despite the obvious benefits of fish oil, due to the high concentration of salt, doctors do not recommend being carried away by smoked meats for people with diseases of the cardiovascular and genitourinary system.

How to smoke asp

In the smoked form, the asp preserves a lot of useful substances even after heat treatment in a smoke generator or smokehouse. You can cook it in various ways, the difference of which is the temperature of the smoke and the duration of the fish in the apparatus.

When cold smoked, carcasses are blown with smoke cooled to 28 ° C for a day or more, and when hot, the fibers are completely heat treated until ready for 40 minutes. You can cook in this way bream, catfish, silver carp and any other river fish.

It is very important to follow the technology when completing step-by-step recipes, otherwise the slightest violation will reduce the quality of the product or lead to damage:

1. Poorly dried fish can disappear due to moisture, which provokes the development of bacteria at a low temperature, during cold smoking. Watch for quality drying before placing in the smokehouse.
2. Place the asp in the smokehouse so that the carcasses do not touch each other. Especially tasty and juicy will be those that were smoked in limbo.
3. With the hot smoking method, make sure that the temperature of the fire does not exceed 100 ° C.
4. The smoke temperature during the cold smoking method should remain within +28 ... + 40 ° С.
5. Sawdust should smolder slightly. To prevent them from flaring up, moisten the heat from time to time with water.
6. Watch the intensity and density of smoke. Smoke should not be felled, otherwise, due to its density, wet fish will boil rather than smoky.
7. If the fish is salted well, the process of smoking with cold smoke will take 12–36 hours.
8. In the hot method, small carcasses last from 40 minutes to 3 hours until cooked, large ones should spend at least 24 hours in the smokehouse.
9. An important condition is the continuity of the process for the first 8 hours. Stock up on wood chips and sawdust ahead of time so as not to be distracted by their searches.
10. The fish should be in the smokehouse until completely cooled, only after that it can be removed.
11. The finished fish has a uniform dark golden color.
12. Store prepared carcasses in a dark, cool, ventilated place for 5-7 days. After drying and ripening, it is completely ready for serving.

Important! To save time, drying the fish in an hour will help windy weather or a fan directed towards the carcasses.

Useful properties are preserved in smoked fish, so even with a strict diet and a balanced diet, such low-calorie and nutritious meat will not bring harm. With these homemade recipes for a delicate and juicy smoked delicacy, you will be able to surprise and please your loved ones.