Tea-Smoked Fish

, from Issue #14. September, 2015
Photography by Becky Nunes.
Tea-Smoked Fish

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

600 grams firm white fish fillets skinned, about 2 cm thick eg. kingfish

Marinade
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Smoking Mix
1 cup rice
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon fragrant black loose leaf tea

METHOD

Fish: Combine the marinade ingredients to make a thick paste and spread over the top of the fish only.

Smoking: Put the rice in the base of the smoker then sprinkle over the sugar and then the tea. Place the fish on a rack in the smoker or foil-lined wok. Heat the smoker, uncovered, over a moderate heat until the mixture starts to smoke. Reduce the heat to medium, cover tightly and smoke for 10-15 minutes or until the flesh starts to flake. Remove and leave for 5 minutes before uncovering.

To serve: Place the fish on a serving platter and accompany with mayonnaise, lemon wedges, cornichons and rye bread. 

All these recipes have been tested in a wok on a gas stove-top. A 33 cm non-stick perforated pizza pan fits into most standard sized woks and is the perfect surface on which to smoke. The quantity of chips used for smoking would be greater if using a larger style smoking box.

Follow the instructions provided for each type of smoker.