I have recently purchased one of the small portable smokers and while having had success with following the instructions, I'm thinking there must be lots of ways to prepare and smoke different species.

Can anyone point me to either a good book or web address that discusses this, including smoking time etc..

Cheers 

cant help ya there mate, but welcome to the forum...

Hi Frank,

Can't help with any literature, but smoking in general isn't difficult, 3 or 4 handfuls of sawdust, meths to fill the burners and cook it till it stops!

I've also smoked steak - nice - and I fully intend to split a chook in half and throw that in soon. I hear you can smoke mushrooms (man that sounds bad! - I mean normal mushrooms to eat on a smoker!), some veges, any kind of meat.

I'll keep an eye on this thread because if someone comes up with a smoking book I want one too!

Cheers, Mal.

Thanks for the welcome tobes. I enjoy cooking the fish almost as much as the hunting and gathering.

Mel, I know what you mean -seems any food group can be smoked - must be a host of rubs etc that can be applied to fish, meat etc..

Like you I am hopeful there is a good book one can hook into.

Cheers

welcome matey.....i think its a geniune question you have there....

about 232 zigzag papers and a huge lighter .....won't taste very good...oooh

seriously tho it cooks pretty fast in those wee things and the smoky flavour can be potent...watch that you clean it thoroghly tho as i found that "old" sawdust taints the next thing you smoke.....put a couple of sheets of tinfoil down on either side of the grill bit about 40 mins is the average i find....watch the meths container as occasionally it blows out.....all sorts of rubs....butter and brown sugar seems to be a common one....i like corriander and basil with garlic personally......mmmm

if you PM uncle he told me he is a wizard at this....and he drips knowledge on alsorts.....

Thanks Lizard for the tips. Good thought about the clean out after each smoke session - will ensure I attend to this.

Cheers

FrankE

There is a new book about fish smoking out. Can't remember the title right now. They reviewd it and other books in a recent NZFN, could've been December's. 

Smoked some mussels a couple of weeks ago, they were v nice.  

Hi FrankE,

I have been experimenting with a portable fish smoker.

Usually use brown sugar & salt as a base, soak it for a couple of hours in the sugar, salt combination, and then put on different spices, thai, chilli, garlic etc. depending on your tastes.

approximately 30 minutes cooking, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Woody.

I dumped the meths tray from the smoker some time ago and just use it directly on the bbq, another thing I find is that if you partially freeze the kahawai salt and slap on brown sugar and smoke directly you get a moist tender, subtle smoke and the brown sugar caramelises. Want to impress the visitors? Smoke while heating the bbq with fresh smoke to pick at as nibbles. Goes down a treat.

Thanks for all the advice you kind folks.

Have implemented a number of your tips with great results.

Will definitely check out the book.

Cheers

FrankE

Hi Franke

As per above ...ONE handfull of saw dust or bitter it will be and use a gas ring with ure BBQ bottle...ring is $15.00 from the Warehouse. I prepare the fish by boning it out completely...a technique a Maori elder showed be 30 years ago...then sprinkle with salt then brown sugar. Let stand in fridge over night (Flat)then drain / pat dry with paper towels / smoke gently on a medium heat for 20 min. (Place foil on tray so skin doesn't stick to rack) Tastes gorgeous / saliva runnin now.

Cheers CeeBee

agree with above, little hot smoker on top of bbq burner (remove plate/grill and see if it fits directly above burner (i lucked in and it does - more control to temp in my eyes)

the kiwi smoker is a great little read and worth the 12 odd bucks they charge - have plans in mind to make a brick cooler/dryer smoker in a little while - will see how it goes

only real thing i would like to add is if smoking chicken, make sure its cooked properly, apart from that, EXPERIMENT, take notes, adjust, EXPERIMENT again til you get it right

some folfs soak in a brine (see kiwi smoker) but i think for the little hot cookers/smokers it isnt required, just pat dry, salt/brown sugar or golden syryp and away you go

nebody tried the new electric smokers the advertising in the fishing mags? dad used to have a big old double fridge with an oven element heating a pan in where the motor/compressor went - wicked!!! now i'm drooling <SCRIPT language=javascript>postamble();

I use a stainless steel sink with a tin lid i made up. Works well for a quick smoke.If i caught enuff fish i have a large walk in smoker out the back which could probly do a marlin heh.

Try sum grape vine for a different smoke.

Cheers

i find if i use both meth burners at once the fish tends to over cook with the heat as well as smoke .so what i do now is use only 1 side of the meths burner but refill it and burn it twice, so more smoke less heat .good in theory anyway.

also try different wood  or leaves  .last times i tried fejoa leaves on the second refill   a slight  tangy taste .not to bad  but most important of experiment until you get a taste you like

hope this helps

Bender , I use a fire for walk in smoker but it gets abit hot. Might be better to jimmy up a cold smoke system or use gas. Being used as a garden shed atm =/

Cheers

One thing I found was that every now and then you would get a real bitter layer over the fish and blamed it on the species or what I had sprinkled over it. I have finally cracked it as the same thing happens in a Multi-Kai-Cooker.

If it gets too hot the dripping will smoke and taint the food. If it is likely to drip put tin foil under it so the fat doesn't smoke up.

Also try smoking left over boiled spuds - 'The Best'

Arjay - you mean to stop the fat/dripping from dropping into the fire. Do like hte multi-kai - I saw one on the Sinclair TV programme and I reckon it'd be bloody brilliant.

Do you use it for cold smoking or is it just a hot smoker?

Haven't actually smoked it it yet but as a hangi for pork/chicken/veges its brilliant - have used the base as a straight barby though but same thing applies, you have to make sure you clean all the fats and oils off otherwise it will smoke and taint the food.

If the fats drop down onto a hot plate it will put a really bitter oilt film over everything.

Let me know when you're doing a hangi - I'll come and help you sample it.

God I haven't had hangi in ages.