I'm looking for a recipe to brine and smoke bullhead.My uncle used a simple salt brine I think ,but I don't know times or temps as he has passed on.

I have never heard of anyone eating bullhead before. Are they good?
I have also never seen one longer than about 4 inches. How big do they get?

just curious.
Craig

I think most people just pan fry them, and yes they are somewhat larger than four inches. I never really appreciated the taste, however many others do. For instance Waterville, Minnesota has what they call bullhead days each year, since they are the bullhead capitol of the world. The meat is somewhat fine and reddish, however I assume almost anything can be fried or smoked. Go for it and please let us know how they turn out.

Can anyone point me to some archived posts/recipes for smoked salmon?

Thanks,
Mark

we eat yellow, brown, and black bullhead. We start catching them in late april when they emerge from the mud where they winter over. Eating size is between eight and twelve inches. They have a delicate white meat and are delicious pan fried however my uncle smoked a mess up a couple years ago that were fantastic. Now I have the smoking bug and wish to duplicate, but he's passed on. Maybe a lighter salmon brine is in order!

Mark,

Go to the "search" button, type "salmon" in the text window. Select "seafood archives" in the "forum window" (this will limit your search to the seafood archive.

I got 52 results, some of those will be what you want.

Smokin

bullhead,
sorry i took so long for your reply but had to go to workshop where i keep all my culinary books.
the following are guidelines from "the l.l. bean game and fish cookbook" i have used this book a lot when i got stumped and have never had one of their recipes fail me.
ok here goes:
general guidelines
1. Brine for 5-6 hours. Do not remove skin.
2. Remove from brine, rinse, pat dry.
3. Let dry for 1 hour using an electric fan, this is important
4. Preheat smoker at least 1/2 hour before smoking
5. While preheating, rub fish down with seasonings you like
The book calls for a 6-7 hour smoke but common sense says this is cold smoking, so you will have to monitor the fish for doneness. Personal experience has shown me that at 185 deg. cooking temp. start testing within 45 min.
6. If properly sealed, smoked fish will be good for approximately 12 months frozen.

Brines
I'll give 2 basic brines for smoking fish.
4 cups water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
your choice of flavoring

My favorite brine
4 cups water
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup pickling salt
1 cup rock salt

You might try as a rub the following:
1 1/2 T sugar
2 T coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup dried dill

This would give you a similar finish as gravlox, but as you can see, the rub is determined solely by your taste. I hope this gets you pointed in the right direction and if I can help you, please feel free to email me.

Jack
2 Greyhounds....SMOKIN!!!!

mark ,
while what i gave bullhead is for catfish try the rub for your salmon. even tho gravlox is not smoked the rub works well if you use a very mild wood like oak or maple. if you have the bucks after you dry the fish add a splash of cognac and then the rub!!!
jack

oops almost forgot. i grew up in indiana and if it is a catfish it gets ate!!!!!! bulls, flatheads,blues, channels it didn't matter we ate them!!!
jack

Thanks for the info. I must admit that I personally HATE fish but I figure that I might just be able to influence the wife a bit if I woo her with a little smoked seafood.
Mark

mark,
nope no way am i touching that one!!!
but i might suggest a nice wine to go with it and flowers and maybe a box of chocolates too.
jack

... And a little more wine!

Well, what Jack didn't say is that I love smoked fish. Mullet are delicious. They are an oily fish and so are salmon I think. I'm not sure how catfish(if that's what bullheads are, and I think that's them) would be. Maybe you would brush them with some oil before smoking. I've never had a smoked fish that's not oily fish, so let me know how they turn out!
Peggy
2 Greyhounds....SMOKIN!!!!

P.S. Maybe a nice slow dance would help, too.

thanks for your suggestions, if you hog dress the bullhead then brine in seasoned salt water for 6 hours, air dry for 2 hrs to form pelicle, smoke at 185 for approx 5-6 hrs then let cool, you have just made the next best thing to smoked salmon and they're had for the time it takes to catch them !

I love smoked bullhead. We used do a bunch up every year at a wildgame feed. My friends Dad & Uncle would take us upto Lake Erie to South Bass Island and we'd fish for them. Oh the memories you just brought back bullhead!