Smoked Mullet Fillets

 

Smoked Mullet Fillets

Make a batch of homemade old bay seasoning which consists of:

Allspice
Celery Seed
Cloves
Cardamom
Cayenne
Cinnamon
Dry Ginger
Mace
Paprika
Black Pepper
Sea Salt

I make up the seasoning mixture by eye, mostly the paprika, pepper and salt and a dash or more of all the rest. Stir up the seasoning so it's all blended. Place your fillets on a sheet pan and pat the fillets dry on both sides. Next sprinkle the seasoning on the flesh side of the fish and rub it in gently. I tried to communicate I wanted to keep the skin on the fish, but the translation wasn't comprehended by the fish monger so he didn't keep the skin on, which I would have preferred.

Put fillets in a room with a fan or good air circulation. I have an overhead fan in my kitchen, which is controversial, but I am glad I had it installed. Let fish rest at room temperature till it starts to look shiny and sticky, about an hour. This withdraws the moisture to the surface of the fish and helps develop a pellicle which allows the smoke to penetrate the fish much better. I used apple wood chips to smoke the fish. Not the prettiest plate above because I dropped the racks but tasty none the less. All turned out well, so now we're snacking on smoked mullet fillets.