JAS_OH1
Forum GOD!
So last year in April for my DHs birthday I bought him a small electric smoker. He isn't a grill kind of guy in general (and weather in NE OH is so fickle that grilling and smoking aren't always easy to do) but I thought that with an electric smoker he might be more interested in trying stuff, since he always raves about other people's smoked foods they've cooked (brisket, pork shoulder, smoked salmon, etc.). We do like hot smoked salmon on bagels quite a bit and that stuff is pretty expensive in the stores.
At any rate, this past fall I bought DH a small pork shoulder to try out (I had bought him one of my favorite types of wood chips to use, mesquite) and I made the rub for it and researched how to do it. It was a great success, moist, tender, and delicious. About a month later we did a small boneless leg of lamb for pulled lamb (smoked lamb gyros, yum!) and it also worked out great. The next attempt was smoked salmon and it turned out yummy as well. I had bought the salmon fresh and we smoked it skin on (skinside down of course).
Fast forward to today: I have another large piece of fresh salmon (about 1 lb) with skin on we are smoking tonight to use on bagels this week. While we have the smoker going, we have room to do some mahi mahi in there as well. I was thinking smoked mahi mahi tacos since I have corn tortillas, crema, lime, and cilantro on hand (I will have to run out to get some cabbage or something as well and DH requested some black beans). Ok but here's the thing: the mahi mahi is in my freezer and it's small portions (about 3-4 oz each), and it's also skinless. I know that mahi mahi is a leaner fish with the salmon being more oily , and with the mahi mahi having no skin I am thinking it's going to cook much quicker. Additionally, I don't mind if the salmon is a tad dry because we are going more for a cure hot smoke with it (I make a cream cheese, shallot, and capers mixture using the smoked salmon which will add moisture), and since the mahi mahi is going to be in fish tacos I want it to be smoky in flavor but moist in texture. So, in cooking both at the same time, I realize it's going to take less time for the mahi to cook than it will the salmon.
I have read a lot of differing opinions about smoking the mahi mahi (I think we have the salmon figured out). One person wrote it was okay to put it straight on the oiled grates (my fear is it will fall apart upon being fully cooked and go through the grates). Another person wrote to use parchment paper under the mahi mahi to prevent this, another recommended wrapping in foil and poking holes in the foil to allow the smoke to penetrate into the fish.
No one has addressed the issues of cooking two different types of fish at the same time but I think it can be done easily enough. I think we are going to do the mahi mahi for about 60 minutes at 225 and do the salmon for 90 minutes. And yes I will be cutting up that salmon filet into 4 oz portions to aid the cooking time.
Does anyone have any input or advice here? I also have interest in smoking other types of seafood and more in the future, so please post your experiences!
At any rate, this past fall I bought DH a small pork shoulder to try out (I had bought him one of my favorite types of wood chips to use, mesquite) and I made the rub for it and researched how to do it. It was a great success, moist, tender, and delicious. About a month later we did a small boneless leg of lamb for pulled lamb (smoked lamb gyros, yum!) and it also worked out great. The next attempt was smoked salmon and it turned out yummy as well. I had bought the salmon fresh and we smoked it skin on (skinside down of course).
Fast forward to today: I have another large piece of fresh salmon (about 1 lb) with skin on we are smoking tonight to use on bagels this week. While we have the smoker going, we have room to do some mahi mahi in there as well. I was thinking smoked mahi mahi tacos since I have corn tortillas, crema, lime, and cilantro on hand (I will have to run out to get some cabbage or something as well and DH requested some black beans). Ok but here's the thing: the mahi mahi is in my freezer and it's small portions (about 3-4 oz each), and it's also skinless. I know that mahi mahi is a leaner fish with the salmon being more oily , and with the mahi mahi having no skin I am thinking it's going to cook much quicker. Additionally, I don't mind if the salmon is a tad dry because we are going more for a cure hot smoke with it (I make a cream cheese, shallot, and capers mixture using the smoked salmon which will add moisture), and since the mahi mahi is going to be in fish tacos I want it to be smoky in flavor but moist in texture. So, in cooking both at the same time, I realize it's going to take less time for the mahi to cook than it will the salmon.
I have read a lot of differing opinions about smoking the mahi mahi (I think we have the salmon figured out). One person wrote it was okay to put it straight on the oiled grates (my fear is it will fall apart upon being fully cooked and go through the grates). Another person wrote to use parchment paper under the mahi mahi to prevent this, another recommended wrapping in foil and poking holes in the foil to allow the smoke to penetrate into the fish.
No one has addressed the issues of cooking two different types of fish at the same time but I think it can be done easily enough. I think we are going to do the mahi mahi for about 60 minutes at 225 and do the salmon for 90 minutes. And yes I will be cutting up that salmon filet into 4 oz portions to aid the cooking time.
Does anyone have any input or advice here? I also have interest in smoking other types of seafood and more in the future, so please post your experiences!
