How to smoke / Dry your fish;
For decades now, we the Africans have invented method of preserving our fish. When we smoke / Dry them it last longer.
There are very strict regulations on Africans living in the diaspora bringing certain food stuffs abroad . One of those stuffs are our very delicious smoked / dry fish . We all know how our various types of smoked / dry fishea spices up our soups. Our delicious eru/ ukazi soup can not survive without our smoked / dry fish and crayfish. Okra soup is pne of them… l can go on and on…
Many of my friends recounta how their African food stuffs has been siezed in the airports . Friends!! i have some good news for you. You can actually smoke / dry your own fish and meat at home . You need a good charcoal BBQ. To have that exotic aroma you must use a charcoal BBQ . If you use your oven you wont get that rustic scent we all crave for . You can actuall buy wood from tbe shops and light up some fire in your BBQ. As your word start to turn to charcoal , thats the proper time to start smoking your fish. Your fish needs that rustic smoke touch to bring out that exotic consistency.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash your fish properly . Make sure you remove the unwanted parts. I usually ask the fish dealer to do that for me.
- Drain water driping from your fish. You can keep for 5 mins to drain properly
- Heat read palm oil and set aside.
- You can salt your fish if you want. It’s very optional
- Use a kitchen brush and palm oil to rub or grease the skin of your fish.
- Use a kebab stick or soya stick to wrap up your fish from tail to eye
- Heat your charcoal pot or bbq with charcoal and sticks.
- Quench yiur fire with water but not completly
- Put your fish aroubd your charcoal pot , cover and leave overnight to dry slowly.
An alternative method is setting your oven at a very low temperature and let it stay in the overnight .
You can use these same method to smoke meat too.
AFRICAN DIASPORA COOKING AUSTRALIA 