View Poll Results: When smoking kokanee I prefer to

Voters
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  • Smoke the fish with the skin on

    8 66.67%
  • Smoke the fish without the skin

    2 16.67%
  • It depends...

    2 16.67%
Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: To skin or not to skin???

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    Vancouver, WA
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    576

    Default To skin or not to skin???

    I'm curious to know... when smoking kokes do you normally keep the skin on the fillets or go skinless in the smoker? Does fish size impact your choice?
    Take a kid fishing make some reel memories!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    Utah
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    3,859

    Default

    I believe fish size play a part. I choose to smoke with the skin on one side of a fillet. Kokes being generally small as opposed to ocean salmon, I believe would easily dry out if it were completely skinned. Some might prefer koke jerky but I like my fish to have a little moisture left in them.
    2006 Dodge Ram 3500 Dually, 21' North River Seahawk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Silverton, Oregon
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    867

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by SuperD View Post
    I believe fish size play a part. I choose to smoke with the skin on one side of a fillet. Kokes being generally small as opposed to ocean salmon, I believe would easily dry out if it were completely skinned. Some might prefer koke jerky but I like my fish to have a little moisture left in them.
    David
    A recent study has proved that women that carry a little extra weight have a much longer life expectancy than the men that point it out....

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Bend, Or.
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    1,843

    Default

    All my fillets go skin side down in the smoker.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    maple falls, wa.
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    535

    Default skin on/ skin off

    As I own as townsend fish skinner, I skin all my fish. As to kokanee Kerky, I leave small koks whole and smoke a shorter time. Large koks will be fileted and skined. also smoked a shorter time than with skin on. Just personal pref.

  6. #6

    Default

    I smoke with skin on until the will skin pull off easy, then i pull all the skin off and continue smoking until the doneness i want

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Bothell, Washington
    Posts
    106

    Default

    I've left the skin on all of the fish i've smoked. I know some people who like to eat the skin too.

    It's all personal preference.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    San Mateo, Ca.
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    728

    Default

    I'm on the "skinless" side of this. I also spoon off the fat from the lateral line area after smoking so it does not have the bad fat flavor mix with the meat. Call me picky but that's what I like to do. I also turn my fillets and baste them at the very end to add various flavors.

    Kevin
    Kokanee Adventures from above and below...
    www.youtube.com/hitechkoke

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    San Mateo, Ca.
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    728

    Default

    and speaking of smoked kokes... SKINLESS... these just came out of the smoker... ohh so good!
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    Kokanee Adventures from above and below...
    www.youtube.com/hitechkoke

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    maple falls, wa.
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    535

    Thumbs up to skin or not to skin

    Thats a pretty picture. I think I can taste them as I sit here. Got to get back out and catch some more koks. Thanks for the inspration.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Silverton, Oregon
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    867

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HiTechKoke View Post
    I'm on the "skinless" side of this. I also spoon off the fat from the lateral line area after smoking so it does not have the bad fat flavor mix with the meat. Call me picky but that's what I like to do. I also turn my fillets and baste them at the very end to add various flavors.

    Kevin
    Do you take off the skins before smoking or do you smoke for awhile and then take the skin off?
    David
    A recent study has proved that women that carry a little extra weight have a much longer life expectancy than the men that point it out....

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    Bend, Or.
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HiTechKoke View Post
    I'm on the "skinless" side of this. I also spoon off the fat from the lateral line area after smoking so it does not have the bad fat flavor mix with the meat. Call me picky but that's what I like to do. I also turn my fillets and baste them at the very end to add various flavors.

    Kevin
    One trip last year I headed up to the lake and didn't have a chance to read in the morning paper. A green algae alert had gone into effect up Paulina. Half the lake was fairly clear and the other half was like pea soup. We brought home a limit so during the smoking process I removed the skin and spooned off the fat underneth just to be on the safe side. Normally I leave the skin on to help hold in the moister. I just might have to try out your method with the next batch...what kind of baste flavors to you use?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    San Mateo, Ca.
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    728

    Default

    DLM - Before the smoke and the only bones left are the pin bones. I do this all up front but you could smoke with rib bones and take them off post smoke but then it might break up the fillets.

    My method is documented here with my own tips:

    http://www.kokaneefishingforum.com/f...7&postcount=11

    Silverbullets - see the post about two down from the link above. Essentially I use the same marinade and then put spices into that baste. My recipes are more marinade and not a salt brine. You could do anything you want at that point. It's essentially the last 40 minutes...baste on top let them smoke in for 20 minutes, turn them over and baste and finish with 20 minutes. After experimenting a few years it is just my way of doing it and my freeloading customers seem to keep coming back for more!

    Kevin

    Kevin
    Kokanee Adventures from above and below...
    www.youtube.com/hitechkoke

  14. #14

    Default

    Skin on. Yum.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    9

    Default

    Of all the fish that I've smoked I've left the skin on. Mainly because it is easier to take the fillets off of the racks. And I don't have to worry about picking up chunks of fish from the bottom of the smoker.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    734

    Default

    I do a honey brine and never take the skin off

  17. #17

    Default Recipe

    Is there a recipe page ???

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Bend, Or.
    Posts
    1,843

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Calcan View Post
    Is there a recipe page ???
    here's what's listed under the recipe archive's...hope that helped.
    http://www.kokaneefishingforum.com/f....php?f-25.html

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Brush Prairie, WA
    Posts
    112

    Default

    Apparently an old thread I missed.

    I have been smoking filleted with skin on but I'm intrigued by the skinless. My concern would be ---- how do you keep them from sticking to the smoking rack? HiTech those look AWESOME!!!!

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