Smoked Bonita

[cmzaha]

Yummmmm. Hubby spent the last 4 days fishing in Mexico (Old Mill), and brought back some really big chunks of Bonita. It is now happily sitting in it's brine and will be smoked Sunday Morning. When we had our boat he would always throw back the Bonita, until one time I told him I wanted to try smoking one and been hooked every since. I threatened him with his life if he did not keep any Bonita they caught. Of course it still does not beat smoked Albie or Yellowfin tuna, but it is still good.

Having a steady supply of fresh fish and being out on the water is the one thing I still miss not having my boat, but I do not miss the bills, and could not keep up with it now. My hubby mentions once in a while of getting another Skip Jack on a trailer. Nope, nada no way I am going back to launching a boat every time we want to fish and I am really not going to get up at 0330 just to get a parking space at the launch ramp. He can go to Mexico a few times a year for fishing. I don't think I even want to pull on big fish anymore...

 

[navigator9]

Oh, I envy you! I've never met a fish I didn't like...the taste of. When I was a kid, my father would come home from work, change his clothes and go fishing. My mother would wait for him to come home, and then we'd eat whatever he'd caught. This was lake fishing, not ocean, so different fish, but I loved them all. God, I miss those days. Have some for me!

 

[cmzaha]

^^^I will, Bonito is not a good eating fish although they are in Tuna /Mackerel family, I always related them to mackerel. But they are great smoked because they are an oily dark meat fish.

 

[biarine]

I love bonito tuna, charcoal grilled with soy sauce and lime dipping sauce. Yummy...

 

[doriettefarm]

I've never heard of this bonito fish even though my hubby recently finished aquaculture school and has been constantly talking about fish-farming! Love me some smoked salmon and tuna is tops in my book. Please post pics of the finished product and I may be hitting you up for advice on cold smoking in the near future

 

[cmzaha]

I've never heard of this bonito fish even though my hubby recently finished aquaculture school and has been constantly talking about fish-farming! Love me some smoked salmon and tuna is tops in my book. Please post pics of the finished product and I may be hitting you up for advice on cold smoking in the near future

What is your hubby going to raise? Bonito is in the Tuna/Mackerel family.

I do not cold smoke. I brine my fish, let it drain on racks and dry out a little then it goes in my Smokin' Tex electric smoker on low heat. In my opinion they are one of the best smokers on the market and I have tried many over the years. This one is still going after 17 yrs give or take. We bought ours the first year they started making smokers. I do know my daughter's has an optional cold smoking plate available, but I do not know if one is available for mine. They also have the best barbecue sauce I have ever found. As much as I cook barbecue sauce is my nemesis

 

[CaraBou]

Sounds good! We used to smoke and can/jar a lot of salmon when we lived in Alaska. It is time consuming but well worth it.

Cold smoking is an even lengthier process, and needs a bit more care not to promote bacterial growth. For those reasons we never did it, but I tell ya, cold smoked salmon is to die for!