Bonito hot smoked

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moikel

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Jul 26, 2011
3,198
218
Sydney &Greenwell Point Australia
First real attempt at using new masterbuilt. Brine bonito fillets in standard mix + beer,orange peel,brown sugar,pepper,coriander seed for 90 min.This is actually 2nd attempt after so/so result. Dogs loved it . Dried it in fridge overnight,then smoked it at 80celcius for 2hrs over hickory. Will cook my version of smoked fish with blackeyed peas tomorrow. Its called caribbean but its origins are definitely West African it turns up where ever they turn up,I used to make it with store bought mackeral but now...
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From my experience if you can get Bonita to taste good I'd like to learn.

In Louisiana I believe the best use for it is Marlin bait but I don't do a lot of offshore fishing and don't get the opportunity to cook if very often.

Do you get yellowfin tuna and Mahi Mahi?   Now that's some good eatin fish!
 
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Looks good from here!!!

That top pic looks just like the "Salt Mackerel" my Grandmother used to cook every Sunday morning.

Keep 'em coming,

Bear
 
We get Yellowfin,Bluefin if the f#@ Japanese dont steal them all by cheating on the quota(sore point) Mahi Mahi,several types of Marlin,Swordfish the list goes on & thats just southern states without adding New Zealand fish & a hell o f a lot that I dont think you would know,just cause its only caught down here.Bonito was bait here for years but now is tablefish.My neighbours boat catchs upwards of 2 ton a day some times.$ 6 to 8 a kg at market. It turned out well & was a good thing to start with Yellowfin season in full swing now but its $25 a kg.Recipe tomorrow.
 
Interesting, thats pretty expensive for Bonito. As Alblancher said its pretty much bait or trash fish around here. I don't mind catching them, they are kinda fun when nothing else is biting but we never eat them.
 
Guys, take a close look at the pic of the fish and you will see that is not the smae fish that is called a Bonita in the South.  The fish we Southerners call Bonita is acually a Little Tunny and is aeal bloody fish that is only used for bait.
 
There are three common species of the Genus Sarda called Bonita

Sarda sardia   Atlantic Bonita

Sarda australis   Australian Bonita

Sarda Chiliensis   Pacific Bonita

You may want to check with your neighbor on how to cook it.  The experience I have with the Atlantic Bonita is that it is very bloody and very oily, a trash fish.
 
I use to catch them all the time when I lived in Calif. We use to grill them with some onions and tomatoes in some foil. Thanks for sharing those Bonitas. 
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I guess the term "Bonito" must cover a lot of ground.  The terms for other fish are used to describe different fish in different areas.

If this the Bonito I am familiar with, it is much like a tuna.

If this is like a Mackerel please enjoy it at your leisure and do NOT pass me a plate.  LOL

Good luck and good smoking.
 
Im cooking tonight & watching deadliest catch on TV. I figure that names vary from place to place,I always considered them part of the tuna family.They arent that bloody,flesh is not actually red.To Australians they are a first day fish,eat them on the day you catch them,often grilled or BBQ they will carry a bit of flavour,chilli,ginger ,garlic, soy.Big in Japanese cookery dried pressed then shaved off the hard block comes off like wood shavings add hot water then they add other flavours. I figure I  just got to try it & see,I will post tonight. They are all poled not netted so they are in good shape.

At $6 a kg or $3 a pound thats cheaper than some vegetables! It was often the cheap fish that got smoked here by European migrants, nobody is going to smoke red snapper,John Dory,or any of our deep seas cod family at $25 & up a kg & they are all white fleshed fish.It was the oily stuff that the process enhanced,in  the UK its  herring,haddock & mackeral.

I gave a side to one of my employees, her heritage is a big ole mix of Greek,Egyptian,Polish & oldtime Aussie, They ate it yesterday with rye bread & pickles.Grandma was staying,ate some & started to cry because it reminded her of her late husband & times in her life when there wasnt a lot of $$ but things were good & on fridays they would have smoked fish for dinner. Its the reason I feed people,they would like some more, I  get all soft when I find old school corned beef with parsley sauce because it reminds me of my late mother. Its not just about the taste of food its where it takes you.Nuff said.
 
 RECIPE OK  non believers & others here goes, Frijoles negros con pescado, black eyed peas with smoked fish Bonito thats right bonito.
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 .Fry 2 large red onions chopped with 1 chopped red sweet pepper 2 fat cloves of garlic, when its soft add chilli to taste,1 teaspoon ground cumin,sprinkle of all spice,good grind of black pepper & teaspoon of tumeric powder AND 2 cans peeled tomatoes crushed.Let it cook gently for a few mins. Then add 1 lb smoked bonito or similiar stir keep heat gentle. In seperate pot you have boiled presoaked beans in lots of water till soft but not mushy drain. I went for a pound might be to many I will see. Back shortly.
 
Just added fish,pound was about right.Pound of beans about 25% to much.
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Added beans needed more liquid so some tomato passata & water.Cooked it off a bit served it with white rice. Fennel salad on the side.Absolutely awesome. Way better than when I  cooked it with store bought smoked mackeral.
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This was seriously good there was a line of dark meat up the line of bones in centre of fillet ,cut that out,took off skin broke it in to1 inch chunks. I know it had a Spanish name but its African. Wouldnt change a thing.
 
That looks so good, I'm gonna start making more fish recipes. I kind of got away from them when I moved to the desert from the ocean. 
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Since those wacky guys down at the lab discovered cholesterol Ive been eating more fish. The turmeric in the dish gave it the colour together with tomato of course.It was pretty healthy so  I have no guilt about a few beers watching the game tonight. Thanks for the 
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. Will be posting sardines under oil in other thread shortly.
 
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