# Bonito hot smoked



## moikel (Aug 9, 2011)

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...


----------



## alblancher (Aug 9, 2011)

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!


----------



## Bearcarver (Aug 9, 2011)

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


----------



## moikel (Aug 9, 2011)

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.


----------



## SmokinAl (Aug 9, 2011)

What's the flavor like?


----------



## shooter1 (Aug 9, 2011)

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.


----------



## bluefrog (Aug 9, 2011)

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.


----------



## alblancher (Aug 9, 2011)

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.


----------



## meateater (Aug 9, 2011)

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.


----------



## venture (Aug 9, 2011)

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.


----------



## meateater (Aug 9, 2011)

For the non believers. Bonita are excellent. I had my share of them. Moikel Thanks for the post. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/in...fornia/124993-no-one-eats-pacific-bonita.html


----------



## moikel (Aug 10, 2011)

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.


----------



## moikel (Aug 10, 2011)

RECIPE OK  non believers & others here goes, Frijoles negros con pescado, black eyed peas with smoked fish Bonito thats right bonito.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  .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.


----------



## fpnmf (Aug 10, 2011)

Looks tatsy to me!!

  Thanks!!

  Craig


----------



## moikel (Aug 10, 2011)

Just added fish,pound was about right.Pound of beans about 25% to much.
	

		
			
		

		
	






	

		
			
		

		
	
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.


----------



## moikel (Aug 10, 2011)

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.


----------



## roller (Aug 10, 2011)

Bet that was good...


----------



## Bearcarver (Aug 10, 2011)

Sure looks good!!

Love the color!

Thanks,

Bear


----------



## meateater (Aug 10, 2011)

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.


----------



## moikel (Aug 12, 2011)

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 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. Will be posting sardines under oil in other thread shortly.


----------



## venture (Aug 12, 2011)

To make it even more interesting there is the "good" cholesterol, and the "bad" cholesterol.  Now we have "good" fat and "bad" fat.

With the science jerking us around every ten years?

All I can say is "go figger".  LOLOL

Good luck and good smoking.


----------



## africanmeat (Aug 12, 2011)

Thanks it looks good

i think this  fish is called skipjack tuna and it not a mackerel.


----------



## venture (Aug 12, 2011)

I think there are several that go by this name.

They are related to the mackerel, some are more like a tuna.

In my area, they are more like tuna.

I know some Oriental cultures like the mackerel, but, as long is it doesn't taste like mackerel, I can eat it.

That is not a cultural thing, that is just my personal preference.

Good luck and good smoking.


----------



## moikel (Aug 12, 2011)

Picked up a 6 kg Spanish mackeral at market ,this w/e project. Have Kenny originally from Ayershire in Scotland coming around to take some smoked bonito tomorrow. Now thats a test.


----------



## moikel (Aug 13, 2011)

Scotsman approved of bonito. Redid everything the same using spanish mackeral,only change is apple instead of hickory. In smoker now, have Kiwi neighbours coming down at lunchtime to check it out. New Zealanders, Maori & English have a solid home grown fish smoking tradition.Live on a couple of islands after all.I will finish this thread off then concentrate on water buffalo pastrami thanks to every body who watched & contributed. If there are any Kiwis out there that have experience smoking that South Island blue cod give us a yell .Cant find anybody here with recipe so Im "beached as bro"


----------



## moikel (Aug 14, 2011)

Spanish mackeral straight out of smoker 2hrs at 80c then 30 m at 100c. Apple wood. Had a sample found it hard to stop. Twice the price of bonito better fish but not twice as good. Very moist very dense,came out lingering taste of orange,little sweet.May have left it just a touch to long but colour uniform. Cant wait for coldsmoker this really looks like fish that will really be adaptable to cold smoke. Thats all folks for this thread unless theres anything I  can help with. Going over for great water buffalo pastrami/bastorma adventure in beef.


----------



## Bearcarver (Aug 14, 2011)

Moikel said:


> Spanish mackeral straight out of smoker 2hrs at 80c then 30 m at 100c. Apple wood. Had a sample found it hard to stop. Twice the price of bonito better fish but not twice as good. Very moist very dense,came out lingering taste of orange,little sweet.May have left it just a touch to long but colour uniform. Cant wait for coldsmoker this really looks like fish that will really be adaptable to cold smoke. Thats all folks for this thread unless theres anything I  can help with. Going over for great water buffalo pastrami/bastorma adventure in beef.


That looks great!!!

Nice color!!

Thanks,

Bear


----------



## meateater (Aug 14, 2011)

That looks so good, Thanks for the post.


----------



## venture (Aug 14, 2011)

I agree.  That is some nice looking fish.

Good luck and good smoking.


----------



## moikel (Aug 20, 2011)

Did another batch spanish mackeral & put a version of `maple glaze I  found on here.I had tweaked it a bit with whats in season here,so blood orange juice,lemon juice,& kecap manis Indonesian sweet soy sauce, & a shot of Bundaberg rum,rest of it ginger ,garlic & method the same. Just added a bit of butter to help it stick.
	

		
			
		

		
	






	

		
			
		

		
	
Spanish mackeral a pretty good option,dense ,meaty sort of fish,not many bones.Its dutchs recipe I worked off.


----------



## kingkoch42 (Aug 20, 2011)

gone


----------



## moikel (Aug 20, 2011)

Down here
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





smoking is associated with fish ,lots of homesick British migrants used to cod,haddock,mackeral & herring. And those god awful kippers. Then we got a lot of Europeans who remembered bacalla,rollmops & stockfish from the old country. Why anybody would eat stockfish is beyond me. Then we got Asians who have all that dried seafood culture. I will try anything,. I live 10min from the country's largest fish market so its the logical place to start. I have water buffalo happening over in the beef section,theres no water buffalo section
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. Ive been to France 3 times,loved every minute of it.


----------



## moikel (Aug 20, 2011)

Fish from crocodile country.Aussie Salmon very different,this is a tropical threadfin salmon great table fish but you have to go to crocodile country to catch them.No joke. I suppose you have to compete with the bears for Alaskan salmon but crocs are particularly nasty animal. I love the salmon that the bears ( bearcarver & alaskan bear) get ,its just a great product. Ate it almost everyday in Canada.On this fishing trip we caught over 350 quality fish between 8 guys in 6 days & 12 mudcrabs a day. Not counting sharks,barracuota catfish. Best barramundi 107cm,biggest croc sited 4 metres. Beer & rum drunk stopped counting day 2.


----------



## Bearcarver (Aug 20, 2011)

Wow!!!

Sounds like a Great time was had !!!

Neat looking fish you're holding!!!

Thanks for showing,

Bear


----------



## moikel (Aug 20, 2011)

Bearcarver.It was a great trip but its the Aussie equivalent of going to Alaska.Its a long way 4hrs on a 747 flight thats next 2 stops are Jakarta & Hanoi!! Then a day misbehaving in Darwin then 90 mins by Cessna landing on a dry mudflat.Nearest local population 50k north or west,all Aboriginal traditional communities. Fishing just crazy,generators for power, wildlife just magic but its the tropics I know you are a Vietnam Vet climate is not that different to Vietnam or  say Cuba humid ,sweaty,hard to keep your beer cold. Popular in dry season, much different proposition in the wet season.Crocs there all seasons.


----------



## eman (Aug 20, 2011)

Sounds like south Louisiana in the summer time. 100°f and 90% humidity.

 We eat spanish and king macs all the time. A lil oily and do not take well to frying but great smoked, baked or grilled.

The fish dish you made w/ the tomatoes sounds alot like a cajun courtbullion sans the peas.

  Alot of the cajun/ creole cooking has roots from africa and the indies.

  I am always willing to try things from other countries and ethnicities.


----------



## Bearcarver (Aug 20, 2011)

eman said:


> Sounds like south Louisiana in the summer time. 100°f and 90% humidity.
> 
> We eat spanish and king macs all the time. A lil oily and do not take well to frying but great smoked, baked or grilled.
> 
> ...


Yup probably similar conditions, because it was a well known fact in the 60s & 70s that anyone who got orders for Ft Polk would be crawling through the swamps in 'Nam, in much less than 6 months.

Bear


----------



## eman (Aug 21, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> Yup probably similar conditions, because it was a well known fact in the 60s & 70s that anyone who got orders for Ft Polk would be crawling through the swamps in 'Nam, in much less than 6 months.
> 
> Bear


Sir,Yes Sir!


----------



## moikel (Aug 21, 2011)

Its official,tonights TV news largest croc in captivity
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  Cassius 5 & a half meters over 100 years old they reckon.Thats about 17ft 9 inches after  12 foot its just to horrible to contemplate. 100% humidity over 100 f still not a reason to go swimming. Would prefer to fish in Alaska where the bears are above water& I can see them not  a set of eyeballs amongst the lilypads. No shore fishing in the tropics.


----------



## Bearcarver (Aug 21, 2011)

Moikel said:


> Its official,tonights TV news largest croc in captivity
> 
> 
> 
> ...


*Moikel,*

*If the following story is true, I would not be doing any chainsaw carving in OZ !!!*

*Bear*
[h1]Crocodile steals chainsaw[/h1]
Published: April 28, 2006 at 1:02 PM



DARWIN, Australia, April 28 (UPI) -- A 14-1/2-foot crocodile chased a worker up a tree in Australia's Northern Territory while the man was cleaning up debris left by cyclone Monica.

The owner of the Corroboree Park Tavern, Peter Shappert, says the man was trying to remove a tree that had fallen against the crocodile's saltwater pen, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

Shappert says the crocodile, named Brutus, managed to grab the chainsaw the man was using.

"He's been a bit upset with the noise, so he's come shooting out of the pond, run up the tree and tried to grab Freddy the chainsaw man," Shappert said.

"So he's missed Freddy and grabbed his chainsaw instead. ... He's swimming around with a large steel chainsaw hanging out of his mouth."

The clean-up effort was delayed while staff tried to win back the necessary machinery.

Although staff have now retrieved the chainsaw, the machinery has been written-off. 

Brutus lost a few teeth during the ordeal, but was otherwise unharmed, the BBC reported.




Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2006/04...insaw/UPI-97211146243724/print/#ixzz1VhqnY23l


----------



## moikel (Aug 21, 2011)

I think its the same croc ,I called him by the wrong name or hes at least at the same nature park.I live thousands of miles to the south thankfully. People in the tropics talk fairly matter of fact about them but they become an occupational hazard to fisherman & crabbers. Protected species. Pity about the chainsaw!


----------



## kingkoch42 (Aug 23, 2011)

gone


----------



## moikel (Aug 23, 2011)

I dont know fish biology but the one we call bonito is a tuna I think. We have this problem because our fish were named by the English who arent a terribly imaginative bunch.Everything they didnt recognise became a trout,cod,mackeral,pilchard etc.If they left them with their Aboriginal names it would be simpler,like this guy its a barramundi.Aboriginal name everybody knows what you mean anywhere in Australia.My buddy "big deal" with a pretty good one 107cm,released prime breeding female.


----------



## moikel (Aug 23, 2011)

I walked past bonito at the market for years it was only when I  got my house in the fishing village & saw tonnes,literally ,being unloaded by my neighbour that I  figured I should try them. On the day they are caught they BBQ /grill well. My neighbour doesnt eat them,ethnic fish ,he calls them but he has the luxury of catching kingfish as well .Sometimes he poles 10-15 boxes of kingfish at 30 kg to a box $8 kg wholesale $14 retail on top of 50 boxes of bonito.


----------



## kingkoch42 (Aug 24, 2011)

gone


----------



## moikel (Aug 24, 2011)

In aboriginal barramundi is large scaled river fish. The whole country knows what your talking about. Major tourist industry built around fishing for them in Northern Aust.Good eating but I think threadfin salmon(looks nothing like a salmon) or golden snapper better on the plate.Often all caught in same place. Heaps of clips on youtube if our interested. I wish I was up there now. Going to do masterstock pork over in pork section.


----------



## Bearcarver (Aug 24, 2011)

Nice Looking Fish !!!!

Bear


----------



## meateater (Aug 24, 2011)

That's a whopper!


----------

