Use a hot smoker suitable for your heat source and follow its instructions for fuel and ventilation. Salting, smoking and resting are separate stages; the whole process takes longer than the smoking time alone. If you are catching your own fish, our mackerel fishing guide covers that part.
What you'll need
Gather everything first, then the cooking feels calmer.
Cook along
Take it step by step; seafood rewards a calm hand.
- 1
Salt the fillets lightly on both sides (mix in the sugar if using), rest them in the fridge for 20 minutes, then pat completely dry - dry fish takes smoke, wet fish steams.
- 2
Check your smoker's instructions for the suitable wood type and quantity; use food-smoking wood only. Fit the drip tray and rack as directed and place the fillets skin-side down, with space between them.
- 3
Close the smoker and heat it according to its manufacturer's instructions. The original recipe gives 20-30 minutes as a smoking guide, but equipment and fillet size vary. Keep cooking until the checks in the next step are met, rather than relying on the clock alone.
- 4
Check the thickest part with a clean food thermometer: the Food Standards Agency recommends 70°C held for 2 minutes, or 75°C held for 30 seconds. The flesh should also be opaque and separate easily with a fork. Clean the probe after use.
- 5
Rest for five minutes and serve warm. For leftovers, cool and refrigerate within 2 hours, then eat within 48 hours or freeze. Hot smoking here is a cooking method, not a validated preservation process.
Apple and oak give different smoke flavours. Check that the fuel format suits your smoker before choosing fine wood chips or a kit. See the complete hot smoking kit listing for its included equipment and instructions. For more on checking doneness, read our smoking times & temperatures chart.
Serve it with
Serve with buttered new potatoes, a sharp salad, roasted tomatoes or a spoonful of horseradish creme fraiche.
Cooking and storage guidance
The cooking and leftover-storage checks on this page follow the Food Standards Agency's cooking guidance. Follow your smoker's instructions and ingredient packaging too. This is a home-cooking recipe, not a validated shelf-life or preservation process.
