Use a fruit-flavored wood to smoke your butterflied carp tails. (Photo courtesy of Rydell Danzie)
September 23, 2022
By Rydell Danzie and Vero Rodriguez
Print Recipe
Bottom-feeding fish such as carp aren't considered good to eat by many in the United States. However, when prepared properly, carp is safe to eat and delicious. If you've never tried carp before, smoke it. You'll be surprised how tasty smoked carp is and wonder why you haven't tried it sooner.
When smoking carp, choose a fruit-flavored wood to use in your smoker for the best flavor.
If you have any leftover smoked carp, use it to make a bagel breakfast sandwich the next day!
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How to Brine and Smoke Carp Tails Yield: 6-ounce serving per person Prep time: 15 minutes; 12-36 hours for brine Cook time: 5-6 hours
Ingredients:
2 carp tails (with skin on and butterflied) 3 cups water 1 ⅓ cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons hot sauce 2 cups sake ½ cup apple cider vinegar ½ cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons of garlic powder 1 tablespoon ground peppercorn 1 tablespoon ground ginger ½ tablespoon ground turmeric ½ tablespoon chili powder ½ cup smoked sea salt or kosher salt Ingredients for Smoked Carp Tails Recipe. (Photo courtesy of Rydell Danzie)
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Directions:
STEP 1: PREP YOUR CARP
If you haven't already, remove the tails from your carp. For this recipe, we'll only be using the tails.Carp tails on a cutting board. (Photo courtesy of Rydell Danzie) Butterfly your carp tails and then set them aside.Butterflied carp tails. (Photo courtesy of Rydell Danzie) STEP 2: BRINE YOUR CARP TAILS
Heat the water just enough to dissolve the dry ingredients. Water should be lukewarm. Once the water is heated, pour in all of the dry ingredients (sugar, garlic, peppercorn, ginger, turmeric, chili powder, and salt) and stir until dissolved. Mix in the remaining liquid ingredients (soy sauce, hot sauce, sake, and apple cider vinegar) and stir. Cool the brine down by putting it in the refrigerator or putting the pot on ice to bring the temperature down. The reason for this is that you do not want to cook any of the carp with hot liquid. Once the brine is cool, put the brine in a food-grade bucket or another container large enough to hold the brine and carp. Zipped-top bags and vacuum sealers work wonders! Do not use aluminum. Submerge your carp in the brine and let it soak for 12-36 hours. When time is up, remove the carp from the brine and pat it dry. STEP 2: SMOKE YOUR CARP TAILS
Start your smoker and set to smoke at 180 degrees. (A fruit-flavored wood in your smoker is preferred.) Place your butterflied carp skin side down and smoke for 5-6 hours.Smoked carp tails ready to eat. (Photo courtesy of Rydell Danzie)
Leftover Smoked Carp? Enjoy it on a bagel the next day!
Smoked Carp Breakfast Bagel Sandwich Recipe Smoked Carp Breakfast Bagel Sandwich (Photo courtesy of Rydell Danzie)Get the Recipe: Smoked Carp Breakfast Bagel Sandwich Recipe
To learn more about the authors of this recipe, Rydell Danzie and Vero Rodriguez of Field to Grill aka F2G, visit: f2goutdoors.com
