Smoking Fish at Home--Safely

Three common factors in all hot fish-smoking recipes are salt, smoke, and heat. This guide explains the basic techniques for preparing delicious hot-smoked fish safely. It also recommends refrigerated storage for all smoked fish.

Note that the process described here applies to fish smoked using heat and is distinct from cold-smoked fish. (Cold-smoked fish is cured and smoked at temperatures below a range of 80–90°F during the smoking process, which means it is unpasteurized and therefore must be handled carefully to avoid illness from harmful bacteria.)