Mullet is a strong-flavored fish that lives in brackish water around temperate and tropical seas. Smoking is a good way to prepare mullet, because the bones are difficult to remove from a raw fish, and smoking dries the flesh enough so the bones can be quickly located and removed. The strong flavor of mullet pairs well with flavorful spice combinations such as Cajun. Add the seasoning before you smoke the mullet to imbue the flesh with the spicy flavor.
Step 1
Mix together the cayenne pepper, sweet paprika, chili powder, black pepper, dry mustard, garlic powder and parsley in a bowl to make a Cajun seasoning.
Step 2
Rub the mullet with the seasoning. Use a lot of seasoning, because the strong flavors will be toned down by the smoke.
Step 3
Start the charcoal in the firebox of the smoker. When the smoker gets to 225 degrees Fahrenheit, add 2 oz. of the pre-soaked hickory or mesquite wood chips to the firebox, and allow them to warm up for 5 minutes.
Step 4
Place the mullet on the grill grates inside the smoker, and smoke them for 3 to 4 hours, or until the flesh begins to flake and the mullet is opaque all the way through. The total cooking time may vary, depending on the size of the fish.
Step 5
Add more charcoal when the temperature begins to go below 225 degrees Fahrenheit and more wood if the wood chips burn up.
Step 6
Take the mullet out of the smoker, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes or until you can handle it easily.
Step 7
Remove the bones from the mullet with boning tweezers. Pull the bones straight out as you would a splinter in your finger; this will prevent the fillets from shredding.
Step 8
Peel the skin off the mullet. If the skin will not peel off easily, use a fillet knife to cut the fillets off the skin.
Step 9
Remove the dark line of flesh that appears on the side of the fish fillets. This is called the lateral line and it has a very strong fishy flavor on the mullet.
Step 10
Serve the smoked mullet warm.
Things You'll Need
- 4 tbsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup sweet paprika
- 2 tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 3 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. parsley
- 2 whole mullet, cleaned
- 1 lb. mesquite or hickory wood chips, soaked in water
- Boning tweezers
