Whether you know them by their traditional name or the newer moniker “northern pikeminnow,” squawfish are hardly a universal favorite. The so-called trash fish threatens the survival of young salmon and steelhead, while offering a challenge to even the most skilled cooks. Yet squawfish is a plentiful food source that improves in taste when using specific techniques -- and somewhat specialized equipment. Canning in a pressure cooker softens their bones. Using a smoker represents another traditional method for making squawfish more palatable and less oily.
Challenge
The old joke about preparing a “trash fish” by laboriously cleaning it on a cutting board -- then throwing the fish away and eating the board -- is often applied to squawfish. Squawfish are extremely bony and oily, making cleaning, cooking and eating them a challenge. At the same time, their flavor is not considered exceptional enough to bother with unless its negative qualities are mitigated.
Brining
Both canning and smoking start with preparing a brine before processing the fish. To prepare a pickling brine for canning, combine 1 gallon water with 1 cup salt. If you are smoking the fish instead, brining involves 1 gallon water, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 1/4 cup brown sugar and at least 1 cup salt. Fish and game author A.D. Livingston suggests that before you soak the squawfish, test the brine solution to see if it will float a raw egg. If the egg sinks, add more salt.
Smoking
Soak whole squawfish in the brine overnight. Hang the squawfish from a rack or suspended line for an hour until you see a second skin form. This skin, known as a pellicle, enables smoke to attach itself to the surface of the fish. After the pellicle forms, the brined, rested fish is ready for smoking. Use a covered grill or outdoor smoker. Some people improvise fish smokers by using a clean steel drum, a length of stovepipe and a heat source, such as a fire pit. Smoke the squawfish at the time and temperatures recommended by your grill or smoker manufacturer. If you make your own smoker, choose a reputable source for instructions on both building the device and smoking the fish. According to Livingston, a dark, brown color indicates the smoked fish has reached the ideal state for preservation.
Canning
Soak the squawfish in the brining solution for one hour, then rinse. Skin the squawfish and remove as many bones as possible before cutting it into chunks or strips. Pack squawfish pieces in sterilized canning jars, which should not be larger than pint-sized. Leave 1 inch of headspace between the fish and the top of the jars. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and spices or brown sugar, if desired. Put on the sterilized lids and carefully set the jars in your pressure canner. Set the pressure gauge to 10 pounds and process the canned fish for 90 minutes. Alternatively, follow the instructions for canning fish that accompanies your pressure canner or consult your favorite canning cookbook. For safety’s sake, simmer the canned squawfish chunks for at least 10 minutes when preparing meals.
References
- Complete Fish and Game Cookbook; A.J. Livingston
- Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast; Hank Shaw
- Portland Tribune: Wanted -- Dead or Alive: Pikeminnows
- Mother Earth News: Trash Fish? Are You Kidding!
