Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.
Originally posted by StiffLegged The waiter was pullin' your leg: kippers are smoked herring and it takes up to 12 hours to smoke 'em however early in the mornin' they were landed.
I see.
Ships pulled in very early in the morning, we didn't eat till about 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM.
Here's a kipper prep, posted online.
"Kipper fillets are prepared either by cutting block fillets, smoking them and then cutting single fillets from them, or by cutting single fillets from the raw herring and smoking them. Block fillets are taken by making a transverse cut across the back of the head of the herring, and then cutting down towards the belly wall and in towards the backbone, continuing the cut to the tail so that the flesh on one side of the fish is separated from the bone. Care must be taken not to penetrate the belly wall. The cut is repeated on the other side of the fish, so that the double fillet, joined by the skin and back fins, can be removed from the head and skeleton in one piece. The tail fin is left on if the block fillets are to be tentered.
Kipper fillets, time in 80° brine:
Medium-size 3-4 minutes
Large fillets 6-8 minutes
Kipper fillets are smoked for 2½-3 hours in a mechanical kiln, depending on size, and should lose 10-12 per cent of their brined weight. The temperature in the kiln should not rise above 85° F, 30° "