3c Tinapa (Smoked Fish)

ABOUT THE 3C TINAPA (Smoked Fish)

Now we’re going to talk about a dish that would make most Filipino’s mouths water even if they just smell it. 3C Tinapa (smoked fish) is a favorite and definitely very popular among Filipino’s. You will find this dish sold at street vendors all over the Philippines.


Tinapa or Smoked Fish – this dish is served at breakfast, lunch, and definitely around dinnertime along with tomatoes, onion on the side and garlic flavored vinegar for dipping sauce. This will surely bring out your appetite. Most western cultures might not agree, but for most Filipino’s it would be a homerun.


Making Tinapa is a two-stage process, the brining part and the smoking part. Brining the fish gives it a good salty taste and also makes it moist. The smoking part cooks the fish and obviously gives it the smoky flavor.

Ingredients:

5 Lbs of Galunggong fish

1 Quart of Salt

3 Quarts of water

2 Lbs. of Hickory wood chunks for smoking

Directions:

Note: Soak wood chunks in water two days before using it.

For the Brine:

In a large bowl or small bucket add warm water and dissolve the salt. Clean the fish and add the brine onto the fish. I just use our kitchen sink for this (make sure your sink is clean and rinsed thoroughly). Let it brine for 1 hour while stirring the brine every ten minutes. The rule of thumb: brine the fish for ½ an hour for every half inch (thickness) of fish. After an hour remove the fish from the brine, rinse it well, and set aside.

The Smoker:

Depending on your smoker, the best way to do this is to keep the fish away from the heat source as much as possible. Place your fish on the rack and add your wood chunks to the heat source. Cover the smoker and let it smoke for 1 ½ hour. You will need to add wood chunks every 20 minutes to keep the smoke going. Enjoy your freshly made Tinapa. Serve with fresh tomatoes and onions and don’t forget the garlic flavored vinegar dipping sauce.