How to smoke Goldeye

After my first not quite so successful attempt on smoking Goldeye  a few weeks ago, I bought a smoker from Cabellas. A Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse with digital controls at the top and a meat probe. I smoked 4 Goldeye today and they turned out great.
I took the frozen Goldeye out the freezer yesterday. After they were thawed out, I put them into a brine and kept them in the fridge for 10 hours. After that I washed off the brine with clean water, dried them and left them on a grill in the fridge for a few hours, mainly because my smoker wasn't ready yet.
When I took them out of the fridge, they had glazed over nicely and were ready to be smoked.
After preheating the smoker for about 20 minutes at 275F I put the 4 Goldeye onto the rack in the smoker. The Apple chips were already smoking nicely. I had to add some chips after about one hour.
I smoked the fish for 2 hours at 200F. After the smoker shut off I still left the fish in the closed smoker for another 20 minutes, then I removed them from the smoker. Unfortunately, the skin stuck to the grill and it took some doing with a knife to pry them loose, but that was okay, because we only eat the meat. They were done and the skin just peeled off the meat.

This is the brine I used:

1 liter (or quart) of water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup of apple juice
1/4 cup pickling salt
1/2 cup light soy sauce
a dash of black pepper
a dash of onion powder
a dash of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Hy's seasoning salt (some people use Lawry's)
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Even though they tasted good, I'm always on the search for a better recipe. I used to get smoked Goldeye from an acquaintance once in awhile and I liked the way they tasted. When I called him up and asked him for the recipe, he told me he couldn't give it to me, because the recipe has been in his family for 100 years and it took him 38 years to perfect it. I was a bit peeved about it, but I have to respect his reasoning. My thoughts are different on that. If I have something I enjoy I like to share it with other people.
When I told a friend of mine about my brine and how I smoked the fish, he laughed and said "Never use sugar on Goldeye". This is how he prepares and smokes fish, using a dry-rub:
He rubs them with pickling salt, pepper, garlic powder and real garlic. Then he leaves them sitting for a couple of hours. After that he washes them and lets them dry. Then he smokes them. He assures me they taste great. He promised to smoke one for me. I may just use his recipe the next time.
Here is a picture of how the smoked Goldeye looked:

 Note: (November 17, 2013)
I couldn't get the results I received here after this again. The fish split in the back and the bellies opened wide. I'm only using the dry rub now. It is faster and less messy. Here is the link to the way I smoke my Goldeye now and they turn out fine. (Most of the time anyway. (^_^):

Smoking Goldeye - again.

My first reviews have been published

My reviews of the Best Western hotel in Hill City and the Comfort Inn in Bismarck have been published on Tripadvisor. If anyone is interested here are the links:

Best Western Plus Golden Spike Inn Suites, Hill City, SD

Comfort Inn, Bismarck, ND

The Black Hills. A trip to remember.

I’ve been absent for over a couple of weeks now, but I’m back. By back I mean back from a short holiday we took. Went down to the Black Hills and the Badlands in South Dakota. We left Sunday, September 2 and came back Monday, September 10.

The weather was great and the trip went well. The last time we were in that area of the US was in 1968. A long time ago. Things have changed from what we remember. The heads of the American Presidents in Mount Rushmore are still the same impressive sight, but they’ve erected a huge parking house and an elaborate construction for viewing the heads. And we had to pay to get in. That’s one of the somewhat disappointing things. It is expensive to see all the attractions. We also went to see Crazy Horse, another huge and impressive project, but it cost twenty bucks admission. Fifteen Dollars to drive through Custer Park and another similar entrance fee to drive through the Badlands. I believe it was Fifteen Dollars also. I’m not sure.

We stayed in Hill City, pretty much the center of the Black Hills and close to all the attractions. Our stay at the Best Western Plus Golden Spike was pleasant. Nice place with a comfortable King size bed and great continental breakfast in the morning. In the evening we dined in various restaurants, had great steak ($11.95 for a 9 oz steak) at the Alpine Inn, and fine foods at other nice restaurants. The prices are quite reasonable and the portions large. Perhaps a bit too large sometimes. No wonder people gain weight eating those large meals, especially for lunch.

Our first visit was to the Museum in the Black Hill Institute in Hill City. It features skeletons of dinosaurs. The largest attraction is Stan, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, one of the skeletons discovered in the Black Hills. Also many impressive geodes and other beautiful rocks on display.

Another attraction we visited was the Rushmore Caves, and we were treated to an exclusive tour, because my wife and I were the only ones going at that particular time. We had a nice time with the guide and were able to ask many questions which he answered. Quite an experience to see the natural caves and squeezing through some narrow passages. When we asked if they advised corpulent people about those narrow passages, we were told they don’t want to offend people. I’d say better offend than have them getting stuck.

Keystone was another interesting town. It is one of the oldest cities in the Black Hills. Half of it is old and the other half new. We went to a Western Show in a pub, which was quite entertaining and funny. One of the three players was Seven feet two inches tall. His name was Big Dave Murra. The other player was Michael Paul. The third one was Jerry Allan. He said he appeared in various Western Movies. He sang two songs and I wished he would have sung more. He had a great voice.

On our way home we stopped at the Reptile Gardens in Rapid City. It cost $11.00 a person to get in, but there were plenty of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes in addition to huge crocodiles and alligators to see. Many of these places are privately funded so we can’t really complain about the high admission fees

After we passed through the Badlands we stayed overnight in Kadoka. Not much there, but we had supper at Club 27 Steakhouse. The prime rib was a nice size and tasty. Paid $17.50 for a 10oz steak (including the salad bar). Yes, there was a bit of fat on it, but that’s what gives it the taste. We can’t get a 10oz prime rib for that kind of money here were we live.

Sadly, not all the food was great. I had the worst sandwich at the Rising Bread Co, located in the West Acres Mall in Fargo. $6.99 for a half sandwich w/soup. I had the bacon/lettuce on pumpernickel. Not much room to put anything on the tiny half sandwich, and it was so greasy my stomach was upset for the rest of the day. It was an awful sandwich that was overpriced.

But everything was forgiven and forgotten when we had lunch in the Columbia Mall in Grand Forks the next day. If you ever visit Grand Forks and you like Chinese Food eat at the Grand Forks Magic ChopStix. One of the vendors in the Mall. Reasonable prices and good food. We ate there last year and liked it. This time didn’t disappoint either. $5.68 for a Combo. We pay at least $8.00 here for the same Combo.

I kept a diary and I’ll be doing reviews on tripadvisor for every hotel we stayed in and also for every restaurant we ate lunch or supper. Most of the reviews will be favorable. I’ll be posting the links here as they happen.

Unfortunately, when you have a good time everything seems to move much quicker. One week is too short and it passes too fast. Now over a week has passed already and we’re back into our old routines. There was so much to do when we came back. The garden needed attention. With the temperatures dropping to around Zero Celsius and even lower at night I was forced to pick all of the tomatoes and peppers. And there were plenty this year. We made Salsa enough to last us through the winter. But it will be nice to eat hot Salsa in those cold evenings.

More next time.

A giant goldeye

Well, not exactly a giant, but I caught a Goldeye that's 39 cm (15.5 in) long. I'll be applying for a Manitoba Master Angler Award. The minimum length to qualify for an award for Goldeye is 35.5 cm (14 in). This is the first fish I'll be registering. Many years ago I caught a Black Crappy that was 14 inches long. The minimum length for an award is 12 inches. Unfortunately, this fish was caught in Ontario and didn't qualify in Manitoba. I can still prove I caught the fish, because it is hanging on the wall on a plaque in my basement. I'm not having this Goldeye mounted, it is too expensive, but I'm happy to finally have caught a fish I can get an award for. Instead of a mounted fish I'll have a certificate I can hang on the wall. Besides, I can still smoke this one and eat it.

I took a picture of the Goldeye. It has already been gutted and scaled, but it still looks good.

Lockport Dam Festival 2012

This weekend is the Lockport Dam Festival. We took a drive there yesterday afternoon to check it out. We looked at the vintage cars, but didn't go into the fenced-in area where the main stage is and  where the vendors have set up their tables. It cost $15.00 per person. We don't care much for the music anyway and just to look at the vendor's tables doesn't justify spending that kind of money. We went to the Festival 2 years ago and didn't have to pay anything. At first we wanted to go to Stonewall for the Quarry days. They have a parade, vendors, stuff for the kids, and a show, and it doesn't cost anything, but it rained yesterday morning, so we didn't go. People don't like to pay to see these events when there are some that cost nothing. I don't know how well the Lockport Dam Festival was attended, but we didn't see that many people.
We went to see the fireworks in the evening. There were many people there to watch it. That was free. We set up our chairs in the park by the river and enjoyed it.. It didn't last that long, but it was a nice display.
When I read in the paper last week that they charge admission I sent them an email wondering if admission was also charged to watch the fireworks and see the vendors, but I never got a reply. I guess I wasn't important enough to receive an answer.

Goldeye. Goldeye, Goldeye

I went fishing this morning to Lockport. I got there early (for me anyway) at 9:30 am. There were already quite a few guys there. I found a place and threw out my bait. I used pieces of Nightcrawlers. I bought a dozen a couple of weeks ago and didn't use up all of them. You only need a small piece which you cut off with a knife. I use a small scissor. Less messy. I kept the ones I didn't use in the fridge, but today they were all dead. By all I mean the three remaining ones. So I used the dead pieces. They worked. When I ran out I used frozen minnows. They also did the trick.

I didn't catch anything at first, but I got stuck among the rocks at the bottom of the river a few times and lost the hook and the sinker. I managed to retrieve my float though every time. Getting discouraged, I tried  fishing with a jig. My first cast was successful and I caught a nice Sauger (a relative of the Walleye). I got stuck again with my second cast. Lost the jig. The same thing happened the third time and the fourth time. I didn't even get a chance to actually fish. After I lost six jigs in a row I switched back to the small hook with a piece of worm, a small sinker and a float about 4 ft above the hook. I threw the whole thing into the water and let it drift with the current. I didn't have much room to play because of all the other anglers. It is easy to get tangled up with another line.

Well, I finally hooked into my first Goldeye. A nice fat one. The rest is history as the saying goes. I left 11:45 am with 9 Goldeye and 2 descent Saugers. I was happy.

At home I scaled the Goldeye, gutted them, and then we put them into the freezer until I'm ready to smoke them. Apparently, they taste better after they've been frozen for a couple of months. The last four which I sort of smoked on the Bbq didn't really turn out. Now, with all these Goldeye in the freezer I am practically forced to buy a smoker.

The two Sauger I caught have supplied us with a nice meal tonight, together with the two smaller ones I caught the other day. Sauger don't get very big. One fish is usually barely enough for one person. Sauger, like Walleye, have white, flaky meat and taste delicious when lightly dusted with flour and fried in butter. My wife and I we don't care much for breading fish. Walleye are quite pricey to buy in the store. They usually sell for about $27.00 a kg in Manitoba. I've seen them even for around $37.00.  Smoked Goldeye are also considered a delicacy and not cheap to buy. Goldeye are only good when they are smoked. The meat is greasy, soft and too mushy to be used for anything else.

Anyway, it was a good day, especially since I tried to catch some fish yesterday on the other side of the river since the strong north wind made fishing on the side I usually fish difficult. Yesterday I caught only one small Sauger which I released again.

Here is the proof I actually caught some today:

Folklorama 2012

This is the last week of Folklorama in Winnipeg. Last week Monday we went to the Portugal Pavilion. It was a disappointment. The entertainment was amateurish and my great disappointment was the food. We had pork on a bun. 2 thin patties of pork on a bun, no mustard, or anything else. It was dry. A hamburger would have been better. The beer was good.

Wednesday we visited the Chilean Pavilion. The food another disappointment. We ate Chicken Empanadas, which to me are nothing but Pizza puffs. A large pocket of dough filled with chicken pieces in sauce. It was hot (oven-hot). I had been looking forward to a nice dinner, since Monday was such a disappointment. I could have had the dinner, which consisted of three Empanadas. One filled with chicken, the other with pork, and a third one with cheese. I don’t know what I expected, but I thought Chilean food was better than that. At least the entertainment was not disappointing. Besides local performers they also had a group, I believe, from Toronto. We enjoyed that performance. Very professional and entertaining.

Tonight we went to the Cuban Pavilion. We ate Pork loin (a bit tough, unfortunately), rice with beans, and salad. And drank a bottle of beer with that. My wife and I were happy with the food. The best though was the entertainment. None of the entertainers were professionals, but they put on a great show. Such talent! We watched them dance different dances. All of the girls were beautiful and the guys handsome. And the show was quite long. We left the Pavilion happy and felt we received value for our money.

We would have liked to go to more shows, but it can become costly. It cost $6.00 per person to get into one Pavilion. And the food is actually a bit overpriced when compared to fast food restaurants. Years ago it was more affordable.

This weekend is the Lockport Dam Festival here in Lockport, but they are charging an admission of $10.00 to get in. That’s not worth it to us. We were there two years ago and didn't have to pay anything. They even had a free shuttle bus taking people from one side of the river to the other. Now they are charging admission. We may just drive to Stonewall. They have a festival going on this weekend also and it is free.

We might go to watch the Fireworks, though, in Lockport on Saturday. Probably from our car parked on the street. I don’t feel like paying for it. This is supposed to be a community event, not a moneymaker.

Am I a cheapskate?