FEATURE: Smoking Snapper With Hayley J. Hansell

My family love smoking their own fish and have done so since I was little. We have a multi-kai-cooker now (for real easy back yard hangi) but before this we used a ‘Smoker’ from the Warehouse (available for around the $60 mark) and before that, my mum liked to line a wok/fry pan with aluminium foil, add the manuka chips and place a small basket on top containing the fish and would then place the wok/pan on the bbq with a lid on top – The principle is the same, so if you’re wondering what to do with that fish you caught over summer, this is really easy and one of my all time summer favourites...

Take one freshly caught snapper.

Cut it open as below...

In a small bowl, add 3 parts brown sugar and 1 part salt...

Smother the fish generously with the brown sugar/salt mixture, and let it sit/marinade for at least 30 minutes in the fridge (if you’re outside at the beach doing this, be sure to keep the fish in a cool place)...

Add a generous cup of Manuka chips to the bottom of your smoker/kai-cooker/aluminium foil lined pan. (You can find Manuka chips available at the Warehouse too)

Then place the marinated fish into the basket and then the basket into your manuka lined ‘smoker’...

Place a lid over the top and light the flame – a fairly moderate heat. Cook (Smoke) the fish for about 40 minutes...

Then, serve with some nice fresh summer salads - or - between slices of thick white bread and butter. This makes such an awesome addition to any bbq.

Big thanks to my parents for putting on such a mean spread Saturday so I could share this recipe with you all.

Recipe by Hayley J. Hansell.