Our clients have been hooking tons of King Mackerel this season so Captain Kenyon and Captain Robert took to the kitchen to put together this easy and tasty appetizer. King Mackerel, also commonly called Kingfish, are in season in our area all year round and each angler aboard the boat can keep up three of them as long as they’re 24″ fork length. Next time you’re on one of the Ms. B. Haven boats, ask your captain to filet one of these up for you to take home so you can try your hand at this dip!
Brining Process
After a long day on the boat, we prefer a simple brining process. We used 30oz of soy sauce in a large, sealable container (we used a Styrofoam cooler) and 1 cup of apple juice over the fish, then put it in the fridge overnight. Some people prefer to use brown sugar, bay leaves or other ingredients in their brine so if you’ve got a go-to recipe, feel free to use that instead.
Smoke ‘Em
We keep the smoker at about 175 degrees but note that it’s really important to not go over 200 degrees otherwise it’ll cook too quickly. Be sure to spray the racks with a non-stick spray first then 
place the fish skin side down with space between each fillet. We’ve been catching some thicker kingfish lately so we recommend smoking them for 6-7 hours on an electric smoker. If your fillets are less than 2 inches thick, they should be smoked for 4-5 hours. Cooking times may need to be adjusted if you’re using a different type of smoker.
You’ll know it’s done when the center of the fillet feels tight and not mushy. If the skin looks darker at the center, almost as if it’s been cooked too long, then you’ve done it right. Because the fish was brined, there’s no need to refrigerate it when it comes off the smoker and before it gets turned into a dip. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before removing them off of the racks.
Making the Dip
Depending on how much Kingfish you wind up with, you may want to double or triple the ingredients but still mix them in smaller batches. Mix the ingredients below in a food processor, preferably on the low setting, to get a creamy, perfect-for-dipping-texture. Enjoy on your favorite crackers or toasted French bread.
2 cups of smoke kingfish, flaked (be sure to remove large pieces of skin)
2 tablespoons fat free mayo
4 tablespoons fat free sour cream
A couple shakes of Old Bay seasoning or Everglades Seafood seasoning
4 drops of hot sauce or more to taste
3 drops of Worcestershire sauce or more to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Optional garnish: lemon & capers
If this recipe has you craving to catch some King Mackerel of your own, give us a call at 239-825-4292 to reserve your Naples fishing trip with Ms. B. Haven Charters!