I have a custom made charcoal spit and I've done a whole pig on a spit at least 10 times, so I have some experience doing this thing, however, this will be my first year cooking a sturgeon, or any fish for that matter, on a spit. I need help with and how long to cook it for.

The spit automatically rotates 3.5 rotations/minute. I plan on wrapping the whole fish in wire... will that be enough or will it be too tender/start falling apart? I'm also worried about overcooking it and making it too tough. Any other advice?

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    Welcome! I've removed the part of your question about seasoning because it's a little too subjective. Everyone has their own flavor preferences. The rest of your question looks fine, though. :) – Catija Aug 18 '16 at 16:57

Based on my experience as a chef I wouldn't recommend spit-roasting your sturgeon. It's a rather large fish for that technique although smaller fish may work. Your idea to wrap it in wire albeit a good idea, give a moment to consider what would the wire do to your fish as it cooks. Proteins shrink when they cook and although you may wrap the fish in wire while it is still uncooked the wire will not shrink to accommodate the shrinkage of the fish.A 30 lb. sturgeon would probably be roasted and there will be less complications when it comes serving it whole (given you have a big oven!)

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  • Thank you for your answer, but given that I will be in the middle of the wilderness, where an oven is not an option, can you help with best practices for best possible outcome on a spit? – Serj Sagan Aug 24 '16 at 5:58

There are numerous historical references to spit-roasting sturgeon. Contemporary cuisine has rediscovered sturgeon more recently, particularly on the West Coast. Several years ago, sturgeon farmer Michael Passmore of Passmore Ranch (Sloughhouse, California) and chef Kelly McCown (The Kitchen, Sacramento, California) spit-roasted a 100-pound specimen for an event. Roasted whole, you want the temperature of the inside cavity to reach 145 F. On a grill, this can take about 25 minutes, depending on size of the fish. Since spit-roasting tends to be at a lower heat, it will take longer, and I would use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness.

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  • Awesome! Thanks for the info. I contacted the ranch to see if they can get me some tips. – Serj Sagan Aug 25 '16 at 3:44
  • Dorothy, though you gave me some good hints, this doesn't answer my question completely. – Serj Sagan Aug 25 '16 at 18:26

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