Smoke Trout
Smoked trout has long been a favorite of fine cuisine aficionados. Originally, people smoked trout and other kinds of fish to preserve it to keep longer. Following the advent of refrigeration and freezer systems, the main reason to smoke trout is to create a unique flavor in a fish you can use as an appetizer, in salads, soups and chowders, or as a meal itself. Smoked trout can be expensive or it may not have the exact flavor you want, so you can get the amount of fish you want and season it to your liking by knowing how to smoke trout yourself.
Steps
- Prepare the trout for the smoking process by following proper cutting and cleaning techniques. Cut the fish completely open along its backbone, and lay it open so it's flat with the skin facing down
- If the trout is fresh, use a gutting knife or other sharp knife to gut it. Remove the trout's gills and entrails, as well as the blood line along its backbone.
- If you are using frozen trout, remove the trout from the freezer and allow it to defrost slowly in the fridge. Once it's thawed, use a gutting knife or other sharp knife to cut off its head and tail.
- Wash the trout to remove any residue that could compromise flavor.
- Season or brine the trout with ready-made or homemade seasoning salt by generously sprinkling the seasoning salt along the open skin.
- You can make brine by combining the water, salt, brown sugar, and other seasonings in a bowl. Soak the trout in it for 1 hour then remove the trout and dry it on a paper towel.
- Fill the pan in the trout smokehouse or smoking unit with wood chips.
- Use woods such as pecan, alder, oak or apple for a mild smoked trout flavor. For a stronger smoked flavor, consider hickory or mesquite wood.
- Heat the smokehouse to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius).
- Place the trout on the grate in the smokehouse or smoker unit. If you're making more than one smoked trout, leave plenty of space between each fish so the smoke touches all sides of each fish evenly.
- Smoke the trout for 30 minutes.
- Increase the temperature in the trout smokehouse to 225 degrees F (107 degrees C) for another 30 minutes.
- Remove the smoked trout from the trout smokehouse.
- Eat, refrigerate or freeze the smoked trout.
Tips
- You can use this smoking technique for salmon, tilapia, and other types of fish as well.
Warnings
- Never overfill the trout smokehouse, as this will reduce the flavoring of the fish.
Things You'll Need
- Trout
- Gutting or other sharp knife
- Seasoning salt
- 2 cups of water
- 2 tbs. salt
- 2 tbs. brown sugar
- 1 tbs. seasoning
- Paper towel
- Trout smokehouse
- Wood chips
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