Smoked Trout Recipes

Steps:

• With gloved hands, flake the fish into a bowl, removing the skin as you go. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, seafood seasoning and pepper, and mix gently. Add the lemon juice and toss once again to mix. Plate in a terrine and sprinkle with the chopped chives as garnish. Serve with crostini.

Steps:

• Combine the salt and water in a 4-quart container and stir until the salt has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the trout filets, making sure they are submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Remove the trout from the brine, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry. Place the trout, skin side down onto a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan. Dry in the refrigerator 21 to 24 hours or until the skin becomes shiny and somewhat tacky to the touch.
• The next day, turn the smoker on so that it maintains a temperature of 150 to 160 degrees F. Place the trout onto smoking racks, skin side down, separating them by at least 1/4-inch and place into a smoker. Adjust heat as needed and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the fish is, cooked through, has darkened in color, and has the desired level of smoke flavor.
• Serve with a green salad, incorporate into a dip or eat as an appetizer. Refrigerate unused portions in an airtight container for up to a week or vacuum seal and refrigerate for up to a month.

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with cold salted water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium, covered, then reduce heat as needed to maintain a simmer until potatoes are tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Mash warm potatoes with butter, then stir in Parmesan, chives, horseradish, pepper, 2 beaten eggs, and 1/2 tsp. salt until smooth. Fold in trout and mozzarella. Form potato mixture into about 60 round croquettes (about 2 Tbsp. each).
• Place remaining 2 beaten eggs in a shallow bowl. Place panko in another shallow bowl. Dip 1 croquette into egg, letting excess drip off, then roll in panko to coat. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining croquettes.
• Pour oil into a large pot to a depth of 4". Heat over medium-high until it sizzles when you toss in a pinch of panko or a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°. Working in batches, fry croquettes, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 4-5 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season with salt. Serve immediately with lemon wedges alongside.
• Do Ahead: Croquettes can be formed and coated 2 days ahead. Cover and chill on baking sheet.

Steps:

• To make the brine: combine first 6 ingredients (onions - ginger) in a food processor and puree. Pour into a dish or pan that is large enough to hold the fish. Add remaining brine ingredients (soy sauce - mace) and stir to combine. Stir in cold water (about 2 cups). Add fish to mixture and enough water to cover fish. If using large salmon fish refrigerate for 2-3 days, if using small fish refrigerate for 1 day.
• Soak hickory chips overnight in water.
• To prepare smoker/barbecue: prepare barbecue by heaping briquets on one side of the grill (about 30 for a large grill). Ignite and burn until coals glow and gray ash forms.
• Set drip pans opposite briquets.
• Remove fish from brine and wipe dry.
• Pile hickory chips over briquets. Set top grill in place and coals side over drip pan with vegetable oil or spray with Pam.
• Set fish over drip pan and cover barbecue, leaving 1-2 vents open to allow smoke to escape.
• Smoke fish until fish flakes with a fork about 8 minutes per pound. For the large salmon trout it can take up to 2 hours but if using small fish about 45-60 minutes. You will most likely need to add coals if briquets begin to burn down.
• Transfer fish to a large platter and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until 1 hour before serving.
• To make garnish: separate lettuce carefully using only those that form a cup. Chop onions and place in paper towel lined sieve to dry slightly. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water and then bring to a boil and let them boil 1 minute. Turn off heat and let stand 5 minutes. Cool under cold running water, and then peel, chop and set aside.
• To serve: surround fish with lettuce cups alternately filled with onion, egg, caper and lemon wedges. Pass the horseradish sauce separately.
• To make the horseradish sauce: Combine first five ingredients (dill - mace) and mix well. Stir in the sour cream and horseradish. Transfer to a gravy sauce boat and cover and refrigerate. Sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Steps:

• In a shallow baking dish, mix together the kosher salt, sugar, cilantro, and lemon slices to make the cure. Rub the cure into the trout fillets, and cure in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Prepare a hot smoker.
• Smoke the trout with serrano peppers until the fish is cooked through, but not overcooked. Remove from the smoker and allow to cool.
• Peel the smoked peppers and remove seeds. Place the smoked pepper in a blender or food processor and puree. Add the vinegar, olive oil, mango, garlic, black pepper, salt, and tomato. Puree until smooth.
• Place the trout on a platter and sprinkle with peanuts. Drizzle a generous amount of the vinaigrette over the trout.

Steps:

• Discard the head, and skin and flake the trout fillets. Puree the cream cheese, sour cream, and horseradish in a mini food processor. Add the fish and pulse to a make a smooth dip. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the onion and parsley, and the lemon juice, to taste. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Serve with celery or endive leaves.

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red onion, jalapeño, garlic and curry powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they begin to lose their shape, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the smoked trout and season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides with vegetable oil (use 1 tablespoon oil per slice); season with salt and pepper. Broil the bread, turning once, until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir half of the herbs into the trout mixture, then spoon onto the toasts. Toss the fennel with the remaining chopped herbs, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the fennel fronds and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Serve with the toasts.

Steps:

• Reserve about 1/4 of the fish meat and flake it roughly.
• Place the remaining ingredients except the herbs in a food processor and work until smooth.
• Check for seasonings and maybe add a little more lemon juice.
• Add the herbs and pulse briefly.
• Scrape into a bowl, fold through the reserved fish and refrigerate covered until required.
• Spoon into serving dishes and serve with turkish bread, crackers and/or fresh veggie sticks.

Steps:

• Trim the very ends of the tail if the trout are too long for the smoker, otherwise, leave them as is.
• Some retailers will sell a whole, boneless trout, which makes serving easier, but skinning a smoked trout and separating the fillets from the bones is a very simple affair (see below).
• Season the inside and outside of the trout generously with salt and pepper.
• If you like, lay a few slices of lemon and sprigs of fresh thyme inside the body cavity.
• Use 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons (depending on your preference for smokiness) alder or cherry wood chips (best with seafood).
• Smoke the trout until the meat along the backbone close to the head is opaque (insert the tip of a small knife to check); about 22 minutes after closing the smoker lid for an 11-12 ounce trout; about 25 minutes for a 13-14 ounce trout.
• Check the fish for doneness after 20 minutes.
• If the underside is considerably darker than the top after about 12 minutes
• of smoking, flip the fish and continue cooking.
• Serve right from the smoker with rice pilaf and buttered string beans, or cool them completely to room temperature and remove the fillets.
• To fillet smoked trout, run a small sharp knife along the backbone to cut through the skin.
• Lift off the skin from the top fillet or leave it on if you like.
• With the help of the knife, gently lift the top fillet free of the bones.
• Turn the fish over and repeat.
• Note: To smoke trout fillets, set them skin side down on the smoker rack and smoke just until cooked through and begin to flake, 12-15 minutes, depending on thickness.