Hot-Smoked Trout
Submitted by jc44
Hot-smoked trout cured overnight in salt and sugar, then slow-smoked on a charcoal grill with wood chips. Three ingredients and a covered grill are all you need.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minHot-smoking trout at home is simpler than you think. A basic salt-and-sugar cure draws moisture from the fillets overnight, firming the flesh and seasoning it all the way through. After a quick cold-water rinse to remove excess salt, the fillets go onto the cool side of a charcoal grill with soaked wood chips smoldering on the coals.
The low heat (around 200°F / 93°C) cooks the fish gently while the smoke does its work, infusing every flake with that unmistakable smoky flavour. In 30 to 40 minutes you’ve got silky, opaque fillets that flake apart with a fork.
Serve hot straight off the grill or chill and flake over salads, pasta, or crackers with cream cheese. Smoked trout keeps well in the fridge for several days.
Pro Tips
- Apply more cure to the thick parts of the fillet and less to the thin tail end. This ensures even seasoning across the whole piece.
- Rinse and soak the cured fillets in cold water twice for 15 minutes each. Skipping this step leaves the fish too salty.
- Let the fillets air-dry on a rack for 15 minutes before smoking. A dry surface (called a pellicle) absorbs smoke better and develops a smoother texture.
- Add dry chips every 15 minutes to keep the smoke going. Soaked chips alone burn out too quickly.
Variations
- Use maple, alder, or apple wood chips for different smoke flavour profiles.
- Add cracked black pepper or dried dill to the cure mixture for seasoned fillets.
- Try the same method with salmon fillets for homemade smoked salmon.
Ingredients
Directions
Filet the fish (or have the fishmonger do it), leaving the skin on.
If you want a completely boneless filet, use tweezers or clean needle-nose pliers to remove the dozen or so pin bones running down the middle of the filet near the head end.
Place the filets skin side down in a glass or stainless steel baking pan or other deep dish.
Combine the salt and sugar and sprinkle a generous layer all over the fish, more thickly on the thickest part of the meat, a little less on the tail and edges.
Use about a tablespoon in all for a 2-pound fish, the full amount for a 3-pounder.
Cover and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
Drain off any juices that have collected in the pan.
Add cold water to cover, let stand 15 minutes, drain, and repeat.
Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
For a smoother surface, lay the filets on a wire rack in a cool, breezy place for 15 minutes to dry.
Build a small charcoal fire (10 to 12 briquets) at one edge of a covered grill and let it burn down until covered with gray ash.
Meanwhile, soak ½ cup of the smoking chips in water.
Cover the grill and adjust the vents on the top and bottom to maintain a temperature of about 200 degrees F.
Drain the chips and add them to the coals; replace the grill with one handle nearest the fire, to facilitate adding smoking chips.
Lay the filets on the opposite side from the fire, with the thickest parts nearest the heat.
Cover and cook until the fish is opaque, 30 to 40 minutes.
Add some dry smoking chips to the fire every 15 minutes or so to maintain smoke and heat.
Serve hot or cold.
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