Smoked Rainbow Trout

So I got about 8 freshly caught Rainbow Trout caught in Arkansas last week. What better than smoked trout!! Here's my step by step procedure. Each were about 12-14 inches in length. I figured this would be helpful to compile cause I didn't find to much info on how to smoke rainbows on this forum. Please feel free to add more info as you see fit. I would like to get a good reference going for smoking rainbows. This was my first try and I'm always willing to get better and learn new techniques. Thanks for looking and I look forward to comments/input.

1. Gutted/De-gilled
2. Brined for 2 hrs

4 quarts water
1 cup pickling/canning salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp Black Pepper
6 crushed bay leaves
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp red pepper flake
2 tbsp pickling spice

Mix all the above ingredients and bring to a boil. Allow to cool to below 40F before adding the fish. I like to boil the solution for a couple reasons. 1. To fully dissolve the sugar/salt and 2. to allow the bay leaf and pickling spice to penetrate into the brine thus allow the transfer of its flavor. Make sure the brine fully submerses the fish.


3. Air Dry- Once brined, rinse/pat dry and allow to air dry for approx 1 hr on a raised rack. The skin was slightly sticky but not wet at this point. Perfect for smoke adhesion.

4. Rub cavity with oil/spices. Add lemon slices if you'd like. Also some fresh bay leaves if available. Some add butter/herbs but I did not for this cook.

5. Rub skin with spices- Some coriander and black pepper.

6. Started Ole Hickory 1 hour prior to adding the trout. Goal temp was between 180-200F. Smoked with Apple wood and K-ford.

Total cook time was 3 hours or when the meat forked easily off the bone.

Kevin said:

Thanks for the detailed tutorial. Those trout look really good.

Just for clarification, when your brine recipe calls for "pickling salt" are you referring to plain canning salt or salt with a curing agent like Tender Kwik or Pink salt ?

Click to expand...

Thanks for catching that Kevin. I changed it in my original post. Just plain ole canning salt is what I was referring to. I think with Kosher salt, you can just double that amount.

BBQ Grail said:

That looks really good. I'd like to give it try.

Questions:
How do you eat smoked trout? Just like smoked salmon? Would you eat as part of a meal with rice/potato and veggie? Or is it an appetizer? I'm really curious.

Thanks for starting this thread, it's going to be helpful.

Click to expand...

Thanks Larry!

I enjoy eating it a couple different ways. If warm off the smoker, I like to pair it with a starch and a veggie like you said. If served the next day or cold, I like to eat it just like cold salmon, usually on crackers and a dill/cream sauce and capers if I have some available. I've even eaten it in my breakfast omelets. It really has a mild/delicate taste. Goes good when made into a cream cheese based dip too.

Blackened said:

Looking good.. I have about 30 trout my son and I caught this fall that we're going to smoke just before Christmas.. Here's a good recipe..

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1995/02/seafood-dry-cure-for-salmon-trout-or.html

Click to expand...

Wow! That does look good. I'll have to try that with the larger fillets.

Thanks for sharing this!

Ron_L said:

Nice job an the 'bows! I need to go fishing again. It's been too long.

Click to expand...

Aren't you close to the Chicago river? I hear smoked Chinese carp can be quite tasty!! :-D

nikjd68 said:

According to the Cook's Illustrated Magazine/America's Test Kitchen/Best Recipe Cookbook "guys", if you use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, double the amount of salt called for in a recipe. If you use Morton's Kosher Salt, use 1.5 times the amount of salt called for in a recipe. They found differences in the size of of the salt crystals between the two. So,

Recipe for e.g., brine, calls for 1 cup salt, use

1.5 cups Morton's
2 cups Diamond Crystal

Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

Thanks this was helpful. Is Diamond Crystal like a large grain sea salt?