HOT SMOKED TROUT RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine first 4 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a medium bowl. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to cover fish. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons salt mixture on plastic; place fish, skin side down, on salt mixture. Sprinkle remaining salt mixture on fish; press to adhere. Tightly wrap plastic around fish. Place a separate baking sheet on fish; weight with a cast-iron skillet. Chill 1 hour. Unwrap and rinse fish; pat dry. Return to pan, and chill overnight. Preheat grill to 180°F; maintain temperature 10 minutes. Push coals to one side; top with wood chips. (Or preheat one side of gas grill and wrap wood chips in foil.) Place fish on oiled grates over indirect heat. Grill, covered, until firm and golden, about 2 hours. Remove from grill; let stand 15 minutes. Combine cream cheese and scallions; spread on bagel halves. Top with capers, tomatoes, fish, and dill.

Steps:

• Methods for the Brine
• In a non-metallic container big enough to hold the fish, combine the salt, both sugars, honey and the water and whisk vigorously to dissolve the ingredients.
• Chill the brine.
• Thoroughly rinse the trout and submerge them in the brine, using a plate to weight them down beneath the surface.
• Brine for 6 to 8 hours in the fridge.
• Discard the brine and rinse the trout again.
• Pat the fish dry with paper towels and place them on a cooling rack in the fridge until they feel tacky to the touch. Two or three hours should do it.
• Smoking the Trout
• If using a chamber smoker with adequate space, consider suspending the trout.
• For each fish, place the belly of a loop of twine across the back of its neck and pass the sides of the loop under the fish’s gill covers and then push the knotted end out of the fish’s mouth.
• Prepare your smoker and preheat to a temperature of approximately 170°F. Fruit woods such as apple or cherry are ideal.
• If possible, suspend the trout in the smoker at least 10 inches above the heat source. If not, place them on wire racks so there’s plenty of room between the fish.
• Begin checking the fish at around 3 hours.
• When done, the ends of the tail and other fins will have turned dry and crispy.
• The skin should easily peel away. It should seem that the flesh would easily slip away from the ribs and spine, leaving bare bones.
• Remove the fish from the smoker and allow to cool enough that they can be handled comfortably.
• These trout are best when served within a day or two, though you can wrap them in foil and store in a fridge for a week or so.
• For freezing, chill the fish thoroughly and vacuum seal.