Honey Smoked Trout with Dry Brine

Brining Instructions:

1. Remove guts and heads from trout. Rinse inside and outside of trout and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Combine kosher salt and brown sugar in a small bowl. Place trout in a glass baking dish and coat the inside and outside with salt/sugar mixture.
3. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
4. Rinse trout and pat dry with paper towels. Prop the body cavity open with some longer wood chips or toothpicks. Place trout on a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-24 hours. The longer the drying time, the more the smoke will adhere to the fish.

Electric Smoker Instructions:

1. Soak wood chips for at least 15 minutes before using.
2. Preheat smoker to 200°F to get the chips smoking. Reduce heat to 140°F and place fish on smoker racks.
3. Increase the temperature of the smoker by about 10-15 degrees every hour to a maximum of 175-180°F. Gradually increasing the temperature reduces the possibility of white albumin accumulating on the surface of the flesh.
4. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl. After the trout has been in the smoker for an hour, brush them all over with the glaze and continue brushing with glaze once every hour.
5. Continue smoking until internal temperature reaches 145°F, about 4-5 hours.

Pellet Grill Instructions:

1. Preheat the grill to the smoke setting or 180°F.
2. Place the baking rack with the trout directly on the grill, on the side of the grill with the least direct heat. Avoid using the portion directly over the heat source, if possible.
3. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl. After the trout has been in the smoker for an hour, brush them all over with the glaze and continue brushing with glaze once every hour.
4. Continue smoking until internal temperature reaches 145°F, about 2 more hours.

Processing and Storage Instructions:

1. Let fish cool until warm to the touch. Remove skin and bones while trout is still warm. Remove the skin first, then remove the flesh from the bones by gently pulling the meat away from the backbone. Carefully check for pin bones and remove them as well.
2. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week or in a vacuum bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.