Smoked Lake Trout
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
2 hrs
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Cook Time
3 hrs
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Total Time
5 hrs
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Servings
4 people
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Calories
130 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer
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Cuisine
American
Smoked Lake Trout
Description
The Smoked Lake Trout recipe starts by thoroughly salting the fish and layering it with chopped spruce tips and citrus zest. This method cures the trout for several hours, intensifying its flavor and enhancing its texture. After rinsing and drying the trout to create a pellicle—a slightly tacky surface that allows smoke to stick—the fish is smoked over low heat using aromatic hardwoods such as alder or fruit woods. This slow smoking imparts a delicate smokey aroma while preserving the moist, tender texture of the trout's flesh.
The finished trout presents a rich and savory profile with fresh pine and citrus highlights from the spruce tips and zests. The combination complements the natural fattiness of the lake trout, making it a nuanced and balanced smoked fish. It can be served simply with accompaniments that do not overshadow its smoky, aromatic flavor.
The recipe notes that spruce tips were chosen for their availability and complementary flavor, and rosemary with grated citrus peel can be used as substitutes. Adjusting the salt amount based on the fish size is recommended but approximate. The detailed cure and drying steps ensure the smoke properly adheres and penetrates the trout for the best results.
Ingredients
- 1 lake trout butterflied or kited, whole
- kosher salt about 90 grams or 3 ounces, about 1/2 cup
- 1/2 cup spruce tips or fir, or fresh rosemary, chopped
- orange zest optional, grated, of an orange or 2 lemons or limes
- lemon zest
- lime zest
Instructions
- Salt both sides of the trout liberally. Use the whole 1/2 cup for a fish that, when it was alive, weighed between 5 and 12 pounds. Scale the salt up or down if your fish is larger or smaller, but don't get all hung up on it -- this is an approximation. Sprinkle the chopped spruce tips all over the meat side of the trout. Fold the trout over on itself so it's "back to normal." Put the fish in a closed container and set in the fridge for as many hours as the butterflied fish weighs.
- Rinse off the cure under cold water and pat the fish dry with paper towels. Let it sit out in a cool, breezy place for a few hours, or you can set the trout on a cooling rack in the fridge for up to a day. This dries the fish out enough to form a pellicle; if you skip this step the smoke will not adhere to it as well.
- Smoke the trout over whatever wood you want. We used diamond willow in Manitoba, but alder is my wood of choice for fish. Fruit woods and oak are other good choices. Smoke over low heat -- no higher than 225°F and ideally closer to 180°F -- until the fish has been cooked through, which can take as little as 90 minutes or as long as 4 hours, depending on how thick your trout is and how hot your fire is. Either eat the trout on the spot or let it cool and eat it cold. It should keep for a solid week to 10 days if kept cool.
Notes
- Substitute spruce tips with a blend of rosemary and grated orange or lemon zest if unavailable.
- Adjust salt quantity based on the weight of your trout to avoid over- or under-curing.
- Dry the trout thoroughly after rinsing to create a pellicle; this is crucial for good smoke adherence.
- Low and slow smoking over woods like alder or fruitwoods provides the best flavor balance and texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 130 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 130kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 1g | 0% |
| Protein | 18g | 36% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 49mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 45mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 329mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 147IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 47mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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