How to do trout

[bowmaker]

I am pretty new to all this but have completed a few projects. Since I am going trout fishing for a few days next week I would like to know how to smoke them and how to prepare them to be smoked. We always clean and cook some while we are there but I want to bring some home to smoke. Question 1 How to clean them? I usually just remove the gills and insides then break the head off and skin them like peeling a banana. To smoke them I am guessing I should leave the skin on but scale them first and does it matter if I leave the heads on or not? Then is it better to smoke them fresh or freeze them? We really don't care for them much after they have been frozen, the way we usually cook them. I have read a couple of brine recipes, after searching the FISH section, but a couple said to not use anything metal or wooden, why? I have a GOSM so how long might it take and what temp should I run it? These fish will run about 12" to 15" and are hatchery stocked in a stream each night, so unless really necessary I won't be filleting them. I have learned a lot here already so maybe just a little more info please.

 

[curious aardvark]

did a couple recently.
Kept it simple.
headed and gutted.
Rubbed inside and out with evoo and just smoked to 165 (laid the probed in the belly cavity up against the spine.

That by itself was excellent. next time I'll probably pick some herbs and bay leaves from the garden and stuff the trout with them as well. WE ate them cold with bread :-) But it was pretty good hot out of the smoker as well.

Fresh fish never needs brining (it's a personal thing - I'd never do it, others would :-)
I've madea rub (over in the rub recipe section) that would be great rubbed on the inside of the fish. You smoke with the skin on and it just pulls off after.

You can go way more complicated but personally the fresher the fish the less I like to do to it before cooking :-)

 

[fishawn]

I would suggest not freezing them & keep them on ice or in a fridge.

Clean insides out good & rinse well, make sure to get as much of the blood out of the spine area as you can. Head off & I "butterfly" my trout, which means cutting down one side of the backbone & "opening" them up to flatten them out.

I use a wet brine: water, sugar & kosher or canning salt as a base, then add anything you like from there if you wish: wine, worscheshier (sp?), honey, garlic, terriyaki, soy sauce, seasonings, etc.

Alder is the king of woods for smoking fish in the Northwest, though Vine Maple is one of my favorites as well.

 

[shellbellc]

Have smoke fresh trout now for two springs...first time they were filleted, for appearance sake, they were "prettier". Great smoked taste. Didn't really do too much seaoning besides s&p. After that they have been headed and gutted. I don't recall if they were scaled. I've done them a few different ways, never brined cause we just pulled them out of the creek!! evoo, squirt of lemon juice and some rosemary sprigs. Last time I tried a chili lime powder, I think it might have been a cholula, I think a picture of a lady on the front. Sprinkled that on the insides and it was great. We took some down to our VFW and they really don't look that appealing, we were just flaking the met off, the bones and spine pull right out.
We also smoked some for a friend that he made a cracker dip out of it with cream cheese and other spices, it was excellent!!!

 

[erain]

have smoked many trout, rainbows and lakers(laker is really not a trout but a char), but anyway i love a mellow brine with a hint of salt and offset with brown sugar and garlic that this brine will bring to your fish. just so everyone is clear this is in my opinion only. ck out the brine recipie in this link.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=23958

 

[bowmaker]

Thanks for the replies. It will be a few days but I will try some of these and let you know the results. Just tied up some "gotta have" flies and mini jigs and cleaned fly lines last night and am rearin to go.