Learn how to brine and smoke trout. This is an extremely easy recipe and following the tips and tricks will result in a superb, mildly smoky fish that is just heavenly!
Rinse the trout thoroughly under cold water to get rid of impurities.
Brine for the Trout
Combine the salt, brown sugar and water and stir until there is no sediment at the bottom. Add the trout to the water and cover.
Place in refrigerator overnight (or for at least six hours)
Remove the trout after the brining and rinse the fish off thoroughly
Smoking the Trout
Preheat the smoker to no more than 225 degrees F. Add your favorite smoking chips. I chose alder.
Add the fish directly to the grill grates. On one fish, I added lemon and butter.
Let the fish smoke until the internal temperature is 160°F. It should take 2-3.5 hours. Ours took a little over 3 hours. Always gauge it by internal temperature though.
Remove the fish, let cool, and debone. It's time to serve!
Notes
Brine: This is a simple brine that you can customize as much as you'd like. I have added fresh herbs and even a bay leaf, but I find the simple salt & sugar brine lets the mild trout flavoring pop through.Rinse: Make sure you rinse thoroughly after the fish is removed from the brine. If you don't the fish risks coming out too salty.Picking: Trout is a naturally bony fish. Try to lift the fillet away from the spine carefully. Then, you can lift the spine and head off the other side of the fish. You'll probably be left with some bones, but keep practicing!Storage: I find it best to pick the trout free of bones as much as possible and store the meat in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Try to press as much air out of the bag as possible prior to sealing in order to minimize the chances of freezer burn.Freezer Friendly: I usually wrap it Press-N-Seal first, and then add it to the freezer bag as an added security. You don't want this to get those freezer smells.Wood Selection: Stay with a mild wood like apple, cherry or alder. These varieties impart a mild smoky taste, but let the trout flavors shine through. Stronger varieties of wood will overtake the fish.Smoker Temperature: 200-225 degrees works great. Don't go over 225 degrees as it will cook and dry out before it slowly smokes.Pellet Smokers: Dial in the 225 and continue to smoke as directed above.Electric Smokers: Set temperature to 225 and add wood as you like.