Ingredients
2 whole trout fillets (skin on)
1/4 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 cups cold water
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs fresh dill
Apple or cherry wood chips for smoking
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine salt, brown sugar, garlic, dill, and cold water. Stir until dissolved to make your brine.
Submerge the trout fillets in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
Remove the fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. Place skin side down on a wire rack and air dry for 30 to 60 minutes.
Preheat your smoker to 180 to 200°F using mild wood like apple or cherry.
Place trout directly on the smoker grates, skin side down. Smoke for 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until the internal temp reaches 145°F.
Let cool slightly before serving or storing.
Notes
Forming a pellicle by air drying after brining helps the smoke adhere better. You can refrigerate smoked trout up to 5 days, or freeze it for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 55mg