# Smoking Trout, step 1



## salt and pepper (Apr 2, 2013)

It's that time of the year when the ice leaves the lakes here in Montana. It's time for Trout fishing. The cold water produces a solid and firm fillet, just right for smoking. And the size of the fish comes into play. For smoking fillets I like to keep fish around 20" and return the smaller fish into the lake. So, the first step is to acquire the fish and start the prep. The fish will be filleted leaving the skin on then the pin bones removed.
At the moment, I have 6 fresh trout (4 in the pic) that should fill up my smoker, just right till the next batch!
As I continue the process, I will add the recipe and photo's for each step if anyone is interested.


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## Snip 13 (Apr 2, 2013)

Food tease! LOL. Gorgeous trout


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## vitauta (Apr 2, 2013)

salt and pepper said:


> It's that time of the year when the ice leaves the lakes here in Montana. It's time for Trout fishing. The cold water produces a solid and firm fillet, just right for smoking. And the size of the fish comes into play. For smoking fillets I like to keep fish around 20" and return the smaller fish into the lake. So, the first step is to acquire the fish and start the prep. The fish will be filleted leaving the skin on then the pin bones removed.
> At the moment, I have 6 fresh trout (4 in the pic) that should fill up my smoker, just right till the next batch!
> As I continue the process, I will add the recipe and photo's for each step if anyone is interested.



ZOMG, what gorgeous trout, s&p!!  mine is going to be that big beauty right there in front! please tag it for me with a 'V' so i can follow it through the rest of your smoking process? if there is a delicacy that makes my mouth water more than a dark, shiny, smoked trout, i don't know what it might be.  how long does it take to smoke beauties of this size, s&p? and btw, what did my trout weigh initially?  

yes, please, keep us updated with the fish-smoking progress as you go, s&p.  does anyone make sushi out of this lovely variety of fish flesh?


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## salt and pepper (Apr 2, 2013)

*Smoking Trout step 2*

Here the Trout are filleted with the pin bones removed and all fat is trimmed. Ready to go into the brine.


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## salt and pepper (Apr 2, 2013)

*Smoking Trout, step 3*

This is a basic brine that I use: 1 cup of kosher or sea salt, 1 cup of brown sugar desolved in 1 gallon of cold water. Cover the fish with the brine and let sit for about 2 hours. No need to make a fancy brine because other flavors will be added later.


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## taxlady (Apr 2, 2013)

Are you going to hot or cold smoke the trout?


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## salt and pepper (Apr 2, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Are you going to hot or cold smoke the trout?


 
Cold smoke.


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## taxlady (Apr 2, 2013)

salt and pepper said:


> Cold smoke.


Well, in that case I'll keep reading. Can't stand cooked trout. Then I had some that was cold smoked and discovered that trout could be delicious.


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## salt and pepper (Apr 2, 2013)

*Smoking Trout, step 4*

After brining for 2 hours,strain and rinse fish with cold water, pat dry and cut the fillets in half. Lay them out on sheet pans, then refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours, until a "pellicle" is formed. Pellicle is a tacky, sticky surface that allows the smoke to ad
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




here to.


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## Dawgluver (Apr 2, 2013)

Love watching the process, S&P.  What beautiful fish!


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## Dawgluver (Apr 2, 2013)

Oh, man, those look great already!


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## forty_caliber (Apr 2, 2013)

Amazing work S&P.  Looks like you have the process down to a science.

.40


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## taxlady (Apr 2, 2013)

Why do you cut them in half for the platters where they would fit whole?


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## jharris (Apr 3, 2013)

Looks nice so far and I'm very interested in your process.

Might I suggest that you post only to this thread as you proceed?

Starting a new thread for each step is very distracting for this reader and will be cumbersome for those of us who wish to try this for ourselves.


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## Kylie1969 (Apr 3, 2013)

Yes, lovely looking fish 

Lovely, nice job 

Cheers Joey


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## Hoot (Apr 3, 2013)

I love me some smoked trout....Looks mighty good!


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## CharlieD (Apr 3, 2013)

Is this it? Are they done/ Or is there more to it? I am ready to eat it as is.


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## salt and pepper (Apr 3, 2013)

jharris said:


> Looks nice so far and I'm very interested in your process.
> 
> Might I suggest that you post only to this thread as you proceed?
> 
> Starting a new thread for each step is very distracting for this reader and will be cumbersome for those of us who wish to try this for ourselves.


 
  JH. good idea, I will continue to post here, Thanks'
The next steps Will be, showing the tacky surface, the seasoning process, the smoking process and the outcome of the final process and packaging.
 Thanks to all who are fallowing,          Joey


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## salt and pepper (Apr 3, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Why do you cut them in half for the platters where they would fit whole?


 
   I cut them in half so they will fit in food saver bags. I give most of them away so my friends can enjoy them too.
   My fishing partner also smokes fish and the next bunch we catch will be his to smoke, Then we share our final product with each other.
   Just would like people to know that we only keep enough trout to do our spring smoking. After that, we throw them back. Then, its time to fill the freezer with walleye.


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## salt and pepper (Apr 3, 2013)

Smoking Trout Step 5

When the pellicle is developed the fish is shinny and sticky.


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## vitauta (Apr 4, 2013)

they are gorgeous at every stage.  what does the trout smell like before adding the seasonings?


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## buckytom (Apr 4, 2013)

no, silly, they've had their noses cut off...


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## salt and pepper (Apr 4, 2013)

vitauta said:


> they are gorgeous at every stage. what does the trout smell like before adding the seasonings?


 
Hi V, 
      Fresh fish has on oder.


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## salt and pepper (Apr 4, 2013)

Step 6
             Here the trout are well seasoned. From bottom to top, yakatori season. montana red season and the top is a mixture of both.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Apr 4, 2013)

You are just mean, posting pictures liek that to one such as I who loves trout.  I can't get out fishing until I renew my license.  Those are some beautiful rainbows (or steelhead if they've gone to the ocean).

And did you know that brook trout are actually part of the Char family?  But then again, we're not talking about brookies here, are we.

Nice job.  What did you catch them on?  I've been tying flies all winter.  In fact, I just ordered more tying supplies.  

Well, lunch is over.  Time to get back to work.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## salt and pepper (Apr 4, 2013)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> You are just mean, posting pictures like that to one such as I who loves trout. I can't get out fishing until I renew my license. Those are some beautiful rainbows (or steelhead if they've gone to the ocean).
> 
> And did you know that brook trout are actually part of the Char family? But then again, we're not talking about brookies here, are we.
> 
> ...


 
Hey Chief,
The fish here are rainbows, caught them trolling stick baits and spoons. I went out yesterday and got a bunch of bows and browns that we through back, but kept 4 nice Brookies (char) the larges
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




t was 15".


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## salt and pepper (Apr 4, 2013)

Step 7
            Loading up the Q


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## salt and pepper (Apr 4, 2013)

Step 8
         Getting a good smoke going (apple wood) and were off.


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## salt and pepper (Apr 4, 2013)

I decited to hot smoke a few and cold smoke the rest.


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## salt and pepper (Apr 4, 2013)

The End


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## Dawgluver (Apr 4, 2013)

Great job, S&P!!  They look soooooo good!!


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## salt and pepper (Apr 4, 2013)

Dawgluver said:


> Great job, S&P!! They look soooooo good!!


 

Thank you Dawn


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## CharlieD (Apr 5, 2013)

All I can say I wish I was there to taste it, looks awesome, thank for sharing


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## buckytom (Apr 5, 2013)

salt and pepper said:


> Hey Chief,
> The fish here are rainbows, caught them trolling stick baits and spoons. I went out yesterday and got a bunch of bows and browns that we through back, but kept 4 nice Brookies (char) the larges
> 
> 
> ...




yeah, those are brookies, not rainbows. 

beauties nonetheless. nice job both angling and smoking, s&p.


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## taxlady (Apr 5, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> All I can say I wish I was there to taste it, looks awesome, thank for sharing


+1!!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Apr 5, 2013)

buckytom said:


> yeah, those are brookies, not rainbows.
> 
> beauties nonetheless. nice job both angling and smoking, s&p.



But Bucky, look closely at the pictures on the first page of the thread.  Those are definitely rainbows.  You can see the pink streak on the sides.  But I agree, in the picture you commented on, those are brookies.

Any way you look at it, they are eye candy.  And the cooked photos make me want to hop a plane in time for dinner.  The only thing is, it's a couple days later, and I'm not rich enough.

I have a friend who is a master fly tyer.  He's developed a fly he calls the Super Duper Yooper Streamer.  He states that he's caught more browns on it than any fly he's ever fished, and he's giving me a couple.  I'm going to copy his pattern.  I asked him if it would be ok.  He gave me a positive nod.  I am definitely looking forward to fishing season this year!

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## sarahp (Apr 5, 2013)

I like the color of the fish, cant wait for the final result 
edit: i missed the later pictures-> wow amazing


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## Dawgluver (Apr 5, 2013)

Welcome to DC, SarahP!

OK, Joey, so how did they taste?  Thoughts about cold vs. hot smoked?


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## Andy M. (Apr 5, 2013)

You are a Renaissance man.  Great pizza and beautiful fish.  I see a smoked trout pizza in your future!


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## Dawgluver (Apr 5, 2013)

Andy M. said:


> You are a Renaissance man.  Great pizza and beautiful fish.  I see a smoked trout pizza in your future!



+1!!


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## salt and pepper (Apr 6, 2013)

buckytom said:


> yeah, those are brookies, not rainbows.
> 
> beauties nonetheless. nice job both angling and smoking, s&p.


 
 Sorry about the confusion, I was referring to Chiefs reply. To tell
the difference between a brook trout , which are Char, and trout, are the spots on the fish. Char have white spots and trout have black spots.


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## salt and pepper (Apr 6, 2013)

Went fishing yesterday, now I've gotta do it all over again!!!


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## Dawgluver (Apr 6, 2013)

salt and pepper said:


> Went fishing yesterday, now I've gotta do it all over again!!!



Oh, you poor thing!

Must get closer to Monana....


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## salt and pepper (Apr 6, 2013)

Dawgluver said:


> Oh, you poor thing!
> 
> Must get closer to Monana....


 
   Dawn,
           The fishing is fun but the work starts when I get home! PM me if would like to try some.    Joey


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## Kylie1969 (Apr 12, 2013)

salt and pepper said:


> The End



Great job Joey!


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