I always seem to have a bounty of rainbow trout in the fridge when summer starts. And sure enough, we had plenty from a recent fishing trip. Thanks to all of our friends who put me in charge of taking a day off to ensure I could smoke all of this amazing fish!
10 trout at 1.5 to 2.5 pounds each (if you have less trout, simply cut recipe accordingly.)
Trout Brine Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 2/3 cup kosher salt
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup peach brandy
Add all ingredients to a pitcher and stir until salt and sugar have dissolved.
Vermont Maple Syrup Basting Ingredients
- Cracked black pepper
- Mr. Yoshida’s Original Gourmet Sweet & Savory Marinade
Directions
Fillet trout and cut each one in half. Place in brine, skin side up, in a tin foil pan or glass dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 10-12 hours.
Wash trout under cold water, pat dry, and place skin side down on wire rack in cool place. Let sit for 2 hours. Brush trout with Mr. Yoshida’s marinade and add ground black pepper.
Use digital smoker with alder wood and began smoking fish at 150 degrees for 2 hours. Increase temperature to 160 degrees for 2 hours. Baste trout with marinade and finish smoking trout at 170 degrees for 1 to 2 hours until internal temperature reaches 130-140 degrees. Remove trout from smoker and let sit for 1 hour to cool before vacuum sealing.
Serve with cream cheese and crackers. Enjoy!
Publisher’s note: Please check out Kristy Crabtree’s Wild Game Cuisine cookbook. It includes 100+ recipes from her personal collection that feature elk, venison, antelope, bison, waterfowl, and more. Be sure to order your copy (or a few copies for the wild game enthusiasts in your life). Each cookbook will be personally signed by Kristy!
