Freshly Smoked Trout

My indoor, stove-top smoker got another work-out tonight as I smoked fish in it for the very first time. It was delicious, but definitely unique. Not only did the smoker impart a smoky taste to the fish, but it also subtly changed the texture. It wasn't oily the way lox is, but was clearly different than the texture you'd get from baking, grilling, or sauteing the fish. The uniqueness provides an interesting flavor (literally and figuratively) to the meal.

To go with the freshly smoked fish, I also made my newly favorite recipe, Butternut Squash Ravioli. The trout was easy and the ravioli far more involved, balancing out the difficulty of the meal and providing many contrasting but complementary flavors.

Difficulty: easy (trout)
Time: 30 min
Cost: $18.24 (as always, for the whole meal, including ravioli)



Freshly Smoked Trout
Ingredients:
1 tbsp alder chips
1 lb trout fillets
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried Thyme
1 lemon, sliced

Prepare your smoker as per its instructions, using 1 tbsp of alder chips. In my case this means putting them as a heap in the bottom pan, placing a drip tray on top, followed by a rack. I cover my drip tray in foil for easy clean-up and spray both the foil-covered and tray and metal rack with cooking spray.

Place the trout fillets on the rack (or follow the instructions of your smoker.) Sprinkle the fillets evenly with the black pepper and Thyme. You can substitute 2 tbsp of fresh, diced Thyme here for the dried if you prefer.

Slice the lemon and put a slice on each of the fillets.

Now, follow your smoker's instructions to properly smoke the trout for 25 minutes. Then, remove from the smoker and serve. Each person should squeeze their slice of lemon out onto the fillet to provide a bit of juiciness before eating.

Servings: 2
Serving size: 1/2 lb of fish
Nutrition: calories 336; carbs 8g; fat 13g; protein 49g; sodium 122mg