Smoked Lake Trout
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 06:20
I live close to Lake Michigan`s Grand Traverse Bay. The other night, my son came home with four nice looking lake trout that he and a buddy caught trolling on the bay.
It was kind of late so I just filleted the fish and put them in the fridge and then went to bed. The next morning I made a brine. I put the fillets in a couple gallon size zip-lock bags and filled them with the brine. I placed the ziplocks in the fridge. Five hours later I then took the fillets out of the brine and rinsed them off. I placed the fish on wire racks set in sheet pans and put them back in the fridge to dry and form a pellicle overnight.
The next day I oiled the smoker racks and placed the fillets on the racks.
I preheated the smoker to 100 degrees and added some apple chips and chunks. I smoked the fillets for about 2 hours until they reach the desired color.
I then transferred the fillets to the oven and baked at 200 degrees until internal temperature reached 140 degrees and held them at that temperature for 30 minutes. Let them cool and put them in the fridge and eat chilled.
Brine
2 cups apple juice
6 ounces of soy sauce
1/2 cup of kosher salt
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder (or 2 smashed garlic cloves)
1/2 tsp. of onion powder (or 1/2 onion, chopped)
1 tsp. of cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
Place the apple juice in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Add the soy sauce, salt, brown sugar and seasonings and stir until dissolved. Add 6 cups of ice water. Fillets with a thickness of one half inch or less should brine for 4 hours. Fillets thicker than a half inch should brine for 6 hours.
Two things that make my smoked fish good is the brine I use and the wood I smoke with.
The brine seasons the fish and complements its flavor without over powering it with salt. I smoke with apple which gives me a nice smoky flavor without being too strong. Much better results than with hickory.
It was kind of late so I just filleted the fish and put them in the fridge and then went to bed. The next morning I made a brine. I put the fillets in a couple gallon size zip-lock bags and filled them with the brine. I placed the ziplocks in the fridge. Five hours later I then took the fillets out of the brine and rinsed them off. I placed the fish on wire racks set in sheet pans and put them back in the fridge to dry and form a pellicle overnight.
The next day I oiled the smoker racks and placed the fillets on the racks.
I preheated the smoker to 100 degrees and added some apple chips and chunks. I smoked the fillets for about 2 hours until they reach the desired color.
I then transferred the fillets to the oven and baked at 200 degrees until internal temperature reached 140 degrees and held them at that temperature for 30 minutes. Let them cool and put them in the fridge and eat chilled.
Brine
2 cups apple juice
6 ounces of soy sauce
1/2 cup of kosher salt
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder (or 2 smashed garlic cloves)
1/2 tsp. of onion powder (or 1/2 onion, chopped)
1 tsp. of cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
Place the apple juice in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Add the soy sauce, salt, brown sugar and seasonings and stir until dissolved. Add 6 cups of ice water. Fillets with a thickness of one half inch or less should brine for 4 hours. Fillets thicker than a half inch should brine for 6 hours.
Two things that make my smoked fish good is the brine I use and the wood I smoke with.
The brine seasons the fish and complements its flavor without over powering it with salt. I smoke with apple which gives me a nice smoky flavor without being too strong. Much better results than with hickory.