Smoked Trout with Lemon and Tarragon
Fresh trout are brined in an aromatic bath of lemon and tarragon, then hot-smoked to perfection. The result is a moist, flavorful fish with a delicate herbal note and golden-brown skin. Perfect as a main course or sliced smoked trout platter.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Prepare brine
15 minutes + coolingBring water to a boil with sea salt and brown sugar until fully dissolved. Add lemon zest, tarragon, pepper, and bay leaves and simmer briefly. Cool the brine completely to room temperature, then refrigerate.
Brining
8-10 hoursSubmerge the cleaned and gutted trout completely in the cold brine. Weigh them down with a plate to ensure they stay fully covered. Brine in the refrigerator at 4-6 °C.
Drying (Pellicle)
1-2 hoursRemove trout from brine, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a smoking rack and dry at room temperature or in front of a fan until the skin feels dry and slightly tacky.
Smoking
60-90 minutesPreheat smoker to 80-100 °C using alder and lemon wood. Place trout belly-side down on the rack and smoke until an internal temperature of 62-65 °C is reached. The skin should be golden brown and firm.
Pro Tip
Make sure a visible pellicle forms on the fish skin before smoking – this is the only way the smoke adheres evenly and the skin turns beautifully golden and firm.
Glossary Terms
Save this recipe to your smoking journal?
With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.