Iced some trout

[R.K.]

Went out Sunday, got some trout. Felt really good to set the hook again.

Here's four of the five trout on the ice- pretty good average size. Mostly on small homemade jigs with a waxie under a float.






That small trout looked really good filleted.

And even better blackened with Cajun pasta.


Smoked the rest and turned some into smoked trout chowder. Definitely a fan of this, gonna have to make more.

 

[Treeshark]

Dang, that smoked trout chowder looks awesome. Nice catch and nice cooking!

 

[R.K.]

Dang, that smoked trout chowder looks awesome. Nice catch and nice cooking!

Best part is how easy it is to make! After you smoke the trout, that is.

 

[Potsie]

Best part is how easy it is to make! After you smoke the trout, that is.

By all means share that recipe! I’ve got more than a few pints of smoked salmon and steelhead begging for good recipes.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

May I have the recipe, please? I’m ice fishing trout this weekend!

 

[R.K.]

By all means share that recipe! I’ve got more than a few pints of smoked salmon and steelhead begging for good recipes.

@BoomerUSAF
May I have the recipe, please? I’m ice fishing trout this weekend!

You probably have everything to make this in your fridge/pantry right now, other than the cream.


Basic Fish chowder

2 smoked trout, flaked and deboned

3 tbsp butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
Celery, finely chopped (about half as much as the onion)
1 tbsp kosher salt

1/4 cup white wine

4 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped to 1/2in cubes
1 qt fish stock (to cover potatoes. can use chicken broth/bouillon instead)

2 cups heavy cream (can use half & half, but will be thinner)

Salt & pepper to taste

Opt- flour to thicken (especially with half & half)
Opt- Old Bay, parsley



1. Melt butter in your favorite soup pot.
2. Add onions, celery, and salt. Sautee on medium to medium high-ish heat until softened.
3. Deglaze with white wine. Reduce (cook off booze/don't breathe the steam).
4. Add potatoes, and cover with broth. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are cooked through (fork goes in with no resistance). 10-20 min.
5. Add cream. Bring to low boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
6. Add flaked trout or salmon. Simmer to heat through.
7. Add salt, black pepper, and old bay to taste.
8- OPTIONAL. Add flour as needed to thicken. Possibly make a butter roux in separate saucepan, temper with a ladle of the chowder broth to eliminate lumps, then transfer all of it back into the chowder pot and mix.
9. Serve in bowls. Garnish with Old Bay & parsely. Goes great with a slice of sourdough.

I kinda left mine on the stove a while and it stuck to the bottom a bit and browned. Cream isn't as likely to break as milk or half & half, so it held together. This is fine if it doesn't burn- just scrape it up and mix it in, should rehydrate and taste even better.

This works with other fish, too. I used chunks of pike in the last batch, but it really needed bacon for the smoke/salt factor. If you add bacon, do it first to render the lard and get the right texture. Then you can add butter to sautee the onions.

Let me know how it turns out for you!



Smoked Trout (Hank Shaw)
4 trout, filleted
1/2 c Salt
1/2 c Brown Sugar
1 gal water

I'm doing this from memory-
Mix brine, dissolve all solids. Add trout, brine overnight, up to 24 hours. Take out, pat dry, set on racks in the fridge overnight to form a sticky pellicle (crucial!).

Smoke over alder or fruit wood- keep under 200 degrees, I prefer 185. At least 2 hours, up to 4. I got better results by cutting the pin-bones out before brining, but you get less meat loss if you pick them out after smoking. Chill before eating.