Smoked Trout Pâté with Horseradish
Fresh trout fillets are hot smoked and then processed into a creamy pâté with horseradish and lemon. The combination of smoke, heat, and acidity creates an intense spread. Ideal as a bread topping or appetizer.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Curing
2 hoursDissolve sea salt and brown sugar in 1 liter of cold water. Submerge trout fillets, cover, and cure in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Forming the pellicle
45-60 minutesPlace the dried fillets on a rack and allow to air-dry at room temperature or in the refrigerator with slight airflow until the surface feels slightly tacky and glossy. This layer ensures good smoke absorption.
Smoking
60-75 minutesPreheat smoker with alder and apple wood to 80-90 °C. Place trout fillets skin-side down on the rack and smoke until an internal temperature of 62-65 °C is reached. The fillets should flake easily.
Making the pâté
15 minutesAllow smoked fillets to cool completely, then remove the skin. Flake the fish coarsely and combine with cream cheese, grated horseradish, lemon juice, white pepper, and fresh dill in a bowl using a fork to form a rough pâté. Do not blend too finely – the texture should remain chunky.
Pro Tip
Allow the smoked fillets to cool completely before blending – this keeps the texture creamy and not watery.
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