Cold Smoked Lake Trout
Lake trout is classically dry-cured with salt and sugar and gently cold smoked over beech wood. The method preserves the delicate, salmon-like texture of the fish and gives it a mild smoky flavor. This recipe is ideal for beginners in cold smoking.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Dry curing
8-12 hoursMix salt, sugar, pepper and lemon zest. Rub lake trout fillets on the flesh side with the mixture and cover with fresh dill. Place fillets flesh-side together, wrap in foil and cure at 2–4 °C.
Rinsing & Drying
2-4 hoursRinse fillets under cold water, remove the dill and pat thoroughly dry. Dry on smoking racks at 12–15 °C until an even pellicle has formed.
Cold smoking
8-12 hoursFill the cold smoke generator with beech and cherry wood dust. Maintain smoking temperature between 15–20 °C. Smoke trout for 8–12 hours. For a more subtle flavor, smoke for only 4–6 hours.
Resting
8-12 hoursWrap the finished smoked lake trout in cling film or parchment paper and rest in the refrigerator overnight. Consume within 5–7 days or freeze vacuum-sealed.
Pro Tip
Lake trout has delicate flesh – do not exceed the curing time as the salt will otherwise create an overly firm, dry texture. Fresh herbs can be served on the fillet after smoking.
Save this recipe to your smoking journal?
With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.