The Trick To Smoking Trout In An Oven
Smoked fish is a delicious treat that can be served in many ways to please a variety of taste preferences (via Bon Appétit). While it may have originated from a need to preserve freshly caught fish, it has certainly found its place in modern cuisine, as Mere Trout reports. The only thing stopping us from regularly indulging (besides the salt content) is the elevated price tag. During the lengthy smoking process, fish loses a large amount of its mass, making each pound that much more valuable. Thankfully there are some ways around having to dish out for store bought smoked fish when the craving strikes.
Of course a smoker isn't really a basic kitchen appliance, but there are a few techniques that work as great substitutes for making hot smoked fish. Keep in mind that there is a large difference in flavor and texture between flakier hot smoked fish and the silky smooth cold alternative. Hot smoked fish is smoked at a higher temperature effectively cooking it, while cold smoked is cured in salt and then smoked at a lower temperature, according to Fine Cooking. As for what fish to use, The Spruce Eats recommends using fattier fish since it won't dry out as quickly, but in a pinch any fish will do.
How to imitate a smoker
Trout is often neglected as a popular counterpart salmon, however the overlap in biology and taste is significant (via FishingBooker). Generally trout is slightly milder, making it a great base for smoking ,which will provide additional depth. A great deal of flavor is imparted by wood chips used in the smoking process. Global Seafoods' blog instructs that it is essential to use wood meant for smoking to avoid toxic contamination on your fish.
Eater shares an easy smoked trout recipe from Analiese Gregory's new cookbook How Wild Things Are, to give us a taste of New Zealand. Gregory spent her childhood fishing on the island and testing out DIY smokers, so you can be confident that she's perfected the process. Start by curing the fish with a mixture of brown sugar and salt. After rinsing and drying the fish, it's time to get smoking. Gregory explains how to use a tray of wood chips at the bottom of a preheated oven to create the effect of a smoker. We know how we're preparing our next fish!