Mediterranean Vine-Smoked Trout
Lightly smoking whole trout with grape wood adds an interesting dimension to the flavor and creates a beautiful, deep amber skin. Any mild fruitwood can replace grape (available online, cut from the woods, or sometimes as pruning scraps from a vineyard).
Mediterranean staples - olives, rosemary, oregano, lemon, and garlic - are combined in both the brine and the mayonnaise, imparting a bright complement to the smokiness.
Serves: 4
Time: 1 ½ - 2 hours smoking (plus overnight brining and 2-3 hours drying)
2 whole rainbow trout, skin on, scaled, gills removed (each about 1 pound)
Grapevine pieces, clean and dry
Brine
½ c. buttermilk
½ c. green olive brine (from a jar of Castelvetrano olives)
2 Tbsp. honey
1½ tsp. Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
.25 oz. rosemary sprigs (about 2 6” sprigs)
.30 oz. fresh oregano sprigs (about 6 6” sprigs)
½ of a large lemon, zested and cut into small chunks
1 medium clove garlic, minced
Using a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag, combine all brine ingredients and vigorously massage to combine and release oils in the herbs and lemon. Add trout and put some of the large herb and lemon pieces inside the cavities. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours, turning occasionally. Remove fish from brine, lightly rinse each fish and pat dry. Discard brine. Put fish on a wire rack over a baking sheet and refrigerate until the skins dry and form a pellicle, 2-3 hours. Meanwhile fill the wood box of a smoker with pieces of clean, dried grapevine pieces. Put trout on a piece of parchment paper and prop the cavities open with a toothpick or small piece of rosemary then add to the unheated smoker. Turn smoker on, set it to 175° and smoke fish for 1½-2 hours (do not let smoker exceed 225°) or until thickest part of the meat near the head registers 145°. After the first hour add a little more wood, if desired, and put the 10 olives for the mayonnaise on a piece of aluminum foil and add to the smoker. Remove trout and olives from smoker and let cool to room temperature. Store fish refrigerated for several days or freeze.
Serve trout at room temperature with crackers and Olive and Herb Mayonnaise.
Olive and Herb Mayonnaise
10 smoked Castelvetrano olives (or other green olives)
1/3 c. mayonnaise
¾ tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
1/8 tsp. very finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ - 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
10 grinds of fresh black pepper
Finely chop the smoked olives and put them in a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise, rosemary, oregano, pepper, and lemon juice and combine thoroughly. Chill until ready to serve.
Virginia waters offer interesting and diverse opportunities to reel in some trout with more than 3,500 miles of streams (over 2,900 with wild fish and about 600 stocked), as well as many ponds, small lakes and reservoirs. DWR’s Catchable Trout Stocking Plan annually puts over 1.2 million catchable-size trout in designated waters from fall through late spring. This popular “put-n-take” program is funded through the sale of trout licenses and rainbow trout is the primary species released. In suitable habitat brook and brown trout can also be found across the state. Success catching wild or stocked trout can be high during spring, fall, and mild winter periods.
Trout’s delicate, pale pink flesh (or white or orange depending on its diet) and mild flavor call for a light hand with seasoning and a quick cook to avoid drying it out. Leaving the skin on during cooking “insulates” the meat, helping keep it moist. Once cooked, the skin can easily be removed. Catchable size trout are ideal for a variety of cooking techniques including a quick pan-fry, grill, or bake. They can be frozen whole with the skin on (after gutting and removing the gills) and filleted, grilled or smoked later. Removing the tiny scales on trout is optional; if the skin will not be eaten it is unnecessary and a matter of personal preference. If you want tasty, crispy skin the scales should be removed. I prefer to remove them because it is a nice touch that improves the look and texture of the finished dish.