Maple-Brined Hot Smoked Trout

Ingredients

Serves 8-10 as an appetizer. Time: 4-6 hours brining, 1-2 hours drying, 3-4 hours smoking.

• 2-3 lb skin-on trout fillets (rainbow, brown, or lake trout) or salmon, pin bones removed
• 1 package Frisco Maple Sugar Cure
• 1 gallon cold water
• A food-safe container or brining bag big enough to submerge the fish
• Mild wood for smoking: alder, apple, or maple
• For serving: crackers, cream cheese, lemon, capers, red onion

Use the whole package in 1 gallon of water. Don't change the ratio.

Steps

1. Dissolve the whole package of Maple Sugar Cure in 1 gallon of cold water. Stir until dissolved and chill the brine to refrigerator temperature.
2. Submerge the fillets completely, weighing them down with a plate if needed. Refrigerate 4 hours for thin fillets and up to 6 hours for thick ones. Keep it in the fridge the whole time.
3. Rinse the fish in cold, clean water and pat dry.
4. Set the fillets skin side down on oiled racks and let them dry completely, 1-2 hours in the refrigerator or in front of a fan in a cool spot, until the surface is dry and tacky.
5. Smoke at around 90F for up to 2 hours for flavor.
6. Raise the smoker to 200-225F and cook until the thickest piece reaches at least 150F (160F is better), then hold it there for at least 30 minutes. If your smoker can't reach 200-225F, finish the fish in the kitchen oven within 2 hours of smoking.
7. Cool, then refrigerate at 38F or below and eat within 3-4 days, or freeze for longer. Don't vacuum-seal smoked fish for the refrigerator; vacuum-seal it only if you're freezing it.
8. Serve flaked on crackers with cream cheese, lemon, and capers, or stirred into scrambled eggs.