Best Smoked Fish Trio Recipes

HOW TO SMOKE FISH

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine water, sugar, and 1/2 cup salt. Place fish in a nonreactive dish; cover with brine. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Heat charcoal grill to medium, piling coals on 1 side to set up direct and indirect heat zones. Set a drip pan under the grill grate in the indirect heat zone.
• Soak wood trimmings in water for 30 minutes. Drain (if smoking whole trout or char, leave 1/2 cup wood in water); add to coals.
• Smoke the fish: Once smoke develops, place fish in a lightly oiled grill basket. Transfer to grill rack, and set over drip pan. Open lid vent, and position over fish. (This will direct smoke to impart maximum smokiness.) For the trout fillets: Smoke fish until cooked through but not dry, 12 to 15 minutes.For the whole trout: Smoke for 10 minutes. Flip basket. Drain remaining 1/2 cup wood; add to coals. Smoke fish until cooked through but not dry, 8 to 10 minutes more.For the side of arctic char: Smoke for 10 minutes. Drain remaining 1/2 cup wood; add to coals. Smoke fish until cooked through but not dry, 13 to 15 minutes more.

SMOKED FISH ( BRINE RECIPE AND SMOKING DIRECTIONS)

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients very well until sugar is disolved.
• Split the fish into halves and soak them for about 12 hours (more or less) in the refrigerator.
• Prepare your fire using charcoal and a mix of old birch (with bark removed) or apple wood or you can use just charcoal.
• Place fish in smoker and allow to smoke for about 6-8 hours for smoking, depending on the outside temperature and how hot your smoker gets of course.

SMOKED FISH TRIO

Steps:

• In a small bowl whisk together sour cream and peppercorns. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• In a blender purée chives with oil and salt until smooth. Pour purée through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids, and discard solids. Chive oil may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring chive oil to room temperature before proceeding. Whisk lemon juice into chive oil and season with pepper.
• In a bowl toss mesclun with just enough vinaigrette to coat and season with salt and pepper. On each of 6 chilled plates decoratively layer mesclun and mackerel in small mounds and drizzle with some remaining vinaigrette. On each plate decoratively arrange salmon with a dollop of sauce and 1 lemon wedge, and a wedge of mousse and some toasts.

SMOKED TROUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Lightly oil a straight-sided 2-cup mold or soufflé dish.
• In a food processor purée trout with 1/4 cup cream, butter, lemon juice, and salt until smooth and transfer to a bowl. In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let soften 1 minute. Heat mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, just until gelatin is dissolved (do not let boil) and cool to room temperature. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat remaining 1/2 cup cream until it just holds stiff peaks and fold into trout purée with gelatin mixture and salt to taste until combined well.
• Spoon half of mousse into mold or soufflé dish and smooth top. Spoon roe evenly over mousse (roe will not cover mousse completely) and sprinkle evenly with dill. Spoon remaining mousse over dill, spreading mousse evenly (being careful not to disturb roe and dill), and gently smooth surface. Chill mousse, covered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• To unmold mousse, run a thin knife around edge of mold or soufflé dish and dip bottom into a bowl of hot water 5 seconds. Invert mousse onto a plate and cut into 8 wedges (reserve 2 wedges for another use). Put sesame seeds in a shallow bowl and carefully dip outside edge of each wedge in seeds to coat.

ANCHOVY TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a small bowl whisk together anchovy paste and oil. Brush both sides of baguette slices lightly with anchovy oil and arrange in one layer on baking sheets. Toast slices in middle and lower thirds of oven 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool toasts on a rack. Toasts may be made 4 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.