Rainbow recipe
- Thread starter Jlund1
- Start date
This is a simple recipe from a guy in Washington State that smoked for over 40 years before he realized that less is better. The natural flavor of the wood and fish comes out without it tasting like Tabasco sauce, maple syrup etc., etc I have used it for many years with excellent results.
Bill's No-Frills Smoked Steelhead & Salmon
Brine
1 gallon water
2/3 cup of Kosher salt
3/4 cup white sugar
Put fish in brine in a glass container overnight (8 hours)
Smoke using 2 pans of 3/4 alder wood and 1/4 Mesquite until firm but not dried out.
Depending on smoker and temp 4-7 hours
Bill's No-Frills Smoked Steelhead & Salmon
Brine
1 gallon water
2/3 cup of Kosher salt
3/4 cup white sugar
Put fish in brine in a glass container overnight (8 hours)
Smoke using 2 pans of 3/4 alder wood and 1/4 Mesquite until firm but not dried out.
Depending on smoker and temp 4-7 hours
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 5866
Guest
I don't have a smoker, so to get a smoky flavor I use artificial hickory flavored "Liquid Smoke." You can pick it up at No Frills for about $5. Only a couple drops is needed, (strong stuff). I put the fillets (or steaks, depends how big the trout is. Anything 5lbs and under I fillet. Anything over I just steak it.)
What I do is mix 1/3 cup of lemon juice, maple syrup, and a few drops of the liquid smoke together in a bowl with Keg steak spice (which is pretty much just Montreal steak spice.) I soak the fillets or steaks in it for a couple hours. I'll take some tin foil, enough to completely enclose the fish, and spray it with no stick spray, If I want a little heat to it, after I spray the tin foil, I'll sprinkle some chili powder or crushed red peppers on to it. Then I take the fillets out of the mix, and let any excess syrup etc drain off, put them onto the tin foil and enclose them in it. Then it's a matter of either firing up the BBQ, which is preferred, or if I have too, I'll do'em in the oven. Not quite the same as smoking them, but it comes out nice every time. ( I do have a bow in the freezer right now, so when I decide to have it, if I remember I'll post a picture of the finished result) I've used this for other species as well.
What I do is mix 1/3 cup of lemon juice, maple syrup, and a few drops of the liquid smoke together in a bowl with Keg steak spice (which is pretty much just Montreal steak spice.) I soak the fillets or steaks in it for a couple hours. I'll take some tin foil, enough to completely enclose the fish, and spray it with no stick spray, If I want a little heat to it, after I spray the tin foil, I'll sprinkle some chili powder or crushed red peppers on to it. Then I take the fillets out of the mix, and let any excess syrup etc drain off, put them onto the tin foil and enclose them in it. Then it's a matter of either firing up the BBQ, which is preferred, or if I have too, I'll do'em in the oven. Not quite the same as smoking them, but it comes out nice every time. ( I do have a bow in the freezer right now, so when I decide to have it, if I remember I'll post a picture of the finished result) I've used this for other species as well.
I have been using a very simple dry rub that provides excellent results. 4 parts brown sugar to 1 part coarse salt. I cut the skin-on fillets to roughly the same size and in a large enough container generously sprinkle the sugar mixture over the fillets. You can layer them this way applying the rub to each layer. Cover them and place in the fridge. If they are smaller pieces I will leave them 24hrs, if larger then 48hrs. I also rotate the layers every 12 or so hrs just to make sure they don't stick together. After the right amount of time just squeegee them off by hand and place them on a rack to dry. I usually put a fan in front of them to speed up the process. Now the fun part, in the smoker they go. I like alder for trout or salmon. I only keep the smoke on for an hour or so and then just leave them in the smoker (with the heat on) until they are done. I check them until they are just flaky then let them cool in the fridge. These are like candy and won't last long! TC
paddle maker
Well-Known Member
A little sea salt, and some tuxedo five paper blend from Epicure smoke over apple wood maybe mix in some maple as well. If anyone need apple wood let me know I have lots
@Jlund1 I just smoked some bows last week.
Take a large container and make your brine and let the fillets cut in half soak over night in the fridge covered
Brine
Boil a little water to dissolve the following:
1/2 cup pickling salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
6-8 table spoons Real Lemon juice
Few dashes of Frank’s Hot sauce
Once it’s all dissolved add cold water mix well and add fillets NOTE: don’t add fillets to hot or warm brine mix. Cover the container and let stand in the fridge over night. Then prior to smoking remove fillets from bring and give them a lite rinse under tap water. Pat dry with paper towels and place on smoker racks
Smoking
Set temp for 200 degrees 1.5 hrs then add the racks of fillets. I use apple wood chips and added chips 3 x’s for a smoke flavour.
After 1.5 hrs raise the temp to 215 degrees for another 1.5 hrs or until it’s done. You might need to add more time for the last temperature depending on your fillet sizes or the dryness/moist you want the fillets to be.
Forgot to mention, leave skin on and rib cage
on.
Jlund1
Active Member
Thanks guys 2 in the smoker now couldn’t get service at the Point yesterday so air was hard to check up on the replies. Thank you I am going without a apple wood (couldn’t get alder) and brown sugar/kosher salt brine. Will try some of the recipes after I get more bows, so far they look great!
Candied smoked fish of any kind. Put your fish in a large ziploc bag mix up a quarter cup of salt with water and to the bag till full zip and refrigerate overnight. Next day wash and dry the fish and drizzle with liquid honey garlic powder and black pepper to taste. Place in your smoker and for the smoke and 4 to 6 broken up corn cobs found along any wood or near a corn field. Go 4 to 6 hours till the desired dryness is achieved. I'll bet you have never had better. Works well with any fish even those big old walleye people say you can't smoke.
https://www.traegergrills.com/recipes/seafood/smoked-salmon
This is a great recipe if you have a smoker. On the BBQ I like to gut the fish and fill the cavity with lemon and orange slices. Cover the outside with mayonaise and wrap in tinfoil. Put the package on the BBQ for 20min on high and then enjoy.
Another great way to get rid of them is to trade me and my son a fishing trip for a home cooked meal. lol
This is a great recipe if you have a smoker. On the BBQ I like to gut the fish and fill the cavity with lemon and orange slices. Cover the outside with mayonaise and wrap in tinfoil. Put the package on the BBQ for 20min on high and then enjoy.
Another great way to get rid of them is to trade me and my son a fishing trip for a home cooked meal. lol
Try Candied Trout
> 4 cups brown sugar (dark)
>15 Fresh Garlic Cloves Minced can use the skins as well (going to rinse fish after anyway)
>1/4-1/2 cup coarse salt (depends how salty you like it. I prefer 1/4 cup myself)
>Mix this altogether. Place/Layer filets into plastic or I use the crock pot liner from my wife's crock pot . Skin side down
>Once you have the bottom of container full of trout. Place a layer of the dry rub over the flesh sides of filets
> Take molasses and pour over that layer of fish. Not much required it mixes in with the dry and creates a liquid anyways.
> Repeat until container is full. I usually get 3 fish 5-8 lbrs covered with these quantities.
> Leave in fridge for 8-12 hours to cure.
>Pull from fridge and rinse all of the brine from fish and skin
>Let filets dry until fish is pasty to touch. Place on smoker racks from 120 -180. Depending on the thickness of fillets for time smoking. I usually smoke abou8 hours at 130 degrees. I like mine on the drier side. I use a Pit Boss at home and a Traeger Pellet smoker at my cottage.
This recipe is always a hit. especially at Xmas time.
> 4 cups brown sugar (dark)
>15 Fresh Garlic Cloves Minced can use the skins as well (going to rinse fish after anyway)
>1/4-1/2 cup coarse salt (depends how salty you like it. I prefer 1/4 cup myself)
>Mix this altogether. Place/Layer filets into plastic or I use the crock pot liner from my wife's crock pot . Skin side down
>Once you have the bottom of container full of trout. Place a layer of the dry rub over the flesh sides of filets
> Take molasses and pour over that layer of fish. Not much required it mixes in with the dry and creates a liquid anyways.
> Repeat until container is full. I usually get 3 fish 5-8 lbrs covered with these quantities.
> Leave in fridge for 8-12 hours to cure.
>Pull from fridge and rinse all of the brine from fish and skin
>Let filets dry until fish is pasty to touch. Place on smoker racks from 120 -180. Depending on the thickness of fillets for time smoking. I usually smoke abou8 hours at 130 degrees. I like mine on the drier side. I use a Pit Boss at home and a Traeger Pellet smoker at my cottage.
This recipe is always a hit. especially at Xmas time.