by Chef Marshall Paulsen, Birchwood Cafe
To cure:
Trim the trout if desired – remove fins & heads, reserve for fumet. Lay the trout out on wire racks. Coat the tops of the trout with 2:1 salt:brown sugar, plus spice mix. Allow to sit in the walk-in under cure for 1 hour. Rinse the cure off under cold water and allow to dry overnight.To smoke:
Soak wood chips first. Place the trout in a perforated pan, then cover with foil. Poke a few holes in the foil to let some smoke escape and allow air circulation. Place the perforated pan over a deep metal hotel pan that has the wood chips, and put atop a hot grill to smoke. Use a deep pan that already been used for smoking. Smoke pan for 15 minutes, then remove and chill before serving.
