Fresh caught trout 2

So what do you do with a 5lb fresh trout? Well, you smoke it of course!

I mixed together 4tbs of coarse seasalt, 1tbs of demerera sugar, and 1/2tbs of dried dilltops, cut some slashes in the skin of the cleaned fish, and rubbed the salt mixture into the cavity and skin, covered it with clingfilm and left it in the fridge for 2 days, pulling it out a couple of times to pour off the liquid that was drawn off.

Then, I rinsed and patted dry the fish and put it on the rack in the smoker over a goodly pile of oak smoking dust, clamped on the lid, lit the burners, and left it to its own devices for about 1 1/2 hours.

We ate some of the warm smoked fish as it was, with some (bought - I know, I bring shame on my house) colcannon and some shredded wilted greens. The fish was incredibly rich - the belly meat was extremely fatty - and similar to salmon in texture. So I followed Norm's most excellent advice and opened a bottle of Pinot Noir. It was just the right thing with the deeply smoky, fatty fish.

We still have about a kilo of lovely moist smoked fish in the fridge. Some will probably be added to yesterday's leftovers to become fishcakes. Some might emerge as a fancy kedgeree, or maybe in a hot & sour Thai-inspired broth, or maybe just on a platter with some good bread and butter. What luxury to get to choose.