Trout!
Was out the other day emulating Hank, and caught the beauties below.
OK, I was out at the local supermarket, I haven't picked up a rod since I was 12 or so, perhaps I should. Do follow that link, he talks of making lardo - which I will be doing soon.
Anyway, Rainbow Trout, gutted and headless at $3.99 a pound. That was all they had.
Tail off.
Now let me point out that I do not know what I am doing in the next few pictures. If somebody who does can point a better way, please comment.
I want two fillets off each body. Somehow out of 7 fish I ended up with 15 fillets, not totally certain how I managed that trick.
Because I'm right handed I put the spine to my right, this picture is tail up, but head up works better. That knife (Henckels 31021-310) is longer than the trout and sharp. It isn't under the fish in the above picture but cutting into it.
That is about half way through removing the first fillet, some how the first fillet was always the best. Did I mention that the knife is very sharp?
The first fillet above.
What is left, I leave too much flesh, but I haven't done this since Costco stopped carrying trout and that was a few years ago.
Not pretty, but the best I can do. 
Mise
Trout
Text, that is the CIA syllabus on smoked trout. That binder is the collection of CIA courses (one day) that my wife and I have taken. Their courses and boot camps are real and are hands on. Well worth the price.
Mise mixed.
The trout, it will rest for about an hour (in the reefer).
Washed off and drying. Right now that shelf has about 50 pounds of pork shoulder on it, the frozen to be sausage, the non frozen to be cubed and frozen. I plan on making 20 or 25 pounds of sausage this week and the supermarket had a shoulder sale. 
I think the charcoal starter is on it's last legs.
Oak soaking.
The next property and mine are divided by a fairly wild copse, with flowers.
That is further back on the lot, which extends beyond the trees in the far back. I can't get down there, the drop is that steep. The only time I tried I broke two bones.
On a clear day I can see Mahwah NJ, that is mostly park and watershed.
Going well. soon
Smoking
Nirvana
But I'm not quite done. All of those fish had bones and tails, can't let that go to waste.
Trout stock.
Three quarts of trout stock.
Happy freezer, very full happy freezer.
And enough of the deck is done that I can use the grill.
Your smoked trout looks great, I love the step by step photos. Honestly, though, given the size of the fish and the "PITA factor" in filleting, I would have smoked them with the skin and bones and then filleted after. The bones will just pull away neatly.
Reply to this
But then I wouldn't have trout stock.
Reply to this
thanks
and those look amazing by the way.
Reply to this
I found you via either Whatever or Stonekettle
Reply to this
I like your step-by-step and concise commentary.
Jealous of 3 qts. of trout stock!
Lori Lynn
P.S. Your land is beautiful!
Reply to this
I had a 115 year old brownstone in Brooklyn's Park Slope. The previous owner had totally demolished the top two floors and then stopped.
The charm of the place, to us anyway, was the top floor which was totally open, except for the bath/laundry. We had a sleeping loft across the full width. Tall enough to walk under or stand on. However we were approaching the age where having to negotiate a ladder at night was not going to be fun.
I suggested to my wife that may be it was time to sell and move out of the city and she had us looking in Rockland County two weeks later. We saw this place on perhaps our third selection of houses.
It sits on an acre+, all lots in the area are at least an acre. The view to the west is both watershed and a state park, which means it will never be built on. I can see the Empire State Building from my roof.
Reply to this
Ok, being the cooking Philistine that I am, when I see "CIA, reefer, smoking, Nirvana" in a post, I'm thinking you and your wife are a couple of ex-spies who like to smoke pot. Seriously. LOL
But I really DO enjoy all the step-by-step. Kind of like a third-grader who watches a slide show on Stephen Hawking and says "wow"!
Reply to this
The CIA is The Culinary Institute of America, which is acually older than the goverment agency of the same acronym.
I was never a spy, at least not for the government, I did bug a couple of faculty meetings in college.
Neither of us has smoked anything other than food in at least 25 years, we are both ex heavy smokers.
Reply to this
I am jealous.
Jealous that you have a freezer the size of a coffin. That you hack up living things with a cleaver and get away with it. That you smoke stuff. That you have a view (albeit of NJ) and a deck. That you own something called a "reefer" and you know what to do with it. And lardo? Gah! That rocks!
Really, that you can cook and eat like this is enviable and makes me happy for you and your fun life.
And that is why you are my hero. Well done.
Kim
Reply to this
My wife does the vast majority of the cooking, think of me more as garde manger. Which is actually most of what I enjoy.
If I lived on the east side of this hill I would have a view of the Manhattan Skyline, I think I've got the better one (most of it is NY not NJ).
Reply to this
Hi NT,
Nice pictoral. I also really really like the Hank site that you linked, thanks a bunch for that.
I really enjoy your blogs. Really, I AM stopping by if I am in New York. Don't worry, you'll have a few months warning.
Lynn
Reply to this
We can use the kitchen help, don't worry.
Hank had a nomination for a James Beard Award for blogging. Don't think I'm ever going to take up hunting, but may well take up fishing and gathering. His site is very interesting.
Reply to this
This page added to Google cache Cached: http://google.com/search?q=cache:http://blog.charcuteire.com/2009/06/16/trout.aspx?ref=rss&ei=AFQjCNHajN_OX0kgxzx7UGA1yBfPoRn TubedfWq
Reply to this
very detailed step-by-step instruction. you are always making work simpler.
Reply to this
I am a vegetarian so smoked trout is something which does not interest me much, but what interested me was the view your place has to offer. Seems to me you live in nature's lap.
Reply to this