By Devin Kellogg
Smoked Trout in a fresh salad is one of my seasonal favorites. After fishing trips with my dad to Potholes State Park or up to Kamloops, we would have more rainbow trout than we could eat. So we would have my uncle smoke the rest and enjoy it all summer long. Fresh oranges with ripe and ready asparagus are a great compliment to this lightly smoked fish.
Ingredients:
1 whole trout, cleaned andboned into 2 filets
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup sugar
1 quart water
½ pound fingerling potatoes
2 oranges
2 ounces fennel bulb
4 spears asparagus
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon-chopped
½ cup olive oil
Preparation:
To smoke the trout I like to first brine it for 24 hours, which helps to keep it moist during the dry smoking process. Mix the kosher salt, sugar and 1 quart of water together in a casserole pan and submerge the trout filets and cover in plastic wrap. Another trick to the process is to air dry the trout under refrigeration for 12-24 hours before smoking. This will help give it a nice glossy finish.
Soak the wood chips in water for 5 minutes before lighting to prevent flame ups that will consume the chips before they start smoking.
In a traditional smoker or covered grill enclose the trout with the smoking wood chips for 10-20 minutes depending on smoker temperature and desired smokiness and doneness.
After the trout is finished smoking you can remove the skin and lightly flake the flesh in to chunks.
Place the fingerling potatoes in a saucepot with cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Allow them to cook through until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
To make the tarragon dressing, combine the rice vinegar, Dijon and honey together in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil then finish with the chopped fresh tarragon.
Thinly shave the fennel and asparagus with a mandolin or vegetable peeler. Using some of the tarragon dressing, marinate the fennel and asparagus for 5-10 minutes before adding to the salad.
Peel and segment the oranges with a paring knife into skinless filets. Slice the cooked and cooled fingerling potatoes into ½ inch rounds.
To finish the salad, lightly toss all the ingredients together with the vinaigrette and enjoy!
Devin Kellogg has been working at Semiahmoo Resort since April 2017. He is a Washington native with over 20 years of professional culinary experience. Kellogg looks to incorporate his experiences with the bounty of the Pacific Northwest into fun approachable cuisine that highlights its beauty and abundance.
By Shawn Tolliver
I remember sitting around the fire at a hunting cabin in eastern Washington, telling stories and eating pickled salmon. The sounds of the Pacific Northwest, my family’s laughter and the flavors of that salmon represent everything about the Pacific Northwest that I carry with me every day. I hope you enjoy the recipe for this delicious snack.
Ingredients:
2 pounds salmon
Pickling salt to cover salmon
3 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large Walla Walla onions
1/2 cup pickling spice
Preparation:
Remove skin from salmon fillet and place in a shallow pan (skin side down). Cover salmon with salt and refrigerate for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the salmon from salt and soak it in fresh water overnight to remove salt. Remove from water and pat dry. Cut salmon into 1-inch squares and set aside.
Combine 3 cups vinegar, 1/2-cup sugar, and 1/2 cup pickling spice and bring to a boil and then cool. Thinly slice the onions while waiting for liquid to cool.
Layer salmon and onion into about five layers in a large container. After pickling liquid is cool, pour it over the salmon and onion. Let it sit in refrigerator for 72 hours and then enjoy!
Shawn Tolliver, sous chef at Packers Kitchen and Bar, was born, raised and educated in Whatcom County. He studied at Bellingham Technical College under Chef Baldwin between 1990 and 1992. In the 30 years he’s worked in restaurants, he’s learned and trained in over 20 restaurants representing a range of styles, from high volume steak houses to fine dining to Mexican and Italian fare.
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