The rich flavour of rainbow trout lends itself well to tea smoking, an ancient Chinese method of cooking. You can either catch the trout yourself or buy a farmed trout. This cooking method generates a lot of smoke, so it is best done outdoors! Geoff smoked his trout over an open fire, but a barbecue in the backyard works equally well.
Ingredients
1 cup Jasmine tea leaves
1 cup soft brown sugar
1 cup long grain rice raw
whole rainbow trout, cleaned
Method
Line a wok or large pot with about three layers of aluminium foil, allowing it to overhang the edges (the foil will stop the smoke permeating the surface of the wok).Mix together the tea leaves, sugar and rice and tip them into the wok, on top of the foil. The tea and sugar will provide flavour and sweetness while the rice helps to disperse the heat.Place a trivet or cake cooling rack over the top of the smoking ingredients.Place the whole trout on the surface of the trivet and put the lid on. (Tip: if you don’t have a lid, a large alloy mixing bowl or some additional sheets of aluminium foil can be used.)Place the wok on an open fire or on top of a barbecue or outdoor burner. The wok will act like a mini oven and the mixture will begin to smoke vigorously. The fish will be cooked when the flesh is firm to the touch but not dry, and the skin has lost its sheen.
(Note: cooking time may take from 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the amount of heat and the size of the fish. As a general rule, larger fish should be cooked on a lower heat for a longer period of time. Smaller fish should be cooked on a higher heat for a shorter period of time.)Once the fish is cooked, peel away the skin and discard, as the smoky residues collect on the skin, making it bitter. Serve the trout with lemon wedges, boiled rice and a chilled glass of your favourite white wine.
Further details
Whole freshwater trout, such as brown and rainbow trout, are available in the seafood section of most major supermarkets.
For more information on fishing in the Southern Highlands, contact:
The Discerning Flyfisher
Phone: (02) 4868 2137
Email:[email protected]