Pickled Lake Trout

So you’ve caught all that trout, you’ve pan-seared or cured the best fillets, and you still have plenty of fish left. Pickle it! This recipe is perfect for smaller fish, as pickling will dissolve the bones, sparing you the tedious task of removing them. Moreover, the jars can be kept refrigerated for over a month.

If you find that the result tastes too much like vinegar, strain the trout and vegetables and mix them with sour creamthe day before serving (you can add back a little bit of the pickling liquid if you wish).

You could also try adapting my recipe for  Dill and Sour Cream Marinated Shad,  though the jar won’t keep nearly as long with that one.

Pickled trout
Yields 2 pint jars

2 1/2 oz peeled carrot
4 oz peeled shallot
4 thyme sprigs
0.3 oz fennel green, very coarsely chopped
0.6 oz salt
o.5 oz sugar
3 1/2 oz white wine vinegar
2 oz olive oil
2 oz orange juice
20 oz trout fillet, cleaned

• Slice the carrot and shallot very thinly using a mandoline. Transfer to a bowl and add the thyme and fennel green.
• Place the salt, sugar, vinegar, oil and orange juice in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour into the bowl and mix.
• Cut the trout into pieces 2″ to 2 1/2″ long. In sterilized pint jars, arrange successive layers of vegetable mixture and trout, and top with the liquid mixture. Refrigerate for at least 3 days.
• Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving, and eat with toasted rye bread.