By Josh Mills
Around Eastern Washington, there are several select lakes that offer great shore fishing for hatchery trout that are as good fighters as they are table fare. Many of these lakes contain mysis shrimp and scuds, giving the trout an almost salmon or steelhead quality to their meat.
I often times smoke trout, but I found a new way to prepare them to make one hell of a lunch experience. Presenting: The Ultimate Trout Sandwich.
What you’ll need
- 1 whole hatchery trout
- Brown sugar
- Kosher salt
- Lemon pepper
- Black pepper
- Mayonnaise
- Pecans
- Grapes
- Your favorite sandwich bread & toppings
After cleaning the fish whole by removing the entrails and gills, brine it for 12 hours with super simple wet brine consisting of brown sugar, Kosher salt, lemon pepper, and black pepper.
Next, wash off the fish. If you have a smoker/Traeger, cold smoke the trout at 180 degrees for 1 hour. Then finish it off at 350-375 degrees until you feel the meat is done. Pull the fish off the heat, peel off the skin (give it to your bird dog, they’ll love it), and gently remove the bones as the meat falls off the skeleton. Be careful to inspect the flesh as trout have very, very small bones that can interrupt the enjoyment of this sandwich.
Grab the mayo, pecans, and grapes. Cut the grapes up into tiny pieces, and smash the pecans also into smaller chunks. Fork the trout meat and mix with your desired amount of mayo. Add in the grapes and pecans and a bit of salt to taste.
Add in additional sandwich extras like cheese, avocado, red onions, or lettuce, and you’ll have one elevated lunch experience!