Smoked Trout Mousse

This dish builds off the amazing smoked trout technique featured in our Smoked Trout with Orange Maple Drizzle recipe that we featured back in March 2020. It uses the same basic marinade and smoking method, but presents the fish in a new and exciting way.

I’ve made this Smoked Trout Mousse appetizer on several occasions and each time it seems to impress me more. It’s light and subtle with phenomenal salty, smokey flavours and tangy notes of lemon and dill. Texture is added by topping with small pieces of smoked trout which helps to complete the flavour profile.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2 30

Marinate 8

Total Time 10 50

Servings: 8

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Canadian

Calories: 208

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Marinade

1 lb fresh trout fillets
1000 ml water
1 lime juice + zest
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp fish spice
2 tsp Cajun spice

Mousse

1 cup smoked trout
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3 tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 lemons juice + zest
1 tbsp fresh horseradish grated
4 tbsp fresh dill chopped
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

Equipment

large storage dish (for marinade)
gas or electric smoker
food processor
spatula
grater
whisk
paper towel
measuring cups and spoons

Method

Mise en Place

Assemble equipment. Zest and juice citrus, grate horseradish, chop dill, measure and separate ingredients.

Marinate + Smoke

Combine the water, salt, white and brown sugar, garlic and chili powders, Cajun spice, lime juice and zest in a large, non-metallic container. Use a whisk to mix and combine ingredients until fully dissolved.
Add trout fillets, cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Start smoker and bring temperature to 250 degrees F, filling water tray to half.
Remove trout fillets from marinade and pat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle the fillets with fish spice and place a rack in the heated smoker. Add a small amount of mesquite wood chips to begin the smoking process.
Smoke the trout for approximately 2 hours adding new wood chips every 20-30 minutes (or in accordance with your manufacturers instructions). Remove from smoker using a large spatula and allow to cool.

Bring it Together

Place 1 cup of smoked trout into a food processor with butter and pulse for approximately 30 seconds. Scrape down sides with the spatula and quickly pulse again.

Reserve the remaining trout for garnish, breaking it into small pieces.

Add lemon juice and zest, grated horseradish, heavy cream, dill, Kosher salt, and pepper to the processor and blend for an additional 30 seconds. The mousse should have a somewhat smooth consistency, but will still have some texture.
Add mousse to serving dish(es) and top with remaining trout (crumbled) and fresh dill. Serve with crispy breads, crackers, or chips for dipping.

Notes

If you want to take this recipe to another level, try making your own Home-Churned Butter from scratch.
I’ve reduced the quantity of smoked fish in order to create the smaller quantities required by this recipe.
Considering that it’s more economical to smoke larger quantities at the same time, feel free to increase the amounts used here. Besides, smoked trout is great finger food on it’s own, or as part of a charcuterie.

Smoked Trout Mousse