Smoked Trout Mousse with Crème Fraiche, Dill and Apple

Pair with our Estate Chardonnay

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Yield: 4 Servings

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Ingredients:

Brown Sugar Cure
• 2 cups Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Salt

Smoked Trout
• 2 fillets McFarland Trout, ribcages and pin bones removed, skin on
• 1 recipe Brown Sugar Cure
• Cherry wood chips
• Non-stick pan spray

Smoked Trout Mousse
• 1 recipe Smoked Trout, skin and bloodline removed
• 1½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 tablespoons Tarragon, finely chopped

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Directions:

Brown Sugar Cure
• Combine sugar and salt and mix well
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature

Smoked Trout
• Rinse and dry the trout fillets
• Lay a long sheet of plastic wrap on a work table and lay one of the trout fillets onto the plastic wrap, flesh side up
• Sprinkle 1/4 of the cure onto the exposed flesh of the trout
• Flip the trout fillet and cover the skin with 1/4 of the cure
• Tightly wrap the trout in the plastic and remove to a hotel pan or roasting tray. (this will catch any purge that is released by the trout as it cures)
• Repeat the above steps with the other trout fillet
• Place the pan of trout into the refrigerator and allow to cure for 3 hours
• Flip the fillets over and allow to cure for an additional 3 hours
• Remove the trout fillets from the refrigerator, unwrap, and gently rinse all of the cure from the filets under cold running water. Make sure to rinse the fillets to the point where you no longer feel a syrupy residue, then gently squeegee (with your hand or the dull side of a chef’s knife, run it firmly along the fish until moisture appears, wiping off the moisture, repeating until the moisture no longer appears) any additional water from the fillet
• Dry the fillets thoroughly with paper towels and lay out on a sheet tray lined with parchment, flesh side up
• Place the sheet tray in the refrigerator and refrigerate the fillets uncovered for 12 hours
• Preheat a smoker to 150F fueled with cherry wood chips
• Lightly grease the trays of the smoker with the pan spray
• Lay the trout fillets, flesh side up, on the smoking trays and place in the smoker
• Smoke for 3 hours or until the fillets are cooked to medium
• Remove the trout from the smoker and allow to cool to room temperature before refrigerating

Smoked Trout Mousse
• Break up the trout into the work bowl of a food processor
• Process the trout until it is finely chopped
• Remove the chopped trout to a mixing bowl
• In a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks
• Using a rubber spatula gently fold the whipped cream into the trout
• Add the tarragon and salt if desired, and gently fold a final time

To Serve
• Green Butter Letuce Leaves
• Lolla Rossa Lettuce Leaves, trimmed to fit within the butter lettuce
• Smoked Trout Mousse
• Crème Fraiche
• Dill fronds
• Seasonal Apple-Sliced thinly

Line a butter lettuce leaf with a lolla rossa leaf. Place on thin apple slice inside the leaves. Place a spoonful of smoked trout mousse next to the apple inside of the lettuces. Place a dollop of crème fraiche atop the mousse and garnish with a dill frond.

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