Regardless of what the weather tells you, it’s summer in Seattle – and time for outdoor concerts, picnics, parties and other fun group events. So if you are on a mission to cook fish every day – like I am! – what can you bring to an event like this?
Don’t stress out about finding a BBQ or stinking up someone’s kitchen by having to cook the fish in their home, but instead, consider this cold appetizer choice that will be a big hit with your friends.
The Smoked Trout Mousse with Radish and Cucumber Quick Pickle (pg 153) comes together very quickly, and will last for several days in the fridge – unless your gluttonous friends devour it all in one sitting! I prepared it for an evening concert at the Woodland Park Zoo, and it was an ideal picnic dish to serve with crackers and other snacky snacks. Â Even the less-than-avid fish fans in the group loved the smoky, mellow mousse which was perfectly accented with the radish-cucumber pickle.
If you like smoked salmon, you will love this trout, which is even more mellow and smooth. Â Combined with cream cheese, lemon and herbs, it whips up very nicely in the food processor so you can get on with your plans.
Another great idea Becky suggests in Good Fish is to mix a little mousse with cooked egg yolks to create a tasty smoked trout deviled egg – yum! Â A French champagne or a Chablis is the suggested pairing, which I’m certain I would have enjoyed if the Zoo Tunes concert venue didn’t prohibit bringing your own alcohol. Â Party poopers!
As I mentioned in my last post, I found the smoked whole trout at The Fresh Fish Co. in Ballard, and it was simple and quick to skin and flake the fish for this dish. Â Of course you could wok-smoke your own trout by following the instructions in Becky’s handy video here, but I haven’t gotten quite that adventurous yet – but stay tuned…
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For years, back in the 70s, Ivar’s Captain’s Table featured Smoked Black Cod, served with boiled potatoes. It had a strong flavor and was quite oily, thus the boiled potatoes to soak up the juice. In Juneau at the City Cafe every Friday the Smoked Black Cod with boiled potatoes was the special of the day. I loved this fish which in those days was quite inexpensive. It got to be more popular so the price went up. But I still remember it well. I don’t know when I’ve last seen it on a menu.