Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Fish

Hot smoked trout flaked on a platter, by chef Mark O'Brien

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Hot Smoked Trout with Horseradish Cream and Watercress Salad

A whole side of trout, cured with lemon and fennel, then smoked until it turns a deep golden colour. With the door closed, the smoke stays wrapped around the fish, so it takes on colour quickly and the flesh stays moist. Serve it warm or cold on sharing plates with horseradish cream and an apple and watercress salad, with toasted brown bread on the side.

Mark O'BrienChef
Smoke
Prep30 minutes, plus 8 hours curing
CookAbout 25 minutes
Serves8 as a starter
DifficultyEasy
Oven temperature160°C (320°F)
RackUpper rack
CharcoalAbout half a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal, plus a handful of dry wood chips for smoke

Charlie Oven — https://charlieoven.com/blogs/charcoal-recipes/hot-smoked-trout-horseradish-cream-watercress-salad

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Ingredients

For the trout

For the horseradish cream

For the salad

To serve

Equipment

Everything used in this recipe. Already have Charlie? Add the accessories in one go.

Perforated Plancha Rack and Stag British Premium Lumpwood Charcoal £346.50 together

Method

Setting up Charlie

Light a small pyramid of charcoal in the centre of the grates with one or two natural firelighters. Close the door and open both vents fully. When the oven is about 10°C (20°F) short of 160°C (320°F), set both vents to the hold position, about 2.5 cm (1 in) open. Add a handful of dry wood chips to the fire just before the trout goes in, so the oven is full of smoke.

  1. Make the cure

    Mix the sugar, salt, lemon zest, fennel seeds and dill seeds together.

  2. Prepare the trout

    Remove any bones, excess fat and silverskin.

  3. Cure the trout

    Rub the trout all over with the cure. Wrap it tightly in cling film, place it in a tray and leave it in the fridge for 8 hours.

  4. Rinse and dry

    Unwrap the trout and rinse it lightly under cold water. Pat it dry and lay it skin side down on the greased Perforated Plancha Rack.
    Rinse and dry

  5. Smoke the trout

    Scatter a handful of wood chips on the charcoal, slide the rack onto the upper runners of the Charlie at about 160°C (320°F) and close the door. The trout is done when it turns a deep golden colour and reads 60°C (140°F) in the thickest part. No probe? Press it with a fork: when it starts to flake, it's ready.
    Smoke the trout

  6. Make the horseradish cream

    Finely chop the dill (or chives or parsley) and mix it with the horseradish sauce, sour cream and mayonnaise. Mix well and season with salt.

  7. Make the salad

    Cut the apple into matchsticks and put them in a bowl with the watercress. Dress with the lemon juice and olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

  8. Toast the bread

    Cut the bread into slices and toast them.

  9. Serve

    Serve the trout warm or cold on sharing plates with the watercress salad, toasted brown bread and horseradish cream.
    Serve

Tips

A probe thermometer is the surest test: take the trout out as soon as the thickest part reaches 60°C (140°F).

Start the cure in the morning for an evening meal, or late the night before for lunch.

Serve it warm from the oven, or smoke it the day before and serve it cold from the fridge. Don't reheat it, as it loses its texture.

Fancy baking your own? Our Irish Brown Bread is made for this.

Part of Mark O'Brien's Christmas menu. Download the full plan, with the shopping list and the timings for Christmas Eve and the day itself.

More recipes

The cook

Mark O'Brien

Chef

Mark O’Brien was a finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 and the first Irish chef to reach the final. After more than a decade in top London restaurants, he now runs Snake Oil Barbecue in Margate, bringing serious chef skills to his love of American BBQ and cooking over fire.

More recipes by Mark O'Brien

Frequently asked questions

  • Can I hot smoke trout at a lower temperature?

    Yes. At 100 to 110°C (210 to 230°F) the smoke is gentler and the trout takes longer. Cook it to the same 60°C (140°F) in the thickest part.

  • Which wood should I use for smoking fish?

    A handful of dry oak or beech chips works well. Fruit woods such as apple give a milder smoke. Use wood for flavour only, never as the heat source.

  • Can I use salmon instead?

    Yes. A side of salmon takes the same cure. It is thicker than trout, so allow longer in the oven and cook it to 60°C (140°F).