Maple cured steelhead trout

And a warm hello from the Hudson Valley

I’m writing to you from a sunny window nook in my new house, all the way up in the Hudson Valley. More on this soon. It’s been an action packed whirlwind month, but we’re finally settling into a sweet rhythm.

Before diving into today’s recipe, I want to extend the most heartfelt thank you for your continued patience and support. When I first started this Substack, I tried to coin its tagline as “a consistently inconsistent newsletter”. My default state is earnestly self aware, but my boyfriend warned that language wouldn’t sell. Alas, its been almost a year and I’ve overdelivered on my original pitch, and underdelivered on providing you with the onslaught of recipes that exist in my unpublished world. As with all things - it’s a work in progress, and while I’m not here to make lofty promises, please do know that my intention is to always share more regularly.

---

Two days before loading up our Penske truck and driving north, I made the irrational decision to host a Spring dinner in Savannah. 16 guests and 6 courses, each one meticulously prepared in a surrounding sea of moving boxes and chaos. The first course was my favorite—silky slices of maple sugar and dill cured trout served with toasty nut and seed crackers, miniature clouds of whipped cultured butter, and a showering of the finest spring flowers of all: chive blossoms. As a cook, I’m particularly enamored with making from scratch what is otherwise bought ready-made at the store. It’s a liberating discovery to find that so many prepared foods can also be prepared by you, with rather un-intimidating effort.

Today’s prompt is in equal parts simple and impressive: we’re going to cure a fat slab of steelhead trout (or salmon if that’s easier for you to come by).

Meltingly tender, proudly dill-y and just barely sweet, this cured steelhead trout is a home-made version of the gravlax you’re accustomed to piling on your bagel. Sugar and salt have a magical way of coaxing out moisture from their subject, helping to both concentrate the flavor of the fish and create an inhospitable environment for any unsavory bacteria to thrive. The synergy of their collaboration balances both the taste and texture of the fish; the salt deeply seasons, the sugar tempers the more austere salinity with a whisper of sweet. The inclusion of dill in this recipe feels obligatory, perhaps because my Swedish heritage prohibits my fantasy from venturing into a world of salmon (or trout for this matter) served without the company of the frilly herb.

I source steelhead trout from Hudson Valley Fisheries, an amazing sustainable recirculating aquaculture operation based in Hudson, New York. Their product is never short of excellent; coral pink flesh, yielding and flakey texture, clean and buttery taste, bright silver hued skin that crisps up a delight. The fillets easily cosplay as a side of salmon, hence why the two are interchangeable in this recipe.

---

Maple Sugar and Dill Cured Steelhead Trout

This recipe boasts an impressively short ingredient list. Beyond the fish itself, all you’ll need is maple sugar, herb salt, and dill. The phantom ingredient is inactive time, which you will need plenty of. The cured trout is divine served alongside buttery boiled potatoes, nutty crackers, soft scrambled eggs, or - of course - on a toasted bagel with cream cheese.