Smoked Trout and Collard Greens

Happy New Year! Our night was spent very quietly with some bubbles, and a light snack: cheese, figs, nuts and bread to start, followed by fried oysters with a hot chili mayonnaise, and french fries. Slightly decadent, but hey, we went to bed at 9:30. We celebrated with the mid-Atlantic ocean! (Having a toddler who gets out of bed at 5 a.m. is the reason.) I meant to smoke two trout as well, but didn't get to it for various reasons. The french fries were out of desperation--I had potatoes cooked off for home fries. Ends up they made fabulous fries. I love it when things go wrong! They sometimes turn out right!

So, this morning I busted out the Camerons stovetop smoker we received from out friends Ken and Molly so many years ago. This thing is awesome. I think I'm in love again. I'm thinking bacon and cheese and chicken thighs and all sorts of smoky goodness. I'm a total smoking amateur, and this is perfect for me. It works great on your stove and makes your house smell nice, too, without any smoke at all. Very easy to clean and stores nicely.

For the two trout I had, I used pepper and lemon juice. They fit snugly in the silver box and cooked for thirty minutes. I used cherry wood because the only other wood I have is hickory. I think alder would have been better...

See that nice local lamb in the background? Mmm. Dinner.

We had this for an early lunch with horseradish cream, capers, and collard greens sauteed in garlic, lemon and olive oil.