I've been on a bit of a tinned trout kick lately, and this Bumblebee Skinless Boneless Smoked Trout I found at Walmart looked interesting. At just over $4, I couldn't pass it up.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.
I thought there could have been a little more fish in the can, but that's not uncommon. There is a smoky aroma. A sip of the neutral oil (canola) is similarly smoky, and does not taste artificial. Tasting a bite of the fish alone, the smoke is just right, not overpowering the inherent taste of the trout. I also thought the salt level was just right. The meat is fused together in the can, but is flaky and moist.
Let's Eat
After breaking up the mass of fish a bit to get it out of the can, I put it out over rice. The oil/broth that remained, I left in the can for the moment.
Honestly, I could have left well enough alone and enjoyed the trout as-is over the rice, but I decided to experiment.
It seemed like some chili crisp might be the ticket, so I went with the Lao Gan Ma I've had for a while now. As chili crisps go, it's more crunchy bits than oil. The Fly By Jing, by contrast, has a higher ratio of chili oil to solids.
To loosen things up a bit, I poured most of the residual can liquid over everything and mixed it in. This was a good move, as the smoky oil/broth combined well with the onion/pepper heat of the chili crisp.
I'd recommend this smoked trout with and without condiments.
Other Thoughts
- The carton doesn't specify how the smoke flavor is achieved. But since the ingredients don't list an added artificial smoke, I have to assume it's naturally applied.
- The carton says this is farm raised fish from Latvia. I have seen other cartons of the same which say it was sourced from Germany and Turkey.
Competitively priced at Amazon.
Brand: Bumble Bee Seafoods
Description: Skinless Boneless Smoked Trout
Species: Farm raised trout
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO N/S
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.8 oz.
Price Range: $4