Smoked trout dishes

A fish species which lives in clean and richly oxygenated mountain waters, trout can be cooked in various ways, and it is on the menus of many high end luxury restaurants, as well as of most guest houses in Romania. In the northern region of Bukovina, there is a special dish called trout smoked in a special cooking pot, shaped like a kobza. The kobza-shaped recipient looks like a guitar and it is made of osier branches and fir tree branches. They say that such a kobza, in which 5-6 pieces of fish, that is around 1 kilo, can be cooked, came out of the necessity to transport and keep the smoked trout fresh for a few days in the open and not in a refrigerator, and to carry the fish in good conditions.

Ștefan Baciu, 25.06.2017, 19:15

A fish species which lives in clean and richly oxygenated mountain waters, trout can be cooked in various ways, and it is on the menus of many high end luxury restaurants, as well as of most guest houses in Romania. In the northern region of Bukovina, there is a special dish called trout smoked in a special cooking pot, shaped like a kobza. The kobza-shaped recipient looks like a guitar and it is made of osier branches and fir tree branches. They say that such a kobza, in which 5-6 pieces of fish, that is around 1 kilo, can be cooked, came out of the necessity to transport and keep the smoked trout fresh for a few days in the open and not in a refrigerator, and to carry the fish in good conditions.

Smoke the trout on medium heat, using fir tree smoke, until it turns reddish-brown in colour. If beech tree is used instead, the trout will have a slightly sweet taste. Those who have specialised in smoking trout also use dried spruce cones, which lend the trout a slightly bitter taste. Before smoking the fish, you should keep them in salty water for 24 hours. You may also add spices, to your liking, pepper and bay leaves, to taste. Then keep the trout in the smoking room for four hours, until the fish turns reddish-brown.

Smoked fish can be eaten as such, or used in a salad. If you want to make a salad, you need one kilo of potatoes, 3-4 pieces of smoked trout, an onion, an apple and vinegar-pickled cucumbers. Boil the potatoes, peel them and then slice them in pieces half a centimetre thick. Slice the cucumbers, julienne the onion and finely slice the apple. Debone the fish to obtain fish fillet and slice it. Mix all the ingredients, add vinegar or lemon juice and salt to taste. Enjoy!