Because Spiral Hams are so 1970.

It’s Easter again and I’m planning to treat myself and guests to some cured trout. To cure trout I use the same method and ratio as when I make traditional Scandinavian gravlax. The recipe below is plain and simple. Not much more is needed for this delicate treat, but if you want to try something different you can add other flavors. Elderflower, ginger, crushed juniper or a shot of aquavit work really well. The list is endless.

Besides salmon and trout you can use this same method to cure other types of fish. Mackerel is an excellent option, and Keiko over at food blog Nordljus cured a good looking seabass with a scent of licorice. As I love licorice, I decided to add some toasted fennel seeds to my cure this Easter, which I think will go really well with the mild trout flavor.

For curing:

• 1 kilo (2 lb) trout fillet
• 1 teaspoon freshly milled white pepper
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• Bunch of dill
• Toasted whole fennel seeds (optional)

For decoration:

• Fresh dill
• Lemon

Note: The trout should be frozen one or two days before you start the curing. The freezing will eliminate unnecessary bacteria.

It’s not hard to fillet the trout yourself. The benefit is that you can use the remaining parts (except for the guts) to make an excellent stock together with bay leaves, carrot, celery, onions, dill stalks, and some herbs like thyme, salt and pepper.

If you still think this is too messy, ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish for you but remind them that the skin should be left on.

When you have your fillets ready, rinse them in some cold water and pull out any remaining bones with a pair of pliers.

Mix together salt, sugar and pepper. Rub the fillet with some of the mixture and sprinkle the rest on top of the fillets. Wash the dill and chop finely. Put the fillets together, meat against meat with the chopped dill and (if you like) some toasted fennel seeds, slightly crushed, in between. Wrap the fish in plastic foil. Let the fish cure in the refrigerator with something heavy on top for 48 hours. Turn them now and again.

After two days, unwrap and clean the fillets. Start to slice the trout at the end of the fish into thin diagonal slivers using a fillet knife (or any other suitable knife). Garnish with some dill branches and slices of lemon. They can be served on toast or dark bread. However this fish is sensational on a thin “knäckebröd” topped with a drip of Hovmästarsås. Enjoy!

Hovmästarsås

Stir together 3 tablespoons mustard, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar with plenty of chopped dill. Slowly start dripping in a little less than a 1/2 cup of olive oil into the mixture while stirring continuously (just like you make mayonnaise). If you add the oil too quickly the mixture can separate. The result should be a thick sauce. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Before buying any fish check with Seafood Watch for the most sustainable options.

Illustrations by Johanna Kindvall

The post Recipe: Cured Trout for Easter appeared first on EcoSalon.

Mackerel swims to the lead when it comes to being the “right” fish to eat and we’ve got a recipe to back up the claim.

Lately, I haven’t cooked or eaten fish. There is no good excuse for this other than I have been confused about which fish is “correct” and safe to eat. Many of you probably already know that we should be careful which salmon, shrimps and tuna we choose to eat, that we should really start to cook and eat other fish that are more sustainable and healthy. But that is not an easy task, as which fish to eat varies from country to country (and it can vary even in the same country).

I’m happy that one of my favorite fishes, mackerel, seems to be a safe choice, both in Sweden and the U.S. According to EcoSalon food clolumnist Vanessa Barrington, Mackerel doesn’t have high levels of mercury (except for the king mackerel which has) and the fishing method used doesn’t damage the bottom of the sea. Mackerel has a rich flavor and you don’t really need to add much to enjoy this fish. It’s great in soups, filleted or cooked whole (see below) and can be roasted, baked or poached. You can also smoke or cure it.

Mackerel makes me long for summer, especially Swedish summers when the sun doesn’t go down until around 11pm. When I was a little girl we often went to the west coast to rent a boat and fish all day. Mostly we caught Cod and Mackerel but sometimes we also got Garfish. In the evening when we all were hungry and tired we would get back on land or find some tiny unsettled rocky island, collect firewood and broil mackerel over an open fire. The whole fish was stuck on a wooden stick (cleaned and gutted) and just simply seasoned with salt and lemon.

Now this is not easily done every day but there are definitely ways to enjoy fish at home all year around. My latest recipe was created after I got inspired by Melissa Clark’s recent article on whole roasted fish. The article was such a great reminder that it’s about time to start cooking whole fish again.

Roasted Mackerel with Buttered Shallots
For two

One or two whole mackerel (about 1-1 ½ lb)
One lemon
Freshly ground pepper
A splash of olive oil
One shallot
10 sprigs of fresh thyme
About 2 oz butter

Clean and gut the mackerel. Take a paper towel to pat the fish dry. Rub inside and outside of the fish with one or two slices of lemon. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the fish. Slice the rest of the lemon thinly and chop the shallots finely. Fill the stomach of the mackerel with some of the slices and leave about half for later when serving the fish. Place ½ of the shallot into the cavity together with a few sprigs of thyme. Place the fish in a greased baking pan. You can also bake on top of foil on a baking tray. Sprinkle some olive oil over and roast the fish at 400°F for about 20-30 minutes. The fish is done when the meat is white and the meat easily loosens from the bones.

While the fish roasts, melt about half of the butter and saute the rest of the shallots on a really low heat until soft. At the end add more butter and plenty of thyme.

Serve the fish with buttered shallots and a squeeze of lemon together with roasted vegetables such as parsnips and carrots. The mackerel is also great with a simple salad made of roasted red pepper, feta, watercress and toasted sunflower seeds.

Here is some more good stuff about fish…

The Good Fish of the Pacific Coast
Seafood Watch Check out their apps for Android and iPhone
WWFs fisk guide (Sweden)

Illustrations by Johanna Kindvall

The post Mackerel: The Ethically Correct Fish appeared first on EcoSalon.