Jerked trout

Thermal treatment is not the only way of cooking, as smoking, salting and jerking with alcohol are also widely used methods. I love sushi and the taste of raw fish, but as far as I’m aware none of the fish available locally in Georgia are suitable for eating raw, including trout. That’s why I have to buy and prepare imported fish, which costs me quite a sum. In order to satisfy the desire, I try the only Georgian solution – trout jerked in salt and alcohol. The dish has the aroma and a pleasant velvet tecture which all fish-affectionates will love. In the end it won’t be raw, but harmless and super delicious. Also, not to make it tasting like Scandinavian Gravlax, we’ll bundle it into distinct Georgian aromas. The dish is ideal for New Year’s party when people are fasting.

Aspiki or muzhuzhi

First of all I want to stress that this dish is coming from Georgia and is already counting at least 3 centuries of existence. In Russia it came from France and like everything French, 19th century Russian high society took it enthusiastically and made it its own. The basis of this dish is collagen extracted from animal bones and tissues. Hydrolyze turns it into condensing gelatin. To leave the biochemistry aside, condensation can be done with simply boiling bony meat hard. Add some aromatic ingredients to the broth and voila - you get a nice jelly including all those pleasant tastes and scents, that a delicious soup has, but in a way comfortable form for eating.