Kalmakhi Tbilshi

Kalmakhi Tbilshi — trout cooked in the pot — is a traditional Georgian dish from the mountain regions where cold-water trout runs through rivers fed by the Caucasus glaciers. The fish is poached in a light herb broth and served cold or at room temperature, topped with a sharp walnut-herb sauce and garnished with pomegranate seeds. It is a centrepiece of the Georgian cold mezze table (supra).

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 whole trout fillets (about 180g/6 oz each) or 1 whole trout (800g/1¾ lb)
• 500ml (2 cups) water
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• Salt

Walnut-herb sauce:

• 100g (1 cup) walnuts, finely ground
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp fenugreek powder
• Small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)
• Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4–6 tbsp cold fish poaching liquid (or water)
• Salt to taste
• Pomegranate seeds, to garnish

Instructions

1. Combine the water, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt in a wide shallow pan. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes to build the broth.
2. Gently slide the trout into the broth. Poach at a very gentle simmer (bubbles just breaking the surface) for 8–10 minutes until the flesh is opaque and just cooked through.
3. Remove the fish carefully and allow to cool to room temperature. Reserve some of the poaching liquid.
4. For the sauce, blend the ground walnuts, garlic, vinegar, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, and fresh herbs in a food processor. Add the reserved poaching liquid a spoonful at a time until you have a thick, spreadable paste. Season with salt.
5. Arrange the cooled fish on a platter. Spoon the walnut-herb sauce generously over the top. Scatter with pomegranate seeds.
6. Serve cold or at room temperature as part of a supra spread.

Cook's Notes: The walnut sauce is the heart of this dish — Georgian walnut sauces (sauces called nigvziani) are used across dozens of dishes. Toasting the walnuts lightly before grinding deepens the flavour.