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Esqueixada de Montaña (Cured Trout With Tomato, Black Olive, and Onion)

Cured Trout with Tomato Black Olive and Onion in a blue bowl.
Photo by Evan Sung

Esqueixar means “to shred” and that’s what’s done to salt cod in this traditional Catalonian cold dish. I’m using trout instead, which is as prevalent in Asheville as it is in Spain. For the restaurant, we get fresh trout delivered the day it is caught and serve it raw. Since I’m not sure everyone can get trout that fresh, I lightly cure it here to retain its silky tenderness. (Note that the trout is cured, not cooked, if you’re concerned about consuming raw fish.) Since the fillets aren’t as flaky as cod, they don’t get shredded. In thin slices, though, they capture the spirit of esqueixada.

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