Rollmops

📝 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1 quart water
• 1 pound trout filets, 1/2-inch thick from small, 6 to 8 ounce whole fish, scaled, skin on
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 8 whole cloves
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 4 dried bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 16 to 20 cornichon and/or pickled onions, halved as needed
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place the salt and water into a 4-quart container and stir until the salt has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the trout fillets, making sure they are submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. 2Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes in a 2-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid comes to a boil, approximately 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.
3. 3Remove the trout from the brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water for 1 minute. Submerge the fillets in clean, cold water and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. 4Drain and rinse the fillets. Pat dry. Lay the fillets in a single layer, skin-side down, and brush each with mustard. Place a cornichon or a pickled onion on the fillet, roll it up, and secure with 1 or 2 toothpicks. Alternate layers of rollmops and thinly sliced onion in a glass jar or ceramic crock.
5. 5Pour on the chilled pickling mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours and up to 2 days. Drain and serve chilled with crusty bread.