Grilled Trout in Pomegranate (Georgian Kalmakhi)

A whole fish stays juicier: the skin and bones hold moisture and shield the flesh from drying out. Fillets cook faster but dry out more easily, so lay them skin-side down and barely turn them. Rainbow and brook trout both work well; use a 250–300 g fish per portion. A whole fish is easiest in a fish-grill basket so it doesn't fall apart when you flip it.

Georgian recipes dress the trout with raw pomegranate juice mixed with cilantro and salt; this recipe reduces the juice, which concentrates the sweet-tart note. Narsharab (pomegranate syrup) is thicker and more concentrated and works as a final glaze; choose a pure one without thickeners. Fresh seeds go on top for texture and color. The best result combines them: reduced juice as a sauce plus a handful of seeds to serve.

Heat a cast-iron pan until very hot, sear the whole trout 3–4 minutes a side, then finish under the oven's broiler for char. You can also roast at 200°C for 15–18 minutes and switch on the broiler at the end for char. Either way, the flesh at the backbone should be opaque (63°C in the thickest part). Good ventilation is essential — fish over high heat smokes a lot.

It is gluten-free: trout, onion, pomegranate, and herbs have no gluten, and the dish is high in protein. Older recipes dredge the trout in corn flour before pan-frying, which is gluten-free too; wheat flour is not. It is not keto as written: the juice, seeds and onion add up to about 17 g of carbohydrate per serving. For a low-carb plate, skip the reduction and the onion and keep a spoonful of seeds.

Traditionally cilantro, with raw onion and pomegranate seeds on top. For sides, mchadi (cornbread) or shoti bread, fresh vegetables, and tkemali sauce. A light green salad works well to cut the richness of the fish. To drink, a Georgian white or amber wine.