For Janic Mühlemann, Head Chef at Giardino Restaurant
& Bar, smoking is synonymous with tradition, culinary culture and indulgence.
He emphasises: “Anyone who likes can smoke food in their own convection oven at home.” For his spring menu, he has smoked rainbow trout from the Rubigen fish farm – in other words, from a sustainable, local source. Cold-smoked, meaning gently cured at just under 30 degrees.
- First, he rubs the fish with a special mixture of salt, juniper and sugar and covers it with it.
This draws moisture out of the fish and allows the spices to infuse. - He then rinses the fish and dries it on a rack
- After that, the fish goes into the oven and he lights the smoke coil underneath.
Now patience is required
After six hours, the fish is ready. “Not an industrial product, delicate, tender and delicious,” assures Janic Mühlematt. His tip: he has filled the smoker with wood from apple and beech trees, marinated in apple juice. This is because the apple wood provides a sweet, fruity smoky aroma, whilst the beech wood offers a mild, subtle smoky aroma – the combination of the two is ideal for trout.
New Giardino menu
The new Giardino menu features home-smoked trout with orange, dill and bergamot. It’s guaranteed to be a treat. And it’s healthy too: the fish from the Rubigen fish farm are raised in pure spring water from the farm’s own source and fed with organically produced feed. Gently cured using cold smoke, they are rich in high-quality protein, essential vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.
