Recipe for char in the oven, native to Tyrol on the Via Claudia Augusta, with Mediterranean-inspired vegetables:
The Raetians, who lived in the Alps in early history, had an intimate relationship with nature and were guaranteed to catch fish from lakes and streams. They also liked to use leafy vegetables from the garden or nature. Olives were not known until Roman times along the Via Claudia Augusta, and even then only for special occasions or in wealthy homes. In any case, ingredients and preparation methods from the Mediterranean region found their way into the Alps from this time at the latest. Exchanges between the Alps and the Mediterranean area had already taken place earlier, for example between the Romans and the Etruscans. Thus, the dish is a typical dish of the Via Claudia Augusta, in which international treasures, regional foodstuffs and the most diverse ways of preparation flow together, and the whole is interpreted in a modern way. Perhaps, inspired by the Via Claudia Augusta, you can think of a few things you could do to modify the dish. In any case, bon appétit!
Ingredients for char (4 persons)
- 4 small or 2 large char
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 bunches of fresh parsley
- 4 organic lemons
- 4 tablespoons organic butter
- a little sea salt
- salt, pepper
Ingredients for spinach leaves with olives (serves 4)
- 4 good full hands of leaf spinach
- 2 red onions or shallots
- 2 hands of olives (possibly pitted, but not necessarily)
- salt, pepper
Poss. potatoes for a side dish
Preparation char:
Preheat oven to 180° degrees top heat bottom heat. Wash the char well under cold water and pat dry. Then delicately salt and pepper on both sides and inside. Squeeze 1 lemon and drizzle chars inside and from both sides with the juice. Wash and drain the parsley and add to the fish. Slice the rest of the zintron and put some of the lemon slices in the char and some on top of it. Place the fish in a caserole or on aluminum foil in the oven, drizzle with a little oil and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. In between, put some oil on the fish every now and then. At half-time, switch to grill if necessary, so that the fish becomes even crispier.
Preparation Spinach with olives (while the char is in the oven):
Wash spinach leaves, drain and then place in a pan briefly with olive oil over gentle heat until it collapses. Then remove from the pan and drain in a colander. Now add the finely sliced onions or shallots to the pan with a little olive oil. When the onions are soft, add the spinach leaves and the olives to the onions or shallots, stirring a little over medium heat until they become one.
Serve together (possibly with buttered potatoes).