Emin Teskeredžić, a Zagreb native from Radićeva Street, where he was born 78 years ago, is the leading expert in fish farming in Croatia. We visited him recently in Knin for a story in the new issue of the Dobra hrana magazine, at the fish farm just below the very source of the Krka and the Krčić waterfall, which he has held under concession since 1996. The Krčić fish farm is one of 17 trout farms in Croatia, producing between 30 and 40 tons of fish annually. After seeing for ourselves that the most beautiful and highest-quality specimens of their kind come from Krčić—firm, shiny, and robust trout—we visited a nearby restaurant where they prepared four dishes from this type of fish for us.

Fortress Restaurant

Tomislav Krišto/Cropix

The restaurant terrace with a panoramic view of the town of Knin, its surroundings, and Dinara in the background

Tomislav Krišto/Cropix

At the Knin Fortress, a symbolic site of modern Croatian history, there is a restaurant of the same name with a fantastic view of the town, its surroundings, and Dinara in the background. The Fortress is run by Josip Zore, and they also offer trout from Krčić.

Chef Josip Zore

Tomislav Krišto/Cropix

Zore says that in season, a third of all dish orders are for trout, but what he prepared for us is not on the regular menu, except by special order. We bring you the first of four dishes for which he shared the recipe with us, and which you can find in the summer issue of the Dobra hrana collector‘s edition, now at newsstands.

Tomislav Krišto/Cropix

Trout Soup with Barley and Celery

You will need:

• 300 g trout heads and bones
• 200 g trout fillet
• 150 g root vegetables (carrot, parsley, celery root)
• 1 large onion
• 2 celery stalks (one for the soup, one fresh, sliced)
• 100 g barley (pre-cooked)
• salt, pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:

An aromatic fish soup prepared from trout heads, bones, and fillets, cooked with root vegetables, onion, and a celery stalk. After half an hour of cooking, the trout is carefully removed and set aside, and the broth is strained to remain clear and full of flavor. In a deep bowl, place the cooked barley, freshly sliced celery stalk strips, and top with a piece of tender trout fillet. Everything is covered with hot fish broth.