Apple Cider and Cumin Pickled Rainbow Trout

We ate a lot of freshwater fish in Alsace. Salmon used to be plentiful in the rivers, as were crayfish, frog legs, and eel. This is a classic Alsatian way to prepare trout, though we could use many different freshwater fish, including perch, sandre (in the perch family), and pike.

Here a vinegar-based brine, heavily seasoned with spices common to the region—coriander, cumin, fennel—is poured hot over whole trout that has been floured and sautéed until nicely browned. And then it sit