Hooked & forked up: Fresh fish from Innsbruck

Fish dishes are something of a culinary underdog in Tyrolean cuisine. On the one hand, in the form of Müllerin trout or smoked fillet with salad, they are an integral part of a decent tavern menu, but on the other hand, experiments with other preparation techniques are still quite rare. It is interesting that fish, for example, never ends up in dumplings, where Alpine products such as bacon, gray cheese and spinach are always in good hands?

Yet fish and crayfish have been cultivated in local waters in Tyrol since the Middle Ages, because "the last knight was a fish lover", as Werner writes in his article on the fishing grounds of Emperor Maximilian in Kühtai and Sellrain describes so beautifully.

We have the Tyrolean fishing book from 1504 to thank for the fact that we have a very accurate picture of the fish stocks in this country at that time. It lists 71 lakes and 40 streams and also mentions seven bodies of water that were suitable for "women's rooms" and banquets. The emperor was particularly taken with the taste of lamprey, a visually rather unappealing fish. Nowadays Lampreys, crayfish and large mussels are strictly protected in Tyrol and therefore unfortunately excluded from the culinary tasting of old flavors. The original Tyrolean trout, on the other hand, was "newly" discovered by a biologist in a mountain lake in Kühtai in 1998 and has been bred ever since.

Now you might legitimately ask yourself how on earth did the trout get to the high mountains? It happened like this: On the imperial hunting trips to Kühtai, Emperor Maximilian I did not want to do without fish, even at 2,000 meters above sea level: "So he instructed his hunting and fish wardens to release all kinds of fish, but above all char and brown trout, into the alpine high mountain lakes in the area. The assistants also hauled the fish to Lake Gossenköllesee at 2,417 m above sea level, very close to the Pirchkogel."

A piece of Tyrolean fishing history that is a great place to hike today. And if you get hungry afterwards, you should stop off at the Forellenhof mountain oasis in Haggen ..

You can getreally good fresh fish with a mountain view in the cozy parlor or on the sunny benches in front of the old building in Haggen. it was built in 1440, so Emperor Maximilian must have passed by here many times. Over the years, the tenants and trout ponds have changed, and the emperor has occasionally been followed by prominent visitors such as Joe Cocker. The current landlord, Alfred Schmid, is a native of Lower Austria who bought and renovated the inn in 2008. If you eat with him, you're sure to bump into him, as he likes to ask the guests himself how it tastes and chat a little - until the next order arrives and he is called back into the kitchen.

Speaking of the kitchen: the menu at Bergoase Forellenhof includes (in addition to the classic "in the style of the beautiful Müllerin") fish dishes such as trout breaded, blue, French or from the "lava stone grill". The latter is served very darkly fried, but tastes wonderfully tender on the inside. In addition to trout, there are also char dishes, and the smoked trout tartare with a racy sour cream and yogurt dip is a great starter.

For a really good feeling, the menu sums it up again: "Our trout matures over two years to become a magnificent specimen. It is low in fat, has hardly any calories, contains a lot of phosphorus (good for the bones), is rich in iron (for our blood formation) and potassium (for our heart)." The Sunday roast certainly can't keep up with that.

The beautiful Maria Schnee house chapel just opposite is also worth a visit!

There is nothing to fear here, either legally or in terms of cuisine: The Schwarzfischer crew focuses on regionality and their own ponds. True to the motto "Fischers Fritz catches fresh fish. Or you can." Here you can cast your rod into the water yourself without a fishing license. You don't even have to get your hands dirty, as weighing, gutting, washing and packing are automatically included in the price per kilo.

As a counter fisherman, you can stay even cleaner with freshly caught specialties from the Stiftsweiher. Salmon trout, rainbow trout, char and co. are available both whole and as fillets, ready to cook.

But the real highlight here is certainly the Restaurant Schwarzfischerwhere the advice of the miller is not dispensed with, but where you can also look beyond the country's borders with dishes such as a teriyaki fillet of plug fish with udon noodles, pak choi, sesame and lime, a salmon trout sushi bowl or golden trout rolls with tomato gazpacho with zucchini, orange and lemon verbena. Trout fish & chips with chips, pea puree and crème fraîche lemon caper sauce or a real fried fish burger are also available!

Tip: Schwarzfischer is also active on Instagram.

Those who prefer to pan-fry the fish themselves will find what they are looking for here:

Fisch Peer in the market hall

An institution when it comes to fish in Tyrol, with its own breeding of trout (red and white), lake trout, brook trout and arctic char, is the Fish Peer. Of course, the fish is also smoked in-house. Fish from all over the world and Tyrol is served in the adjoining Marktschiff restaurant.

Fish from the farmers' market

The Geroldsmühle fish farm in Götzens sells fresh and smoked fish at the weekly farmers' markets in the town: Friday at Sparkassenplatz, Saturday morning at Wiltener Platzl. During the week, you can also pick up the fresh fish directly in Götzens.

Tip: In summer, you can combine this with a dip in the Natterersee lake.

To fish in Tyrol, you need a certificate of instruction from the Tyrolean Fishing Association. If you want to fish without instruction, you can do so at the Geroldsmühle fishing pond in Götzens near Innsbruck, for example. This is a really pretty spot in the middle of the forest, which trains the patience and skill of every fisherman. If necessary, you can fall back on the well-stocked refrigerated shelves of the farm shop... so that the trip is guaranteed not to be for the fish.

Petri heil and enjoy your meal!