This dish comes to us all the way from Armenia! With a unique blend of flavors, this baked trout recipe is sure to get friends and family talking. You’ll start with cutting slits into the fish and filling them in with an extra creamy sauce. The recipe calls for dried barberries, which can be found in most international food stores. You can use dried cranberries as well, to make things a bit easier.

My favorite part of this whole meal is actually the pears! They are cut and drizzled with honey and chilies before baking right alongside the fish. The end result is a sweet, spicy fish and juicy, decadent pears!

To get started on this meal, preheat the oven to 350F.
Then, rinse and clean the trout and make several slits on the back of the fish, 1 inch apart. Season with salt on all sides, plus the inside of the fish. For an in-depth tutorial on how to clean a fish, check out this article!

Once the fish is cleaned and seasoned, set aside and start in on the sauce. In a blender or food processor, combine dried barberries (or cranberries), onions, pickles, and sour cream. Blend until smooth. In a separate small bowl, mix honey and red chili pepper. Set aside.

Traditionally, this meal is cooked in a large clay pot, but a Dutch oven works as well. Arrange the fish in the large pot, making a circle. Spread the barberry/sour cream mixture over the fish, filling in the slits on the back.

Place pear wedges in the middle of the pot and pour honey/chili mixture over them. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve fish and pears with potatoes, rice, or veggies. Get the full ingredient list below!