Fish was the basis of the Russian national table since the birth of Russia itself. The usefulness of the fish diet has been established for a long time, and pike, as is well known, is also a fish. Therefore, pike dishes are still popular among the Russian population.
Pike is a low-fat fish, which makes it a useful dietary product. In terms of the quantity and quality of proteins, it is in no way inferior to other types of aquatic inhabitants. Particularly tasty dishes from pike caught in late autumn. It was during this period, on the eve of winter, that the predator gained the maximum amount of fat.
Considerable nutritional value has the flesh of the fish, as well as caviar, milt and head. Caviar is used both as the main ingredient, and as an auxiliary for the preparation of various dishes. Milk has the ability to soften pike mince, and the head is used to prepare rich broth. Pike skin is dense and elastic, it is removed quite well, which allows using it for stuffing. It plays the role of a certain “cover” for the main filling.
According to culinary experts, a fish with a weight of no more than 4 kg is of great value. The meat of an old pike, weighing 8 kg, acquires the characteristic smell of a swamp, is considered hard and inedible. Although there are always exceptions! After all, it all depends on the conditions and habitat of the pike.
Pike is recommended to be used in sauce, chopped dishes, cook meatballs from it, and also used for frying, stuffing, cooking soups, broths, meatballs, smoked, salted and pickled. To eliminate the peculiar smell inherent in some specimens of large fish, it is advisable to keep the pike in a spicy, salty or cucumber brine. Some gourmets add dry white wine to it. To soften small bones, place the sliced lemon into the fish for 3-4 hours before cutting the carcass.
Recipe 1: Pike Cutlets
Pike cutlets are prepared according to a huge number of recipes. We will consider the option that preserves the taste and flavor of pike in the dish. Before cooking, do not be lazy to spend a couple of minutes on skin removal. It is completely unnecessary element for this dish. It should be removed and the ridge with large bones.
Ingredients: 1 kg of cut pike, 150 gr. long loaf, 2 medium onions, 100 ml of milk, garlic 4 slices, 2 eggs, 2 tables. spoons plums. oils, 3 tbsp. l grows oils, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, a bunch of greens.
Preparation Method:
1. Cooking minced meat: mince fish pieces with onions, greens, baton and garlic soaked in milk. In the resulting mass, break the eggs, pour in the melted butter, add salt and pepper. Next, knead the stuffing.
2. Blind oval or round patties, not too thick, roll them in breadcrumbs or flour and fry in vegetable oil on both sides until cooked.
Pike cutlets are very tender, juicy, thanks to butter. You can serve them to any side dish, stewed vegetables and vegetable salads.
Recipe 2: Stuffed pike
We remove skin from whole fish, but very carefully, so that it does not get damaged. Mix the fillets with bacon, vegetables and bread dipped in milk, make minced meat with which we fill our fish.
Ingredients: pike 1, 2 potatoes, onions 2 heads, carrots 1, pork lard 70 gr., Mushrooms 70-80 gr., 200 gr. 9 white bread), half a lemon, half an orange, 1 egg, a glass of milk, walnut 30 gr., 100 g of sunflower oil, 30 gr. drain oils, a bunch of parsley, garlic 3-4 cloves, pepper.
Preparation Method:
1. Gut the fish, remove the gills from it. Next, carefully remove the skin from the meat. In fact, it is very well separated from the fish, fins, head and tail are left. The inner sides of the skins are abundantly peppered, sprinkled with lemon juice and folded in half so as not to dry. 2. Cooking minced meat: finely chop the meat, put it in a bowl and add a little lemon juice and pepper. Bread without a crust soaked in milk, cut potatoes into cubes, add it to the pike.
3. We twist the salted lard with walnuts, put it in the stuffing. Finely chop a piece of butter, parsley and also send in minced meat.
4. Fry the onions with mushrooms, chop the garlic. Spread garlic, bread soaked in milk and chilled fried meat. Smash the egg, mix everything, sprinkle with lemon. The filling is ready!
Next, fill the skin and sew it from the tail to the head. Lubricate the baking sheet and make a substrate at the bottom of the vegetables: onion cut into half rings and plastics - carrots. We put our fish on vegetables. Put the dish in the oven and bake for an hour at 200 degree temperature.
Recipe 3: Pike in the oven with potatoes
Pike baked in the oven retains all the juices and nutrients. It can be served to any side dish, especially vegetables. They are easily accessible and very useful.
Ingredients: 800 gr. fillet, 3 potatoes, 2 onions, 3 tbsp. l apple cider vinegar, the same amount of sour cream, the same amount of mayonnaise, half a lemon, spices for fish.
Preparation Method:
Remove from the fish ridge and large bones, cut into pieces. Smear with vinegar, leave for a few minutes. Then pepper and salt the fish. Chopped potatoes cut into plastics, add salt, pepper and mix. Onion cut into half rings. Grease a baking sheet, spread evenly potatoes and pieces of pike, onion above, sprinkle the dish with spices, coat with sour cream mixed with mayonnaise, and cover the form with foil. Put in the oven and bake for an hour on medium heat. Serve the dish should be to the table, after sprinkling it with lemon juice.
Recipe 4: Pike Ear
Pike soup is a truly Russian-national dish, which has no analogues in the whole world. Tasty, fragrant, healthy, fresh and such a simple ear cooked according to this recipe will not leave anyone indifferent.
Ingredients: 500 gr. pike heads or small pike, 500 gr. pike fillet, 5 potatoes, 2 onions, cl. oil, 2 table. spoons of bread crumbs, a bunch of dill and green onions, lemon juice, nutmeg, ginger, laurel, salt.
Preparation Method:
1. Cut gutted fish into pieces, it is desirable to remove the gills and eyes from the head. Fill the pike with 3.5 liters of water, add the peeled onion, ginger, bay leaf and half parsley. We put on fire.
2. After boiling, boil for about ten minutes, then remove the fish, separate the meat from the bones. Heads and fins again lay in a saucepan and simmer on low heat for another 40-50 minutes.
3. Cut the potatoes into slices and fry until done with the 2nd onion in a skillet. We filter fish broth.
4. In the broth we throw in potatoes, fried with onions, breadcrumbs, salt and let cook for a few minutes. Next, season with pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice. Give a little insistence. The dish is ready! Chopped greens and sour cream should be served to the cooked ear.
So, we have listed the main dishes that can be prepared from fish called pike. Improvise, experiment, amaze and try! Enjoy your meal!
