For some reason, it is believed that only an experienced chef can cook a stuffed pike, but this is not quite so! Knowing the many secrets in the preparation of this whimsical dish, you can create such a tasty and juicy fish masterpiece from the first time that guests simply become dumb with delight!
Of course, you will need patience and perseverance, but at the exit you will be rewarded for your efforts not only with the excellent taste of the prepared dish, but also with the money saved, because having prepared stuffed pike at home, you will significantly reduce your expenses compared to the restaurant menu!
For 8 servings of fish delicacy you will need:
- 1 pike weighing 1.5-1.7 kg;
- 200 g of lard;
- 3 slices of white bread;
- 1 onion;
- 1 tbsp. milk;
- 0.5 tbsp. salts;
- 0.5 tsp. thyme;
- 0.5 tsp. black ground pepper.
When purchasing fish in the market or in the store, be sure to make sure it is fresh, not hesitating to smell it and look at the gills, especially in the summer. Immediately clear the scales of the pike, and then chop off its head, removing the entrails with it. The fish is perfectly cleaned, so do not worry about it - just be careful not to tear its skin. Rinse the pike both inside and out, once again gently rubbing the skin with a knife or special cleaning for fish.
Next, lightly beat off the fish carcass with the meat with a knife handle or a cooking hammer - this way the skin will be removed more easily. Squeeze the knife under the skin and slightly cut off the flesh with the bones, trying not to damage the shell. Ideally, the skin should be removed like a glove, but this is not always the case! It's okay if the meat remains on it - then you can easily cut it off. Cut the skin to the second fins - then you should not suffer. Rinse skin and set aside.
Take up the pulp - remove all the bones, peeling the meat from them in a bowl.
Soak slices of bread in milk so that the taste of the dish is softer and juicier. Squeeze the bread after that is not necessary.
Peel the onion, rinse and cut into small cubes directly in a bowl.
Pork lard is also cut into small cubes and, together with spices, add it to the fish pulp. A special role of spices will be played by thyme - due to it the fish taste will not be felt.
Grind all the ingredients in a food processor or in a meat grinder, skipping mince about 2-3 times in order to avoid the appearance of bones in it. Fill the skin with cooked minced fish, lightly tamping it inside. Try not to tear the “glove”, otherwise you will have to stitch it up.
At the end of the stuffing, do not forget to leave some skin from the edge in order to fasten it with toothpicks or sew up with culinary threads - depending on the strength of the pike skin.
Place the prepared stuffed carcass on a greased form and add the head cut off with a pike - it should also be baked. Make large punctures with a large needle in different places of the carcass so that it does not burst during baking and place the mold in the oven at 180 ° C for 80-90 minutes.
The finished dish will drive you with its aroma, summoning everyone at home to the table. Decorate the stuffed pike to your liking, putting your head on the dish to the carcass and not forgetting to remove threads or toothpicks. Cut the fish into slices and serve with greens. Enjoy your meal!
To compare how much more economical it is to cook stuffed pike at home, rather than order at a restaurant, let's calculate the cost of a cooked dish:
- 1 pike 1.5-1.7 kg - 100 rubles;
- 200 g of pork fat - 7.5 rubles;
- 3 slices of white bread - 2 rubles;
- 1 onion - 2 rubles .;
- 1 tbsp. milk - 6.25 rubles;
- 0.5 tsp. thyme - 3 rub .;
- 0.5 tsp. black ground pepper - 3 rubles.
Total: 8 servings of excellent fish delicacy will cost you 125 rubles, and 1 portion - 15 rubles. Believe me, in restaurants the prices for a whole stuffed fish start at 500 rubles! Make a reasonable choice in favor of home cooking.
