The common pike is widespread in the rivers and lakes of Europe, the average fish weight is 5-6 kg. Its meat is not highly valued in cooking, since it is quite tough and has a specific smell. Having prepared stuffed pike, you can not only eliminate these shortcomings, but also make a beautiful dish for the festive table.
It is necessary
-
- 1 pike (1 kg);
- 1 egg;
- 150 g of bread;
- 200 ml of milk;
- 1-2 tbsp boiled rice (optional);
- greens to taste;
- 50g butter;
- 1 onion;
- 1/4 lemon;
- salt
- pepper.
Instructions
Step 1
Take a fresh pike, pay attention to the quality of the fish: if it is fresh, then the eyes will be clear with black pupils, the scales should shine, and the gills should have a bright color. Clean carefully so as not to tear the skin, cut out the gills and cut off the head, and do not touch the fins (do not throw out the head). If you only have frozen pike, put it in the refrigerator and wait for it to completely defrost.
Step 2
Remove the skin from the fish with a stocking: take a very sharp knife and trim it around the circumference, turn the skin separated from the meat towards the tail. Continue to gently trim the skin and turn it inside out. You can leave a little of the meat on your skin to avoid damaging it.
Step 3
Cut off the tail when you get to it. The skin should be intact, including the caudal fin. Set it aside for a while, then gut the pike and discard the ridge.
Step 4
Remove the pulp from the bread, put in a bowl, pour 200 ml of milk. Wash and peel the onions from the top layers, chop into several pieces and scroll through a meat grinder together with the pike meat two or three times so that the bones and meat are properly chopped. Add the soaked bread to the minced meat for the last time.
Step 5
Place the minced fish and bread in a large enough bowl, add 50 grams of warm butter, 1 egg and mix thoroughly. It is even better to beat the mass with a blender so that the mass rises and becomes fluffy.
Step 6
Add salt, pepper and herbs to taste. Stuff the pike skin with minced meat, but not too tight so that it does not crack during cooking.
Step 7
Take the foil, fold it twice and cover a baking sheet with it, put the pike on top, along with the head. Pour lemon juice on the fish, salt a little. Wrap the fish in foil, but leave a small hole for steam to escape.
Step 8
Pour half a glass of water into the foil, bake the fish in the oven at a temperature of 150-180 ° C for 1.5-2 hours.
