Fish in Leningrad style is a classic of Soviet catering. There are several recipe options, usually the dish is cooked in the oven, but the simpler option involves frying in a pan.
Cooking nuances
Fish in Leningrad style is an interesting option for a regular home dinner and a festive feast. A properly prepared dish is not only delicious, it looks great in photographs. It is worth considering that the food is quite nutritious, because most of the components are fried before combining. Baking in the oven and adding green salad and vegetables to each serving will help reduce calories. The proportions vary, 3 components remain unchanged: fish, potatoes, onions.
Any white fish is suitable for cooking: cod, hake, pike perch, halibut, pollock, sea bass. It is preferable to choose breeds with a minimum amount of bones and no excess fat. It is convenient to use ready-made fillets, chilled or frozen. It is better to fry fish in refined vegetable oil, heating it well in a deep frying pan.
The great advantage of the dish is the speed of preparation. If a ready-made fillet is used, all procedures will take no more than 15 minutes. The peculiarity of the recipe is portioned cooking. The fish is fried and served with a complex garnish: toasted potato circles, crispy onion rings. Grilled vegetables and green salad are a good addition. The dish will be decorated with grated cheese, mushrooms, creamy sauce.
Fish in Leningrad style in a pan
A classic and very quick option, perfect for a quick high-calorie dinner. The garnish is prepared separately, the dish is served scalding hot, directly from the pan, it is not recommended to reheat it. Crispy caramelized onions will help to make the fish more appetizing, you should not save on its quantity.
Ingredients:
- 200 g white fish fillet;
- 1 large onion;
- 2 potatoes;
- wheat flour for breading;
- 30 ml of dry white wine;
- odorless vegetable oil;
- salt;
- freshly ground black pepper;
- sugar;
- fresh herbs (parsley, celery, basil).
Cut the fillet into 2-3 pieces, depending on the size of the fish. Dry them with a paper towel, salt and pepper. Pour flour into a deep plate and roll each piece so that it evenly covers the fish. Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water, cool.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. Fry each piece until golden brown, turning over with a wooden or silicone spatula. Do not cover the pan with a lid, otherwise the crust will not be crispy.
Peel the onion, cut into thin neat rings. Sprinkle them with white wine, lightly sprinkle with sugar and flour, stir. Fry in a separate skillet in boiling oil until golden brown. Put the onion in a plate, cut the potatoes into slices and lightly brown in the same skillet.
Put several circles of potatoes on portioned plates, place fried fish on them, sprinkle with onions and finely chopped herbs. Serve with white bread and a glass of dry white wine.
Fish in the oven: a difficult option
Leningrad-style fish baked in the oven is very tasty. It is decorated with complex garnishing, and aromatic herbs give a pleasant delicate taste.
Ingredients:
- 600 g lean white fish;
- 250 g potatoes;
- 7 large mushrooms (can be replaced with oyster mushrooms);
- 150 g semi-hard cheese;
- 2 medium onions;
- 5 tbsp. l. wheat flour;
- refined vegetable oil for frying;
- salt;
- freshly ground black pepper;
- spicy herbs (rosemary, thyme, cumin).
Peel the fish, rinse, remove the bones, cut the fillets into portions. Mix flour with salt and pepper, coat the fish in breadcrumbs. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan and fry the prepared pieces on both sides until crisp. Transfer it to a separate dish.
Add oil to the pan and bring to a boil. Peel the potatoes, cut into cubes or circles, rinse with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. While stirring, fry the potatoes until tender, season with salt, sprinkle with pepper to taste.
Put the potatoes, fry the mushrooms cut into thin plastics in a pan. If the mushrooms are small, they can be left intact. When roasting, it is important to ensure that the mushrooms do not burn.
Grease a deep refractory mold with vegetable oil. Put potatoes on the bottom, place pieces of fried fish and mushrooms on top. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater and cover the dish with plenty of it.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, place the dish there and bake for 20-25 minutes. If the cheese starts to burn, you can cover the dish with foil and move it to the lower area of the oven. To create a crispy crust, you can turn on the grill for a couple of minutes before removing the mold from the oven.
Leningrad-style fish onions are fried separately, they should be crispy and dry. Peel the onion, cut into even, not too wide rings. Pour them into a plastic bag with a little flour and shake well so that the onion rings are completely covered with breading. You can add a little salt and powdered sugar to the flour.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, add onion and quickly fry it, stirring occasionally with a spatula. When the rings are browned, place them on a paper towel and let the excess oil soak in.
Arrange the fish with potatoes and mushrooms on heated plates so that the layers remain intact. One serving is 1-2 pieces of fillet, depending on the appetite of the eater. Decorate each plate with thyme and fresh rosemary sprigs and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Decorate generously with hot, toasted onions and serve immediately.
