Fish dishes
festive stuffed fish
festive living tradition
Pike, fish forcemeat, skin, onions, carrots, Christmas Eve, Easter, cold table
Stuffed pike, Festive pike
A festive fish
Stuffed pike is a dish that requires more time and skill, so it is often associated with the festive table.
It suits Christmas Eve, Easter, family celebrations, or feasts where an impressive fish dish is wanted.
Why pike?
The Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia notes that pike is widespread throughout Lithuania, lives in fresh and brackish waters, can grow large, and has many sharp teeth in its wide mouth. It can grow up to 1.5 m long and 30 kg in weight, though most caught fish are 0.5-2.5 kg, so a larger fish is well suited to ceremonial stuffing. This explains why it is handled carefully in the kitchen and why a larger pike becomes a festive table fish.
Pike is lean and bony, so stuffing has a practical purpose: the flesh is removed from the bones, ground, moistened with bread, onions, or vegetables, and returned to the fish shape.
Removing the skin
The shape of the dish depends on the skin. It should stay as intact as possible so the filling can return to the form of the fish.
Skin packed too tightly may split during cooking.
How to keep it moist
Pike is lean, so the filling needs moisture: soaked bread, onions, carrots, or a splash of stock.
When serving it cold, it is important not to overcook it, because chilled fish firms up even more.
Recipe
How is stuffed pike made?
The hardest part is carefully removing the skin without tearing it. The filling must be moist because pike is lean and can dry out.
Ingredients
- 1 whole pike, about 1.5-2 kg
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 slices white bread
- 100 ml milk or water
- 1 egg
- Salt, pepper, fish seasoning
- Oil or butter for cooking
Method
- Clean the pike and carefully remove the skin, keeping its shape.
- Separate the flesh from the bones and grind it with the soaked bread, onion, and carrot.
- Mix in the egg, salt, and pepper. If the mixture is very dry, add a splash of liquid.
- Fill the skin with the stuffing, but not too tightly.
- Bake or braise with vegetables until the filling is cooked through.
- Serve warm or chilled, sliced.
Notes
The bones and head can be used for stock.
