Fish Baked with Cabbage and Mushrooms under Sour Cream
Cabbage here isn’t a side dish — it’s the bed the fish finishes on. The mushrooms are boiled first and their liquid replaces water for the braise: a kilo of shredded cabbage (about 2 lb, roughly half a large head) drinks up that stock over 40 to 50 minutes until it turns soft and faintly sweet. Only then do the fried onion, sugar, bay leaf, and allspice go in.
Brown the fish separately in hot butter. Raw fillet laid straight onto the cabbage weeps and shreds under the sour cream; a seared piece holds together and stays springy inside.
Three things that decide the outcome
- Smetana, the region’s thick cultured sour cream, must be full-fat here. Low-fat American sour cream breaks into grains in the oven; crème fraîche is the safest substitute.
- No dried porcini? Use 150-200 g (5-7 oz) of creminis, but add even a pinch of dried mushroom or the braising liquid comes out pale.
- Pick a firm fillet — cod, haddock, pollock. Delicate fish falls into threads before the bake is done.
Clarified butter (ghee works) is specified because it takes browning heat without scorching. Serve straight from the pan, while the crust is still puffed.
Part of Eastern European cuisine — 65 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Boil the mushrooms in a small amount of water, remove them from the liquid, slice them, and fry. Save the cooking liquid.
Shred the white cabbage, pour over the mushroom liquid, add the clarified butter, cover, and braise for 40-50 minutes. Then add the chopped and lightly fried onion, sugar, bay leaf, and pepper. Continue braising until done.
Cut the prepared fish, season with salt and pepper, and brown it on both sides in heated butter.
Grease a saute pan with fat, lay in the cabbage, the fish on top, sprinkle with the mushrooms, pour over the sour cream, and bake in the oven.
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