Pike Perch Baked with Mushrooms and Cheese
Pike perch — sold as zander in Britain, and a close relative of North American walleye — earns its place through a firm white fillet nearly free of pin bones that holds its shape under a wet blanket of mushrooms and cheese. Cod or hake would flake apart in the same setup.
The recipe turns on baking twice. The salted fillet goes into a hot oven alone for 10–15 minutes with melted fat drizzled over, and in that time the surface proteins set into a thin barrier. Cover raw fish with the mushrooms straight away and it weeps, leaving you fish poached in its own liquid rather than a bake.
Smetana, the sour cream called for here, is a cultured cream considerably richer than the standard American carton — full-fat crème fraîche is the closest match. Use nothing under 20% fat; the 200 g called for is a scant cup, and a low-fat version splits into a watery pool under oven heat. Salt it lightly before pouring, since unsalted it separates more visibly.
Pike and perch stand in well. The optional buttered crushed breadcrumbs over the cheese are worth the extra minute — they keep the crust sandy and crisp instead of rubbery.
Part of Eastern European cuisine — 68 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Gut and rinse the fish, cut off the head, separate the fillet, season with salt, and place it on a heatproof dish.
Drizzle with melted fat and put it in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the fish bakes lightly.
Clean and rinse the mushrooms, trim the stems, peel the skin from the larger caps, and slice the mushrooms thinly.
Add the onion cut into rings, salt, pepper, and 1-2 spoonfuls of water, and stew for 10 minutes.
Take out the fish, cover it with the mushrooms, and pour over lightly salted sour cream.
Sprinkle with coarsely grated cheese and, if you like, drizzle with butter mixed with crushed breadcrumbs.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese turns lightly golden.
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