Stuffed fish
4 servings
30 minutes
Stuffed fish is one of the traditional dishes of Russian cuisine that impresses with its tenderness and rich flavor. Historically prepared for festive feasts, it symbolizes the care and skill of the hostess. The dish's feature is the stuffing made from the fish itself, mixed with onions, bread, and spices, which fills the pieces as if they have retained their integrity. Cooking with vegetables gives the fish an amazing aroma and tenderness, while beets make it appetizingly pink. It is served with boiled potatoes or vegetables soaked in rich broth. This is not just an appetizer but a true culinary masterpiece that can adorn any table with its aesthetics and taste.
1
Clean the fish (large) from scales, cut off the head, and without cutting the belly, remove the insides; remove the gills from the head, rinse with cold water, and cut the fish into crosswise pieces.
- Fish: 1 piece
2
Cut the flesh from each piece of fish without damaging the skin.
3
To prepare the minced meat, pass the cut meat along with onion and soaked, squeezed bread through a meat grinder. Add a raw egg, sugar, vegetable oil, pepper, salt to the minced meat and mix everything thoroughly.
- Fish: 1 piece
- Onion: 300 g
- White bread: 150 g
- Chicken egg: 2 pieces
- Sugar: 1 tablespoon
- Vegetable oil: 1 tablespoon
4
Fill the pieces of fish with the prepared minced meat where the flesh was cut out, and smooth it with a knife moistened in water.
5
Place sliced beets and carrots, as well as thoroughly washed onion peels, at the bottom of the pot.
- Beet: 2 pieces
- Carrot: 3 pieces
6
Place stuffed pieces of fish on top of the vegetables, then add another layer of vegetables, followed by more fish and another layer of vegetables.
- Beet: 2 pieces
- Carrot: 3 pieces
7
Cover the fish with vegetables with cold water, just enough to submerge them, close the pot, and simmer for 1.5–2 hours from the moment the water boils. During cooking, ensure that the fish and vegetables do not burn; occasionally pour the broth over the top layer of the fish.
- Fish: 1 piece
8
Transfer the fish with vegetables to a dish, strain the remaining broth, and pour it over the fish.
9
If desired, you can boil peeled potatoes in the obtained broth to use as a side dish for fish.
- Fish: 1 piece