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Baked Pike Stuffed With Cucumbers And Rice
(Uunissa Paistettu Hauki)
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| What You Need: |
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3 quarts boiling salted water
2/3 cup rice
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely chopped onions
½ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
8 tablespoons (1 quarter-pound stick) butter
6 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
3- to 3½ -pound pike, cleaned and scaled, with the backbone removed but the head and tail left on (or substitute mackerel or sea bass)
½ cup boiling water
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Cook the rice uncovered in 3 quarts of boiling salted water for about 12 minutes, or until it is still slightly firm. Drain in a large colander and set it aside to cool. In a small bowl, toss the chopped cucumber with the ¼ teaspoon of salt.
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2. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. In a small saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and in it cook the chopped onions and cucumbers for about 6 to 8 minutes, until they are soft and transparent but not brown.
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3. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl and add the chopped eggs, cooked rice, parsley and chives. Season with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, and moisten the mixture with 1tablespoon of heavy cream, adding more if the stuffing seems too dry. Mix together lightly but thoroughly.
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4. Wash the fish inside and out under cold running water and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Fill the fish with the cucumber-rice stuffing, close the opening with small skewers, and crisscross kitchen string around the skewers as you would lace a turkey.
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5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a baking dish or roasting pan attractive enough to bring to the table and large enough to hold the fish comfortably, melt the ¼ pound of butter over moderate heat.
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6. When the foam subsides, place the fish in the baking dish, raise the heat, and cook the fish for about 5 minutes, until it is a golden brown.
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7. Carefully turn over the fish with 2 large wooden spoons or metal spatulas and brown the other side. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and then turn the fish over again and sprinkle the other side with the crumbs.
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8. Pour ½ cup of boiling water around the fish and bring it to a simmer on top of the stove. Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the fish feels firm when pressed lightly with a finger.
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9. Serve the fish directly from the baking dish.
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NOTE:
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1. In Finland, 1cup of finely chopped cooked spinach, squeezed dry, is often substituted for the cucumber in the stuffing.
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