Karelian-style fish
Description
Traditionally, this dish is made with vendace (a freshwater fish from the whitefish family commonly found in northern regions of our country), but it also turns out delicious with cod, roach, pike-perch, perch, White Sea herring, or smelt. The Karelian-style fish recipe, like most "rustic" cuisine, is incredibly simple—yet it is precisely this simplicity that makes it so suitable for city living, where busy housewives often don't have time to spend long hours at the stove. Here, you just clean the fish, cut it up, put it in a pot, add some water, and go about your day while dinner gently simmers away. Another advantage of this dish is its versatility. Karelian-style fish can be served as a main course, an appetizer, or even as a soup, either hot or cold.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Clean the fish, gut it, and wash it. Remove the head, tail, and fins (if the fish is large, you can fillet it).
- 2
Step 2
Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly.
- 3
Step 3
Slice the onion into half-rings.
- 4
Step 4
Place the fish in a heavy-bottomed pot, deep skillet, or saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Place onion on top of the fish, add bay leaf and whole peppercorns. Arrange potatoes over the fish. Pour in water just enough to barely cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Add oil and simmer, covered, over low heat for 30–40 minutes.
- 5
Step 5
Wash the greens, dry and finely chop.
- 6
Step 6
Serve the finished dish sprinkled with herbs and, if desired, topped with sour cream.