Fish aspic
Description
Telnoye is an old Russian dish that gets its name from the fact that it is made from fish flesh. In the past, the term "telnoye" referred to fish mince, later extending to pies and fish stuffed with fish mince. Today, telnoye refers to a kind of fish zrazy (stuffed patties). Preparation: Prepare the filling. Boil dried or fresh mushrooms, drain in a colander, then chop. Hard boil the eggs, cool, peel, and chop. Set aside 1 egg for the mince. Finely chop the onion, place in a frying pan with heated oil, and sauté. Add mushrooms and cook for 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the onion-mushroom mixture onto paper towels to drain excess fat. Finely chop parsley and add it to the mushroom mixture along with the eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Prepare the fish mince. Cut fish fillet into pieces and blend in a food processor or kitchen blender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 egg, salt, and pepper. The flour and egg can be replaced with bread soaked in milk. Add softened butter. Thoroughly mix the mince, optionally using a food processor. Shape the mince into patties. Make a depression in the center and place about 1 teaspoon of filling inside. Fold the patty in half and pinch the edges to form a half-moon shape. This can be done on a damp cloth or gauze. Dip the patties into beaten egg, then coat in breadcrumbs or flour. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, place the patties in the pan, and fry for 5 minutes on each side. The patties can also be baked in the oven. Serve the cooked telnoye drizzled with melted butter and garnished with chopped parsley and dill. Serve with fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, beans, cauliflower, or pasta as a side dish.