Entrees: Pickled Fish (a.k.a. Sweet & Sour Fish)
By Freya (Blitstein)
Related to: Polonnoye (Town),
A Milchik recipe from my maternal Grandma Rose Rozmarin Spielberg Kramer,
from Polonnoye near Zhitomir. This is the main course she served Yom
Kippur eve to break fast with. It was always a light dairy supper since
it was so late - and this would not lay on the stomach all night long.
- Freya Blitstein Maslov
5 - 6 lbs (net weight) mixed fish - trout, whitefish (Lake
Superior) and Pike, cut into serving pieces. See note at end of recipe.
4 cups water (enough to keep covered)
2 large onions (If you can get Vidalias or smiliar sweet onion, even better.)
1-2 cups vinegar
¾ cup sugar (to taste)
½ cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. allspice
3 whole bay leaves
1-2 lemons, thinly sliced
Boil heads and tails with onions and enough water to keep fish covered, for
about 15-20 minutes.
Leave all bones in the pot if there is room.
Add 2 cups water to 1 cup vinegar as needed – to cover all fish.
Add about ¾ cup Sugar (to taste), light brown sugar, salt, allspice,
and bay leaves.
Now add the fish - (add more water and vinegar to cover, if needed).
When mixture starts boiling, start the timer and cook for approximately
45 minutes – UNCOVERED.
Let cool before handling. Save the juice!
When cooled, remove pieces carefully and lay nicely (close together) in a
glass Kugel or cake baking dish (oblong). May require 2 baking dishes.
Place thinly sliced lemon circles on to of fish, then strain juice over fish.
Refrigerate for 3-5 days, until juice is jelled, then it's ready to serve.
Which fish is which?
TROUT – SMOOTH SKIN, DARK IN COLOR
WHITEFISH – VERY SOFT TO THE TOUCH – FALLS APART!
PIKE – HARD TO THE TOUCH, YELLOWY SKIN, FLAKY AND HAS LARGER BONES.
Make sure to buy the fish at a shop where the butcher can
- and will - save the heads and tails for you. They're needed for flavor and
to make the gel.
