Baked Stuffed Pike in Its Own Skin with Onion and Bread Filling

What you need

• 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) whole pike, scaled, and gutted through the gills so the belly stays intact
• 100 g (3.5 oz) stale white bread, crusts removed
• 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) milk
• 200 g (7 oz) onions, finely diced
• 100 g (3.5 oz) carrot, finely diced
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil, plus a little for the tray
• 1 large egg
• 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tbsp prepared horseradish, for serving
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Lay the pike on a board. With a sharp knife, cut through the skin in a full ring just behind the gill covers.

2. 2

   Cut the head off at that ring, going through the spine. Set the head aside.

3. 3

   Slip a finger under the skin at the cut and loosen it around the whole circle. Work the skin back toward the tail like a sleeve, turning it inside out and freeing it from the flesh with your finger as you go.

4. 4

   Slow down at each fin and loosen the skin underneath it, because the skin tears there if pulled. At the tail, cut through the spine so the skin stays in one piece with the tail fin on.

5. 5

   Lift the body of flesh out of the skin. Scrape any flesh left on the skin into a bowl, cut away the fin bones from the inside, then turn the skin right side out.

6. 6

   Pull out the gills from the head and discard them, because they taste bitter. Rinse the head and the skin.

7. 7

   Cut the flesh off the backbone and ribs and pick out the small bones. Grind the flesh twice through a fine mincer plate, or pulse it in a food processor to a smooth paste.

8. 8

   Soak the bread in the milk for 10 min, then squeeze it out lightly.

9. 9

   Fry the onion and carrot in 3 tbsp of the oil over medium heat until soft but not browned, 8-10 min. Cool completely.

10. 10

    Mix the ground fish, bread, egg, cooled vegetables, parsley, salt and pepper until even. Fry a teaspoon of the mixture, taste it and adjust the seasoning.

11. 11

    Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Spoon the filling into the skin, pushing it toward the tail and filling it only about three quarters full so the skin does not split while baking.

12. 12

    Sew the head back on with cotton thread. Lay the pike on a tray brushed with oil, brush the skin with the remaining oil and prick it in several places with a toothpick to let steam escape.

13. 13

    Bake until the skin is golden and the filling reaches 74 °C (165 °F) in the centre, 45-55 min.

14. 14

    Rest the pike for 15 min, then cut it into thick slices with a sharp knife. Serve warm or cold with horseradish and lemon wedges.

Imported from cmak.info. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.