No. 1323 — Cutlets of Pike, Zander or Perch: Two Recipes
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 1323 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
For six to eight people clean and wash a four-pound pike. Scrape all its flesh from the bones, about 1½ Russian pounds, then mince, grind or pound and rub through a sieve.
Add at least a quarter as much soft butter as fish flesh (about ⅜ Russian pound), a heaped teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper and optional nutmeg. Beat vigorously with a spatula.
Shape cutlets and lightly coat with sifted breadcrumbs, egg and another thin layer of breadcrumbs.
About fifteen minutes before serving melt two spoonfuls of butter in a heavy sauté pan, brown both sides over high heat and finish more gently until fully cooked.
Boil the head and bones with roots, onion, herbs, bay leaf and pepper, then strain the stock for a sauce.
Arrange cutlets around a round dish; fill the centre with dried green peas, green-bean sauce, buttered new potatoes with dill, or fried potatoes.
Offer any of these sauces separately: lemon juice and Madeira No. 452; tomato No. 432; crayfish No. 431; mushroom No. 453; sweet-and-sour No. 415; brown No. 406; sauce No. 465; white sour-cream No. 460; concentrated No. 430; cherry No. 427; or champignon No. 435.
For a meatless day use walnut, mustard, olive or sunflower oil in place of dairy butter; fish stock instead of cream; and batter of flour with water, kvass or beer instead of egg and breadcrumbs. One kind of oil may be used in the mixture and another for frying.
Alternative method: follow the same technique but for each ½ pound of fish flesh add ¼ Russian pound of butter and ¾ glass of milk or cream, soaking a crustless three-kopeck roll in the dairy. Half or one chopped onion fried in butter may also be added.
To provide
For cutlets: 1 pike weighing 4 Russian pounds ⅝ Russian pound of butter in total | 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper 2 eggs and ½ glass of breadcrumbs For garnish and sauce: see choices above |
Ingredients for the alternative method
4 Russian pounds of pike and ¼ Russian pound of butter 1 teaspoon of salt ¼ teaspoon of pepper, optional nutmeg | One three-kopeck roll and ½ glass of cream Or milk ¼ Russian pound of butter for frying 2 eggs and ½ glass of breadcrumbs |