3068. PIKE with SAUERKRAUT and BACON

serves six


2 lb. of pike or other firm white-meat fish, cut in fillets
water or fish stock, to cover
3 onions
1 stalk celery, with leaves
6 peppercorns
salt
8 slices bacon, diced
1 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
sauerkraut
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup sour cream
paprika
6-8 cooked crawfish tails or shrimps (optional)

Poach fish in water or stock along with 1 sliced onion, celery, peppercorns, and a little salt. When flaky, remove fish; strain and reserve stock. Fry bacon and as fat becomes rendered add 2 diced onions. Fry slowly until bacon and onion are golden brown. Butter a 6-cup soufflé dish and sprinkle bottom and sides with bread crumbs, tapping out excess. Place a layer of sauerkraut in the dish, add a layer of the onion and bacon mixture and another of fish. Repeat layers in that order until dish is full, ending with sauerkraut. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour, and sauté over low heat for about 5 minutes or until flour begins to take on color. Measure stock and, if necessary, add enough water to make 2 cups. Add to butter and flour mixture along with the sour cream. Stir until smooth. Season with salt and paprika to taste. Place crawfish or shrimps around top of sauerkraut. Add sauce and a generous layer of bread crumbs dotted with remaining butter. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until sauce is golden brown and bubbling.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Horizon Cookbook: An Illustrated History of Eating and Drinking through the Ages, by the Editors of Horizon Magazine. American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., 1968

1251. PAN ROASTED WALLEYE PIKE with SAVOY CABBAGE, BACON and VANILLA SAUCE

yields four servings


Pike preparation

2 pounds fresh walleye pike fillets, with bone removed and skin on
2 tablespoons high quality canola or grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Twenty minutes before serving place pike fillets skin side down on paper towels. This will help dry the skin so that it will crisp up better. Season skin side only with salt and white pepper. Preheat a nonstick sauté pan to medium-high and add two teaspoons of the oil. Add fish and cook for two to three minutes or until skin is crispy. Flip over and place in the oven for three to four minutes.


Cabbage Preparation

1 head savoy cabbage
1 gallon water
Salt

Bring gallon of water to boil and season with salt. Prepare an ice water bath. (A bowl of cold water and ice cubes…in which to “shock” the cabbage to stop it from cooking when you remove it from the boiling water.) Pull off the layers of cabbage, wash and cut into 4 x 4- shaped squares. Blanch in water in batches until just tender. Remove and immediately place in an ice bath. Take out and set aside.


Vanilla Sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh lemongrass
2 sprigs thyme
1/4 vanilla bean
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup coconut milk
1 quart chicken broth
2 teaspoons canola oil

Warm canola oil over medium heat in a sauce pan. Add shallot and cook until shallot is transparent. Add lemongrass and sprigs of thyme and continue to cook until aromatic. Add the vanilla bean, coconut milk, heavy cream and chicken broth. Let simmer until sauce has slightly thickened. Remove from heat and strain, ensuring that liquid is smooth. Season to taste with salt, set aside and keep warm.


Final Preparation

1/2 pound thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, in slices
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sunchoke or Jerusalem artichoke, julienned (water chestnuts may be substituted, if necessary)
4 tablespoons chopped chives

In a separate pan cook bacon until just on cusp of becoming crispy. Remove and drain bacon on paper towels. Reduce heat to low. Place reserved cabbage in pan with bacon juices. Add butter, sunchokes and two tablespoons of chives, stirring occasionally and heating thoroughly. Before plating, quickly drain cabbage mixture to remove any excess liquid.

On four warmed plates, place a mound of the cabbage mixture in center. Place slices of the bacon over cabbage. Remove fish from the oven and let the pan cool slightly. Add a tablespoon of butter on top of each filet, letting the butter baste the fish. When done remove from the pan and place on top of the bacon. Drizzle vanilla sauce over fish and garnish with the rest of the chives. Serve immediately.


courtesy of: Chef David Murphy, Wave, W Chicago Lakeshore Hotel, 644 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60611, (312) 943-9200 | Lake Magazine, 713 State Street, LaPorte, Indiana 46350, 877-362-8592

1045. BACON-FRIED PIKE

pike fillets
bacon
pepper

Fillet the pike. Place several strips of bacon in a frying pan and sizzle until done (but not crisp). Add pike fillets and fry until golden brown, turning them over once. Add pepper to taste. If you prefer, remove fried bacon strips before adding fish and let fish fry in bacon fat.


courtesy of: The Fishing Network

578. BARBECUE BACON-WRAPPED PIKE (or WALLEYE) SKEWERS

4-5 lbs Northern Pike (or walleye) fillets -- cut into 1" cubes
1 lb bacon strips, cut in half
Italian style dressing
barbecue sauce
bamboo skewers

Marinate cubed fish in Italian style dressing for 1 hour. Wrap bacon strips around marinated fish cubes. Spear into skewers so bacon doesn't unravel. Repeat until skewers are full. Cook over medium heat on barbecue; turn continually. Brush on your favourite BBQ sauce when the bacon begins to get crisp. Continue turning periodically until fish is white and bacon is crisp.


courtesy of: Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, 1199 Plessis Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2C 3L4