Ukrainian - Jellied Stuffed Fish (Nachynyata Ryba u Zhelatyn )

[Olga Drozd]

Ukrainian - Jellied Stuffed Fish  (Nachynyata Ryba u Zhelatyn )

You must carefully remove flesh from the fish but leave head and tail and skin. Fish skin is then filled with the ground fish and poached.

1 whitefish (3 pounds)
1 onion
2 eggs
3/4 cup breadcrumbs moistened with water and squeezed dry
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Cold water to cover

2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon gelatine
2 Tablespoons cold water
Lemon wedges, capers, carrot rings, parsley for garnish

Clean fish thoroughly.  Carefully remove flesh, and bones, leaving head and tail intact, and do not break skin.

Put the flesh and onion through a mincer or food chopper, transfer to bowl and pound and mix until smooth.  Add eggs.

Moisten breadcrumbs with water then squeeze dry and add to the fish, then parsley, salt and pepper and mix well.

Fill the whole fish skin with this mixture, shaping to a natural form, and sew up the opening.  Prick skin in several places to let out the enclosed air.  Wrap in clean muslin or cheesecloth.

Arrange celery, carrots, onion, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaf in bottom of oval pan.  Place fish on a trivet on top of vegetables.  Cover with water, add salt.  Bring to boil, cover, and simmer for an hour and a half.

Remove fish to platter, unwrap it, and remove thread.  Cool.  Strain stock. Measure out two cups and keep hot.  Dissolve gelatine in 2 Tablespoons of cold water, add to hot stock and stir until thoroughly blended.  Taste for seasoning, then cool until mixture begins to thicken.  Pour over fish and chill until firm.  Garnish with lemon wedges, capers, carrot rings and parsley.