This is one of the best fish pies ever created. It’s perfect for that party as it can all be made well in advance, even several days. It is just as good and preferred chilled.
Prep and chill all ingredients thoroughly, first. Then all you have to do is cover it with a wrap and leave in the cooler until needed, then pop it into the oven just before you serve to family and or friends….
Serve it cut in slices, with a large bowl of mixed-leaf salad tossed in a lemon flavored dressing. Or you can simply melt some butter with an equal quantity of lemon juice and serve it with that spread on top…
Good for the whole family or as a party dish…
Gather Ingredients!
Cook – 500g/1lb 2oz salmon fillet, skinned and or not
Cook – 175g/6oz Brown rice
Boil three eggs hard in shell
75g/2¾oz butter, plus extra for greasing
2 onions, roughly chopped (leave raw)
2 garlic cloves, crushed (leave raw)
1 small fresh red chili, finely chopped (leave raw and or maybe not! HOT!)
200g/7oz button mushrooms, sliced and cooked
½ large lemon, zest and juice only (get those seeds out of there)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (leave raw)
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives (leave raw)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
some sheets of frozen pastry
Lets make!
I take all ingredients and mix together in a big bowl. Well except the pastry and enough butter to grease the sheet pan with and also baste the top with as it cooks…
That means eggs chopped up, cooked fish chopped up, cooked rice, cooked mushrooms, chili pepper, cloves, onions, some butter, some lemon, garlic, salt pepper, chives, parsley and whatever else you want in it. Mix it all together. I mix it well and do not care if you can see any chunks of fish. Just make a big thick paste out of it…
Once all ingredients are mixed, set aside in refrigerator covered until needed. That is why the fish and some things are cooked first. The dish is designed to be made in stages, kinda a Russian thing I guess…
I prefer to make and cook all the same day. Some will make it all and even let it sit ready to bake for several days. So my recipe varies from the Russian way and it is because I do not like to let fish sit around waiting… Cooked or not!
For the sauce to mix with insides!
100g yogurt non flavored
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
½ large lemon, juice only
Mix sauce ingredients together early in the morning on the day you will bake it and allow to sit in refrigerator once mixed with the other stuff several hours. Allows everything to thicken and set up somewhat…
Take first bowl of fish and stuff you mixed! Add second bowl into first (I said big bowl earlier,) of sauce and stir thoroughly. Makes a thick pasty substance. Some leave the fish out and stick the fish in as a whole piece, before baking… What ever!
I grease a sheet pan and or use a oven wax paper. Lay a sheet of pastry from the pack on it and if you need two sheets use them side by side, Use your imagination for this. I let the sheets thaw slightly and squeeze them together at the seam. You need a big enough sheet to plop all the mixed stuff on and after mounding it up, allow you to cover the whole thing with another sheet of pastry. Puff pastry works great for this..
You are doing something like this below…
Yummy
Once all stuff is inside a big pastry shell and it is laying on a sheet pan ready. Bake the thing at 425°F(220°C) for about 25 minutes, brushing with butter, egg whites and or whatever it is you do. Many times I brush with nothing and it still browns okay! Since main stuff is cooked, all you really are doing is cooking the pastry and no need to over do it…
I like to cut slits in the top, helps steam escape. Some like to make pretty designs and such, but I just like to eat it! 🙂
I say eat it warm, not blistering hot, but eating it cold is only done by me at friends houses. I like it, but fish to me is a warm food! Just my upbringing…
This is a do it as you please type dish. It really is designed to use up whatever you have left over. Since Russians always have lots of salmon hanging around, it is a natural for this dish. You can use any fish, but real fatty fish? Drain well, no need for tons of fat… Just toss in what ever spices you like and bake it. You will like it and as you eat it, realize that Russians love pies like this…
Coulibiac Recipe and so Yummy!
WtR