RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Ruth Heiges Perch of the Nile, Baked - dairy
This is a dish I usually prepare for my Shavuot luncheon. Nile Perch is a freshwater fish which we can buy only frozen in Israel. It is very large, with one fillet easily weighing a kilo (more than 2 lbs). I'm sure these recipes would work well with any fish; even a large quantity of small ones. (For the longest time, I refused to buy this fish. Having seen and experienced the Nile, I couldn't imagine eating anything that had grown in it ... until I learned the fish comes from Lake Victoria!) The recipe is from "Table Manna," The ESRA (English-Speaking Residents Association) Community Cookbook, published in Israel. It was submitted by Maureen Finn. (Does that sound fishy?) Baked Perch of the Nile ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 800 gm - 1 kg Nile Perch (thick cut) (+/- 2 lbs) milk (sufficient to submerge fish) salt and pepper juice of 2 lemons 1 cup mayonnaise [low-fat works fine] 1 - 1-1/2 tsp best quality prepared mustard grissini crumbs [i.e., from bread sticks or toasted] The day before cooking, place the fish in an ovenproof dish big enough and deep enough to be able to submerge the entire piece of fish in the milk. Leave to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, drain off the milk, rinse the fish and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return to the clean, dry dish and pour the lemon juice over the fish. Leave for approximately 2 hours. Mix the mayonnaise and mustard together well. Pour the lemon juice from the fish (but do not rinse). Cover the top of the fish with the mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with grissini crumbs. Bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven for about 30 minutes or until the crumbs are golden brown and the fish looks opaque when pierced. Serves 6 - 8. VARIATION: Omit mustard and grissini crumbs. Cover the top of the fish with mayonnaise. Sprinkle generously with dry onion-soup mix. Bake as above. Ruth
