Zander Im Ofen Gebacken Mit Weissawein( Pike-Perch Baked In White Wine ) -

Zander Im Ofen Gebacken Mit Weissawein
( Pike-Perch Baked In White Wine )

Ingredients

1 oz butter, softened, plus 4 oz melted butter
3 to 3½ lb whole pike-perch, cleaned and scaled but with head and tail left on, or substitute any other whole, firm, white freshwater fish
1 scant teaspoon salt
2½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 medium-sized potato, peeled
2 rashers bacon, 8 to 9 inches long
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped onions
3 whole allspice, 3 whole cloves and 3 whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed, using a mortar and pestle or wrapped in a towel and crushed with a rolling pin
1 small bay leaf, crumbled
¾ pint white wine, preferably a Moselle
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon flour

Details

Serves: 4

Method

Preheat the oven to Mark 3: 325°F. Line a roasting tin or casserole large enough to hold the fish comfortably with a wide strip of heavy-duty foil and let 2 inches extend over the tin at each end. Coat the foil lightly with half an ounce of the soft butter, using a pastry brush.

Wash the fish under running water and dry it thoroughly with kitchen paper. Sprinkle it inside and out with salt and lemon juice. Cut away a 1-inch-wide strip of skin from the backbone with a small, sharp knife, starting just behind the head and reaching almost to the tail of the fish. lnsert the potato into the cavity of the fish, then put the fish, split side down, into the lined tin. (The potato will serve to keep the back of the fish upright, but it is not meant to be served.) Lay the bacon rashers over the exposed strip of flesh on the back, and sprinkle the fish lightly with white pepper.

Pour the 4 oz of melted butter over the entire surface of the fish and scatter the onions, allspice, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf on top. Pour in ¾ pint of wine and 6 tablespoons of water and bring it to the boil over a high heat. Cover the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the fish is firm when pressed lightly with a finger. Baste the fish once or twice with the tin liquids during the cooking process. Remove the tin from the oven and using the long ends of foil as handles carefully lift out the fish. Gently slide it from the foil on to a large heated dish.

Remove and discard the bacon strips and cover the fish loosely with foil to keep it warm while you make the sauce. Strain the liquid left in the tin through a fine sieve into a small saucepan, and bring to the boil over a high heat. Continue to boil, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced to ⅜ pint, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Make a paste of the remaining half ounce of soft butter and a tablespoon of flour in a small bowl, and stir it bit by bit into the simmering liquid. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste for seasoning and pour the sauce into a sauceboat. Serve separately with the fish. Remove the potato before you carve the fish.

Related food category:

• Fish and Seafood