There`s no need to go to England to learn that royalty doesn`t get much respect these days. Just look at our own waters and the widespread lack of appreciation for pike, the king of Great Lakes fish.
The largest pike, the muskellunge, surely is king-size. It usually weighs in at between 10 and 30 pounds. The northern pike is smaller, 4 to 10 pounds, but has the large mouth and fearsome canine teeth that can make anyone hesitate before asking any question about this species` claim to royal status. As for the walleye, its appearance on menus as a ”pike” or ”yellow pike”
causes consternation in the royal court. Not only is this sharp-toothed fish odd-looking (its eyes are opaque, not clear, because it is a nocturnal forager), but peerage experts are quick to point out it is not a pike at all. It belongs to the the perch family.
What the walleye does share with the northern pike is that it is a very versatile species to cook. It can be prepared following the whole galaxy of sole recipes. Meanwhile, pike`s undisputed claim to royal status in France, where it is known as brochet, is based on turning the sweet, white meat into dumplings called quenelles and serving them with a crayfish-anointed sauce Nantua.
But in our own country, the pike is ”greatly underrated as a food,”
according to A.J. McClane in ”The Encyclopedia of Fish.”
McClane quotes Izaak Walton as finding it ”choicely good” and writes that pike is a ”firm-fleshed, fine-textured lean fish with a very fine, delicate flavor.” As for cooking, it can be ”baked, poached, steamed, stuffed, smoked, braised or grilled, and it makes an especially delicate stuffing when pureed.”
At this time of year, party-givers tired of salmon will find that poached whole pike can make a lovely buffet centerpiece. Home cooks should be warned, however, that a pike of four pounds is likely to be 30 inches from head to tail-too long for a standard roasting or poaching pan. (Consider using a center cut or cooking on a sufficiently large outdoor grill.)
In the wild, fishermen are most likely to pan-fry fresh-caught pike.
But any discussion of catching and cooking fish in the wild leads inevitably to the Tribune`s outdoors writer, John Husar. When I asked about favorite ways of preparing pike and walleye, he responded:
”One method for steamed fish does revive memories of a lake and a shoreline studded with pines and can be used for any freshwater gamefish like walleye, lake trout and northern pike.
”Fillet the fish and distribute the fillets on a sheet of tinfoil. Drop on a few pats of butter or margarine, some thin-sliced onion, a few lemon slices and some ripe tomatoes (or splash on some tomato sauce-in Canada, a few jolts of ketchup will do). Parsley if you`ve got it. Salt and pepper.
”Cover with tinfoil, seal the package and pitch it onto the hot coals beside the campfire. The fish should be steaming and perfect in 8 to 15 minutes, depending upon the intensity of the fire. If you don`t have a campfire, put it in an oven at 400 degrees until the fish is steamed, about the same length of time . Serve it with the cooked onion on slices of fresh bread-whole wheat, white or rye. Pork and beans on the side, of course. The fish gravy is scrumptious. Sop it up with extra bread.”
Here are several other recipes:
PIKE IN ORIENTAL WINE SAUCE
Three or four servings
1/2 cup dried Chinese black mushrooms
1 pound pike or walleye fillets
1 egg white
2 teaspoons cornstarch, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 2 teaspoons
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 teaspoon vodka
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup chicken stock or broth
1. Soak the mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for about 20 minutes or until they are soft and pliable. Squeeze out the excess water and chop off and discard the woody stems. Finely chop the mushroom caps and set aside.
2. Cut the fish into 2-inch pieces. Combine the egg white, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium-size bowl. Cut the fish into 2- inch pieces, add to the bowl and toss to coat them evenly. Refrigerate bowl for about 20 minutes.
3. Heat a wok or large skillet until it is hot; add the oil. When the oil is just warm, quickly add the fish, stir to separate the pieces and turn off the heat. Allow the fish to sit in the warm oil for about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander set inside a stainless-steel bowl.
4. Reheat the wok, add the vodka, rice wine, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, sugar and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, add the chopped mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the fish pieces and heat through. Mix remaining teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water. Pour into sauce and stir until it thickens. Serve at once.
-Adapted from ”Fragrant Harbor Taste,” by Ken Hom
PIKE SOUFFLE
Four to six servings
1 pound pike fillets
Butter, enough for greasing mold, plus 3 tablespoons
Fine bread crumbs, about 1/3 cup
Salt and white pepper
3/4 cup fish stock or bottled clam juice
4 eggs, separated, plus 1 extra egg white, at room temperature
3 tablespoons flour
Dash of cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 green onion, minced
1. Generously butter the inside of a 1 1/2-quart souffle mold or casserole, add bread crumbs and shake to coat bottom and sides. Pour out any excess crumbs. Cut and fit enough pike fillets to make a single layer that covers the bottom. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate mold.
2. Combine fish stock and an equal amount of water in a saute pan. Add remaining pike and poach it until flaky, about 5 minutes. Remove, drain and flake fish. Measure out three-fourths cup. Strain poaching liquid and keep warm.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place egg whites in a copper bowl or mixer bowl. Add a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until thickened and lemon-colored.
4. In a small saucepan, melt the 3 tablespoons butter, add the flour and stir for 2 minutes over low heat without browning. Measure out 1 cup of warm stock and add it to the saucepan, stirring with a whisk until thick. Off the heat, add beaten egg yolks, salt, pepper and cayenne to taste, paprika, lemon juice and green onion. Stir in flaked fish.
4. Beat egg whites until they stand in peaks. Gently fold fish mixture into egg whites. Pour into mold atop pike fillets, tap mold on counter to remove air pockets and place in the center of the hot oven. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until top has risen and is brown. Present the mold and serve at once. (If desired, a mushroom-cream sauce may be spooned over each portion.)
-Adapted from ”The Complete Book of American Fish and Shellfish Cookery”
POLISH-AMERICAN STUFFED PIKE
Four servings
2 small pike (about 1 1/4 pounds each), split open, or 4 pike fillets, 4 to 5 ounces each
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter, plus 3 tablespoons, softened
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped fresh bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten, plus 2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 to 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 to 1 tablespoon fresh paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons minced parsley
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse fish and pat dry. In a saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add onions and celery and cook until softened; add apples and mushrooms and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the bread crumbs, beaten egg, thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Stuff this mixture into the cavities of the fish or place it between two fillets, sandwich style. Dot top of fish with softened butter and season with salt and pepper. Butter or lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Add fish and cover with foil.
3. Bake in the hot oven for 30 minutes (20 minutes for fillets). Remove foil and brown for 5 additional minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Place the top part of a double-boiler over, but not touching, simmering water. Add the 2 egg yolks and beat. Stir in sour cream and lemon juice and beat until sauce thickens. Add salt to taste and enough paprika to turn sauce a light pink. Stir in parsley just before serving.
5. Cut into serving portions and top each portion with sauce or pass sauce in a gravy boat at the table.
-Adapted from ”American Food,” by Evan Jones.
