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Ryba po grecku
Fish under sweet-sour vegetables
Ryba po grecku: fried white fish under sweet-sour carrot, parsley root and tomato
Ryba po grecku, 'Greek-style fish', has no Greek roots at all; it is a Polish invention from the communist years, when cheap frozen cod and pollock met carrot, parsley root and tomato purée to make a festive dish out of very little. Today it sits on almost every Christmas Eve table and at name-day buffets, served cold. Pieces of fried white fish disappear under a thick, orange layer of soft vegetables stewed in tomato with allspice and bay, sweet and tangy at once. It needs a night in the fridge for the vegetable sauce to soak into the fish. The usual slip is grating the vegetables too fine, which turns them to mush; use the coarse side of the grater or cut thin matchsticks. Chef's tip: let the fish and the vegetables cool before layering, then chill; it tastes better on day two and keeps for three days.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ¾ lb skinless white fish fillets (cod, pollock or hake)cut into 6 cm pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 ¾ oz plain flour
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
For the vegetables
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 4 carrotscoarsely grated
- 2 parsley rootcoarsely grated
- 5 ½ oz celeriaccoarsely grated
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ tsp salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Pat the 1 ¾ lb skinless white fish fillets (cod, pollock or hake) dry, season with the 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and coat lightly in the 1 ¾ oz plain flour.
4 minStep 2: Heat the 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the fish in batches for 3 minutes per side, until golden and opaque all the way through, flaking easily. Drain on kitchen paper and let cool.
12 minStep 3: In a wide saucepan, heat the 3 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium heat and fry the 2 onions for 6 minutes until soft.
6 minStep 4: Add the 4 carrots, 2 parsley root and 5 ½ oz celeriac, stir well, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but still holding their shape.
10 minStep 5: Stir in the 3 tbsp tomato purée (double concentrate), 1 tsp sweet paprika, ¾ cup water, 2 bay leaves and 4 allspice berries and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until thick and jammy.
10 minStep 6: Season with the 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice and ¾ tsp salt so it tastes clearly sweet and sour. Remove the bay leaves and let cool to room temperature.
3 minStep 7: Layer half the vegetables in a dish, then the fish, then the rest of the vegetables. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. Serve cold with bread.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ryba po grecku take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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