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Rybnik
Fish pie
Rybnik (Рыбник): whole fish baked inside a rye pie crust, Karelian style
RussianAlong the shores of Lake Onega in Karelia and through the Russian North, rybnik is the Sunday and holiday pie: a whole cleaned fish, traditionally pike-perch, bream or whitefish, sealed in rye dough with butter and onion and baked until the crust turns into its own oven. At the table the top crust is cut away like a lid, the fish is eaten from the bones with the juices, and the crust soaked in them is the best part. The common mistake is underbaking, which leaves the fish raw by the spine. Chef's tip: use a fish no thicker than 4 cm and score it on both sides so the heat reaches the middle; it is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes from the bone.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz rye flour
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 ½ oz sour cream
- ¾ cup water
For the filling
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 1 ⅜ oz butterin thin slices
- 1 bay leaf
To glaze
- ⅔ oz melted butter
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz rye flour, 5 ½ oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt. Add 3 ½ oz sour cream and ¾ cup water and knead into a firm dough that no longer sticks. Rest it covered for 20 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Rinse and pat dry 1 whole white fish (pike-perch, bream, trout or sea bass), gutted and scaled, head removed, score it 2–3 times on each side and season inside and out with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
5 minStep 4: Roll the rest of the dough and lay it over, pinching it to the base all around so it's sealed tight, with a small hole on top for steam.
5 minStep 5: Bake for 15 minutes, then lower to 350°F (325°F fan) and bake for 50–55 minutes more until the crust is deep brown and hard. Push a thin knife through the steam hole into the thickest part: the fish should be opaque and flake easily from the bone.
70 minStep 6: Brush the crust with ⅔ oz melted butter, cover with a tea towel for 10 minutes, then cut the lid away at the table and serve the fish with pieces of crust.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rybnik take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- 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 sour cream?
- Greek yoghurt, same amount.
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