Russian Cookbook

500 gr halibut steaks
100 gr onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaf
1 medium carrot, craped, coarsely chopped
50 gr parsley roots, craped, coarsely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, flesh coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
50 gr fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons sour cream
1 medium sour pickled gherkin
7-10 olives
1 cup cold water
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C) . Put the onions, bay leaf, carrots, parsley root, tomatoes and 1 cup of cold water into a large casserole. Bring to the boil over a high heat, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to moderate, uncover the casserole, and simmer undisturbed for 30 minutes. Pour the entire contents of the casserole into a fine sieve set over a large bowl. Press down on the vegetables with the back of a wooden spoon to extract all their juices before discarding them.

Return the strained stock to the casserole, add the fish, and bring to the boil over a high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the casserole, and simmer for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the fish is opaque and firm to the touch. Be careful not to overcook. Transfer the fish to a deep ovenproof serving dish with a fish slice, cover it loosely with foil and keep it warm in the oven while you complete the sauce.

Again bring the stock to the boil over a high heat, and continue to boil briskly, uncovered, until it has been reduced to about ¾ cup. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying-pan over a medium heat, and drop in the mushrooms. Reduce the heat to and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring the mushrooms occasionally, until they are soft and most of the juices have evaporated. Stir in the reduced stock and beat in the sour cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, off the heat. Then stir in the gherkins and olives and taste for seasoning.

Pour the sauce over the fish and hot.

4 baby salmons , about 200-300 gr each, cleaned but with head and tail left on
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
50 gr flour

Roll the fish around in the flour and salt and then shake off any excess flour.

In a heavy skillet, heat your butter and oil.

Lower the heat to moderate and fry the salmons, 2 at a time, for about 5 minutes on each side, turning them carefully. When all salmons have been browned, keep them warm on a heat-proof dish in a 200°F (95°C) oven while you quickly make the sauce.

Pour off all the fat from the skillet and replace it with 1 ounce of fresh butter. Stir over a low heat, scraping up the brown pan drippings with a wooden spoon. Add the sour cream and continue stirring for about 3 minutes, without letting the cream boil. Stir in the lemon juice and pour the sauce over the hot fish. Garnish the dish with the chopped dill and serve at once.

5-6 codfish steaks, 2 -cm thick
3 bay leaves
Salt, to taste

Fill the narrow fish poacher with water, add salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly and gently slide the cod slices into the water. Lower the heat until the water is bubbling slightly, and simmer the fish for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the fish will disintegrate. Remove the slices and drain. Arrange the cod attractively on a heated dish and serve with sauce

Sauce

100 gr butter
1/2 cup hot fish stock
2 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoon finely chopped dill
Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, beat in the stock in which you poached the fish and stir in the chopped egg, tomato, parsley and dill.

Add salt and pepper to taste.