Baked Pike is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of trussed pike that's stuffed and baked in wine, fish stock, butter and catsup where the pan juices are made into a sauce to serve with the fish. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Baked Pike.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Baked Pike that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 277.—BAKED PIKE
The easiest and at the same time the safest manner for removing the scales from any kind of fresh-water fish is to lay it in the sink, to pour boiling water from the spout of a kettle over both sides of the fish, and then as soon as—through the action of the scalding-hot water—the brightness of the scales of the fish has become dulled, immerse the fish in cold water, and you will then find it an easy matter to remove the scales with a blunt knife, or even with the fingers : and thus the pike being scaled, drawn, and washed clean, fill the inside with veal stuffing ; truss it in the form of an S; put it in a baking-dish with a pint of common wine, or cider, or a little stock ; half a pound of butter, a glass of catsup, a little anchovy, and some chopped parsley and shallot ; set the pike in the oven to bake until it is done, remembering that it must be frequently basted with its own liquor, and that the heat of the oven must not be fierce, as in that case it would bum up the moisture and spoil the fish.
When thoroughly done through, lift the pike carefully on to the dish, with two fishslices ; strain the liquor it has been baked with into a stew pan ; thicken it with two ounces of butter kneaded with two ounces of flour ; add a spoonful of Oude sauce (to be had in greatest perfection at Crosse and Blackwell's warehouse, Soho-square), a few sliced gherkins, and a glass of sherry ; stir the sauce over the fire for ten minutes, pour it over the fish, and send to table.
Small pike may also be cut up and stewed in similar manner to eels, carp, &c.; larger fish of this kind may be cut in thin slices, which, being placed in very cold pump water, will by that means become crimped, providing that the fish be nearly alive. When treated in this manner, crimped slices of pike form a great luxury; and may be served when boiled, or fried, as prescribed for dressing crimped cod, with every variety of sauce directed to be served with cod-fish or salmon.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 pike
300g veal forcemeat
600ml white wine or cider
300ml fish stock
225g butter
150ml catsup
1 tbsp anchovy essence
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
60g butter kneaded to a paste with 60g plain flour
1 tbsp Oude sauce
1 gherkin, thinly sliced
140ml sherry
Method:
De-scale and gut the pike then use the veal forcemeat to stuff the fish. Truss in the form of an S then place in a baking dish and add the wine (or cider), fish stock, butter, catsup, anchovy essence, parsley and shallots.
Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through, basting the fish frequently with the pan juice to prevent it from drying out.
When cooked through, lift the fish onto a serving dish, strain the pan juices then work in the flour and butter mix. Whisk in the Oude sauce, gherkins and sherry. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
Pour this sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
