Baked Pike is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of baked pike stuffed with forcemeat. 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 traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
296. INGREDIENTS — 1 or 2 pike, a nice delicate stuffing (see Forcemeats), 1 egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 lb. butter.
Mode.–Scale the fish, take out the gills, wash, and wipe it thoroughly dry; stuff it with forcemeat, sew it up, and fasten the tail in the mouth by means of a skewer; brush it over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and baste with butter, before putting it in the oven, which must be well heated. When the pike is of a nice brown colour, cover it with buttered paper, as the outside would become too dry. If 2 are dressed, a little variety may be made by making one of them green with a little chopped parsley mixed with the bread crumbs. Serve anchovy or Dutch sauce, and plain melted butter with it.
Time.–According to size, 1 hour, more or less.
Average cost.–Seldom bought.
Seasonable from September to March.
Note.–Pike la genvese may be stewed in the same manner as salmon la genvese.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 or 2 whole pike, scaled, gills removed and wiped dry
1 batch Mrs Beeton's fish forcemeat
110g butter, melted
1 egg
60g (about) dry breadcrumbs
Method:
Stuff the fish with the forcemeat then sew it up then curl around and fasten the tail in the mouth using a skewer and arrange in a baking dish. Brush liberally with the egg then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and baste with the butter. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 190°C and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pike is nicely browned.
At this point cover the fish with buttered greaseproof (waxed) paper (this prevents the outside from drying too much) and bake for a further 30 to 40 minutes, or until fork tender (when the fish flakes easily with a fork). Serve with anchovy sauce or Dutch sauce.
