Poached Oder pike with green herb sauce
A whole pike poached in a court-bouillon with white wine and herbs, served coated with a cold 'grüne Soße' of fine herbs bound with egg yolk and sharpened with vinegar — the tangy freshness typical of Northern freshwater fish cookery.
A whole pike poached in a court-bouillon with white wine and herbs, served coated with a cold 'grüne Soße' of fine herbs bound with egg yolk and sharpened with vinegar — the tangy freshness typical of Northern freshwater fish cookery.
My Oder feeds me as well as my forests, believe me. In the morning they bring me a pike still quivering, and I want it poached very gently, with no furious boiling that would break its flesh. Over it, my people pour this green sauce made from garden herbs, sharpened with a dash of vinegar: that suits both lean days and the ordinary fare of my house. A prince is also recognized by the simplicity of a good river fish, provided it is served on silver.
- •River pike — one whole fish (noble freshwater fish)
- •White wine — a glass (court-bouillon)
- •Garden herbs (parsley, chervil, chives, sorrel) — a large bunch (green sauce)
- •Egg yolks — a few (sauce binding)
- •Wine vinegar — a dash (acidity)
- •Butter, salt, pepper, onion, bay leaf — to taste (court-bouillon and seasoning)
Poached Oder pike with green herb sauce
A whole pike poached in a court-bouillon with white wine and herbs, served coated with a cold 'grüne Soße' of fine herbs bound with egg yolk and sharpened with vinegar — the tangy freshness typical of Northern freshwater fish cookery.
Why this dish? Schwedt Castle overlooks the Oder, a fish-rich river that regularly supplied the margrave's table. Pike, a noble freshwater fish, appeared both on the lean days prescribed by the calendar and during the princely household's ordinary meals.
My Oder feeds me as well as my forests, believe me. In the morning they bring me a pike still quivering, and I want it poached very gently, with no furious boiling that would break its flesh. Over it, my people pour this green sauce made from garden herbs, sharpened with a dash of vinegar: that suits both lean days and the ordinary fare of my house. A prince is also recognized by the simplicity of a good river fish, provided it is served on silver.
Ingredients (period version)
- River pike — one whole fish (noble freshwater fish)
- White wine — a glass (court-bouillon)
- Garden herbs (parsley, chervil, chives, sorrel) — a large bunch (green sauce)
- Egg yolks — a few (sauce binding)
- Wine vinegar — a dash (acidity)
- Butter, salt, pepper, onion, bay leaf — to taste (court-bouillon and seasoning)
Ingredients
- Pike (or zander/trout) in steaks or whole — 800 g to 1 kg (fish)
- Dry white wine — 25 cl (court-bouillon)
- Mixed fresh herbs (parsley, chervil, chives, sorrel) — 2 large handfuls (green sauce)
- Hard-boiled egg yolks — 2 (binding)
- White wine vinegar — 1 tbsp (acidity)
- Neutral oil or melted butter — 6 tbsp (emulsifying the sauce)
- Onion, bay leaf, salt, pepper — to taste (court-bouillon)
Method
- Prepare a court-bouillon: water, white wine, sliced onion, bay leaf, salt; bring to a simmer.
- Immerse the pike and poach at a very gentle simmer (no boiling) until the flesh flakes, 10 to 15 minutes.
- For the green sauce: finely chop all the herbs.
- Mash the hard-boiled egg yolks with vinegar, salt, and pepper, then emulsify with oil or butter in a thin stream like a mayonnaise.
- Fold in the chopped herbs; adjust acidity.
- Drain the fish, plate, and coat with the cold green sauce.
How it was made : Cold green herb sauces bound with egg yolk and sharpened with vinegar appear as early as the 16th century in Germanic cookbooks to accompany freshwater fish. The 'lean' days of the religious calendar regularly prescribed fish, making pike and carp common even at princely tables.
The contemporary twist : Plate the pike on a bed of green sauce spooned artistically, sprinkle with chive blossoms, and name the dish 'Oder Green' on the menu.
Sources : Marx Rumpolt, Ein new Kochbuch, 1581 · Maria Sophia Schellhammer, Das Brandenburgische Koch-Buch, 1723
Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg · Charactorium
