Pike Risotto
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Pike is awesome! It’s my favourite fish to eat. Here in South-Eastern Ontario, whether you’re fishing for them or not, you’re bound to have the opportunity to take home the occasional eating-sized Northern Pike. People love to hate on pike. “It’s muddy and boney.” They’ll say, even though they’ve never tried it.
It’s not muddy. It’s a clean tasting, massive flaking, white fish delight.
Sure, it’s got a few more bones than a walleye, but once you’ve cleaned a few, you won’t bite into any more bones, then you do with any other fish you’ve fileted. There are great how-to guides online (like this one by The Intrepid Eater). Watch a couple and start eating more pike!
I’m not going to tell you how to fry fish. Pike is amazing in Fish and Chips, don’t get me wrong. But you probably know how to fry fish. This recipe helps utilize the other parts of the fish and makes for a great post-fishing meal when the temperatures are colder and the days shorter. On top of a tasty meal, the extra stock made from the pike carcass, can be frozen or pressure canned for the years ahead, and the extra meat used for Pike Salad Sandwiches.
Serving Size: 3-4 servings
Time to make: 1.5-2hrs hours
Special Equipment: None
Also works with: Walleye, Bass, or any white-fleshed fish
Looking for more pike recipes? Try out this recipe for Nashville Hot Pike Sandwiches!
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Pike Risotto
4
servings30
minutes2
hoursKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For the Broth
2 Tbsp Fat of Choice (Butter/Lard/Oil etc.)
Pike Carcass (Head and bones. Compost innards and skin.)
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Medium Shallot, Minced
1 Large Head of Garlic, Cloves Smashed
1 Large Carrot, Chopped
Stalks Celery, Chopped
/2Bulb Fennel (Fronds and all.), Chopped
/2Cup Dry White Wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Blanc du Blanc.)
Bay Leaf
Juniper Berries
/2tsp Black Peppercorns
Salt to Taste
- For the Risotto
-4 Cups of Pike Stock
1 Cup Flaked Pike Meat
2 Tbsp Fat of Choice (Butter/Lard/Oil etc.)
2 Large Shallots, Minced
/2Large Leek, Chopped
1 Cup Risotto Rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, etc.)
/2Cup Dry White Wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Blanc du Blanc)
2 Tbsp Butter
/4Cup Parmigiano Reggiano, Grated
Salt and Pepper to taste.
- To Garnish
1 Small Bunch of Chives, Minced
Parmigiano Reggiano, Finely Grated
- Sides
Serve alongside arugula salad and chardonnay.
Preparation
- FOR THE BROTH
- Cover pike carcass with water in a large pot. Bring to a simmer poach pike carcass long enough to cook meat left on bones. (About 5 mins.) Set head and bones aside and discard water. Rinse and dry pot.
- Carefully flake meat off carcass and away from bones and set aside 1 cup of meat for later. Save the rest for Pike Salad Sandwiches.
- In the clean pot, sweat onion, shallot and garlic (About 3 mins.) and then add celery, carrot and fennel. Sautee another 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
- Add Wine and simmer off some of the alcohol. (About 2 mins.)
- Add pike carcass and cover with good amount of water.
- Add a good bit of salt, bay leaf, juniper berries and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 45 minutes to an hour. Skim off any foam as stock cooks. Salt if needed.
- Pour 4 cups of stock into a new pot, through a fine meshed strainer, keep warm for risotto. Freeze or can remaining stock.
- FOR THE RISOTTO
- In a large skillet, heavily sweat onion and shallot over medium heat. (About 3-5 mins.)
- Stir in rice and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. (About 5-7 minutes.)
- Add Wine and simmer off some of the alcohol. (About 2 mins.)
- Stir in ½ Cup of pike stock, gently simmer, stirring often, until absorbed. Continue adding ½ cup at a time, stirring often, until rice is soft and chewy. (About 30-40 mins.)
- Remove from heat and stir in butter. Add Parmigiano Reggiano and stir in. Fold in flaked pike meat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with chives and Parmigiano Reggiano to taste.
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