Transforming holiday fish leftovers: A recipe for perfection
Reheating fried fish is a delicate art. They are often already dry and lack crispness. Over the years, I have developed a different method for using leftover carp, cod, or pickerel from Christmas Eve dinner. Some people claim that this version tastes even better than freshly cooked.
For Christmas Eve dinner, we often prepare fried fish. It's a quick and simple way to make carp, trout, or cod. Season the fish pieces to taste, then dip them in a light batter made only of flour or with the addition of breadcrumbs, and they are ready to fry.
Better than cold
With fish, just like any other Christmas Eve dish, it's easy to overestimate how much you need. We want to have enough for everyone, preferably with seconds. Sometimes, we think that one type of fish is not enough. As a result, a few pieces always remain. It happens to me, too, even though I carefully try to calculate the portion per person. Cold fish in batter is not tasty and complex to reheat perfectly. What to do then? Pour it over with a vinegar marinade.
Task made easier
An aromatic marinade preserves the fish, extending its shelf life and giving it a unique flavour. Different types of fish can be used for the vinegar marinade, but cod, bream, or pike are particularly recommended. Carp, trout, and pollock, often featured on Christmas tables, will also work. The first step in preparing this dish is to cut the fish into small portions, coat them in batter, and fry them. We have already done this for fish left over from the holiday dinner. The next step is to boil the marinade.
Ready in a few days
To prepare the marinade, you need only a few ingredients. The list includes 10% vinegar, sugar, salt, onion, bay leaves, allspice, and pepper. Then, place the fried fish pieces in jars and pour the cooled marinade over them. Fish prepared this way needs to be stored in a cool place or refrigerator so the flavours can meld. They will be ready in just a few days.
Fish in vinegar marinade
Ingredients:
- about 500 grams of fried fish pieces
Marinade:
- 700 millilitres of water,
- 125 millilitres of 10% vinegar,
- 3 tablespoons of sugar,
- 1 tablespoon of salt,
- 1 onion,
- 1-2 bay leaves,
- several black peppercorns,
- several allspice berries.
Instructions:
- Peel the onion and cut it into thin slices.
- Add water and vinegar to a pot, then sugar, salt, and spices. Finally, add the onion.
- Bring the marinade to a boil and simmer on low heat for several minutes until the onion is soft. Then, let it cool.
- Place the fish pieces in a large jar and pour the marinade over them. The marinade should cover the fish. Seal the jar or jars and store them in a cool place for two days.
