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Pike fish cutlets with bacon in a frying pan

Pan-Fried Pike Cutlets with Lard

Tasty, juicy, and simple — a great lunch or dinner for the whole family. Made this way, pan-fried pike cutlets come out remarkably fluffy and without any strong fishy smell. The lard keeps the inside tender and juicy, while a crisp breadcrumb crust wraps them on the outside.

Ropotushka

Recipe author

Pike fish cutlets with bacon in a frying pan

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pike (weight before cleaning)

900

Lard (unsalted)

250

White bread (a loaf, or any white bread)

110

Water (or milk, for soaking the bread)

500

Egg (large)

Onion (large)

Garlic

Ground black pepper

Breadcrumbs (for coating the cutlets)

150

Sunflower oil (or any neutral oil, for frying)

100

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 30 % 10 g

Fats 45 % 15 g

Carbohydrates 24 % 8 g

206 kcal

GI: 13 / 0 / 88

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you fry up tasty pike cutlets with lard? Start by gathering all your ingredients. Use a large egg. If the fish is frozen, be sure to thaw it fully first so it cooks properly and keeps its flavor — move it to the fridge 8 to 10 hours ahead. You can make your own breadcrumbs from dried-out bread, and soak the bread in either water or milk.
Step 2:

Prep the lard. Rinse it well and pat dry with paper or a cotton towel. Using a wide knife, gently scrape the top layer off the whole surface, then remove the skin. Cut it into small pieces that will feed easily through a grinder. Peel the onion, rinse it, and cut it into pieces the same way. Peel and rinse the garlic — it goes through the grinder too. Run everything through a meat grinder fitted with a medium or fine plate.
Step 3:

Slice or tear the bread into pieces and cover with water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze the bread out well. If too much liquid stays in, the mixture will be runny and the cutlets won't hold their shape. Mash the soaked bread with your hand or a fork into a smooth paste.
Step 4:

Gut the pike, remove the head, fins, and all the bones, rinse it well under running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Cut it into small pieces to feed through the grinder, then run it through a medium or fine plate.
Step 5:

Put the ground fish, the ground lard with onion and garlic, and the mashed bread into a deep bowl that's roomy enough for mixing.
Step 6:

Crack the egg into the bowl. Add salt and black pepper, then knead the mixture thoroughly.
Step 7:

It should be soft and tender, but not watery. With hands dampened in warm water, shape the mixture into oblong cutlets, then roll them in breadcrumbs.
Step 8:

Fry the cutlets in oil in a pan heated over medium heat, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Pike cutlets are my favorite of all the fish cutlets — they always come out delicious and very tender.
Serve them hot with mashed potatoes or any other side. Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon, and add a spoonful of sour cream or tomato sauce alongside.
If you'd rather use ready-made fillet or ground fish, use about 800 g. Keep in mind that frozen products can hold extra liquid, which you'll need to drain off as they thaw.
Besides ground black pepper, you can add other spices if you like. I never do, though — extra seasoning can overpower the delicate flavor of the pike.
Cooking oils stay healthy only up to a certain temperature — the smoke point, above which the oil starts to burn and forms harmful compounds, including carcinogens. For frying, choose a refined oil with a high smoke point.
The right pan matters — a heavy skillet that heats evenly will fry these far better than a thin one.
How to fillet a whole fish: Remove the tail, head, and fins. Cut along the spine down to the backbone, then turn the fish on its side and slice the flesh away from the backbone with a sharp knife. Flip it and cut the fillet from the other side. Clean out the inside, removing the black membrane, which is bitter and will spoil the flavor. Rinse, and be sure to dry it well.