Catholic Recipe: Sandacz Pieczony
Also Called: Baked Pike
The Wigilia is the traditional Christmas Eve supper of Poland. This is a meatless meal for it is a fast day [Editor's Note: This day was formerly a fast day. Fasting is no longer required.--JGM]. The number of the courses is fixed at seven, nine, or eleven. It is considered unlucky to have an odd number of persons at table, and relatives are invited, especially those who have no family of their own.
The soups are three in number, and always include Barszcz (a beet soup). There are three fish dishes — whole pike or carp, fish puffs, and salt herring; three accompanying dishes — homemade noodles with poppy seeds, red cabbage with mushrooms, and cheese Pierogi (dumplings).
DIRECTIONS
Clean and salt fish and cover with onion slices. Let stand at least one hour. Cover with cream, wine, melted butter and lemon juice. Bake at 350° F. for 30 to 45 minutes.
Recipe Source: Feast Day Cookbook by Katherine Burton and Helmut Ripperger, David McKay Company, Inc., New York, 1951
