Rybniki

Rybniki are traditional Russian fish pies wide-spread in fishing areas. They were popular in northern areas of Russia (Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Novgorod), and also in Siberia and the Far East

Cooking time —
Complication —

In recipe book

Rybniki are traditional Russian fish pies wide-spread in fishing areas. They were popular in northern areas of Russia (Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Novgorod), and also in Siberia and the Far East.
The preferred fish is nearly boneless: halibut, lancet fish, burbot, pikeperch, cod, navaga. Pies with whitefish, trout and salmon are delicious. Small fish is also used for rybnik. Rybnik is baked of sour (leavened) dough from wheaten or rye flour, as well as from their mixture. Everything depends on the purpose and significance. Unleavened rye dough is used rarely, as it is fragile, and juice can flow out, although rybnik made of such dough is very tasty. As a rule, rybnik is a closed pie shaped as a boat. Scaled fish is put entirely on thickly rolled out dough (at least 1cm), the opposite ends are connected and pinched on top in some beautiful manner to decorate the pie.
Rybnik can also be rectangular. In that case the dough is rolled out into a rectangular the size of a baking pan, and a rolling-pin is used to move the dough onto a buttered pan. The dough is then levelled, the fish is put on it side by side and covered with dough rolled out a little thinner than the bottom one. The dough is pinched from all the four sides, punctured with a fork, and brushed with egg.
A rectangular rybnik can also be designed in a little different way: roll the dough out into an oval a little larger than the baking tray, then put it on the tray and level. Put the prepared fish seasoned with spices on the dough, connect and pinch the opposite ends, shaping the pie now as a rectangular, not as a boat. A beautiful seam of the pie is its decoration. Then puncture the surface and the sides with a fork, brush with yolk, and bake. You do not have to brush the pie with egg before baking, but in that case brush it with melted butter after baking, then cover with paper (tracing-paper, parchment) and a towel to soften the crust. There are also triangular, a little convex rybniki. Triangular pies are more often made with ground fish. As a rule, such rybniki are more typical of restaurant cuisine, rather than home cooking. Small fishes (whitefish, capelin) are used to make round rybnik. A small part in the centre is left open to let the steam out.
Fat fish is often preferred to bake open pies. For this, roll out the dough into a layer 1cm thick, put pieces of fish fillet on it, fold the sides of the dough so that it covers the fish 2-3 cm. Leave the middle open and pour sour cream into it to make the fish tender and tasty. To prevent the surface of the pie from burning, cover it with dense, wet water paper and check it in the oven more often. As soon as the paper has dried up, wet it again. Usually the baking takes 2 hours or a little longer at 180-200 C. The readiness of a closed rybnik is checked the following way: take out the pie and shake it a little. If you feel the fish moving, it means the fish has baked and has left the crust – the pie is ready. Baked pies are covered with towel, cloth or wrapped in a blanket to keep the warmth and aroma, as rybnik is tasty only when fresh – it looses its appeal as soon as it chills down. Therefore serve rybnik hot. You can eat it as a main dish or as a starter. Salmon pie is especially delicious with sweet and strong tea.

Rybnik with Trout

1kg leavened dough
filling:
2 trout
2 onions
2 tbsp butter
ground black pepper and peppercorns, bay leaf
fresh parsley, salt
for brushing:
2 yolks
Roll out dough 1cm thick into an oval, put prepared trout on it: scaled, emptied, rinsed, seasoned with salt and pepper, covered with onion rings and chopped fresh parsley. Put thin slices of chilled butter on the fish. Connect the opposite ends of the dough, pinch "herring-bone" style and leave to rest 15-20 minutes. Then carefully puncture the top and sides of the pie with a fork, brush with yolk and put in the oven. Bake at 180-200 C until ready. As a rule, a rybnik made of leavened dough is baked for a long time, around 1.5-2 hours. Serve the rybnik hot and eat in the following way: carefully cut out the top crust and eat the pie with fork and knife washing down with strong liquors.

Rybnik with Pikeperch

1kg rye dough
filling:
2 small pikeperch
2 onions
2 tbsp butter
salt, ground black pepper and peppercorns
bay leaf, fresh parsley
for brushing:
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp butter
Make unleavened rye dough of flour, water and salt. Instead of water you can use milk, curdled milk, or a mix of milk, curdled milk, sour cream and water. Roll the dough into a ball and leave to rest 15-20 minutes. Prepare fish: rinse, scale, empty, remove gills, tongue, eyes, rinse thoroughly, salt and put on 0.7cm thick rolled out rye dough. Cover with onion rings, put sliced butter, season with pepper, and optionally with ground bay leaf and chopped fresh parsley. Connect the opposite sides of the dough, pinch, puncture with a fork, brush with sour cream and bake at 180-200 C until ready. The baked rybnik is brushed with melted butter to soften the crust.

Siberian Pie with Fish and Cereals

filling:
800g fish fillet
4 tbsp rice or millet
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion
salt, flour
Roll out dough 1 cm thick, put a layer of boiled rice or millet mixed with fried onions, then slices of fried fish fillet, and another layer of rice. Cover the filling with another layer of dough 0.5-0.7 cm thick, and pinch the sides. The pie can be shaped as a fish which is especially liked by children. Make a pattern of scales with a knife and stick "fins" and "tail" from dough to it. Puncture with a knife to let the steam out.

Rybnik with Capelin

filling:
1kg capelin
2 onions
1 tbsp vegetable oil
ground black pepper
salt to taste, bay leaf
for brushing:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Knead unleavened rye dough and leave to rest for 20 minutes covered with a napkin to avoid hardening. Prepare the capelin removing inwards, head, tail, and a black film from the belly to prevent bitterness. Rinse the fish very well, wring out the water, and salt slightly. Cut onions into rings. Roll out dough, and put alternating layers of capelin and onion rings, season with salt and pepper, pinch the ends of the dough, puncture the surface of the pie with a fork or a knife. Bake at 210-220 C until ready. The readiness of the pie can be checked the following way: shake the pie a little and if you feel the fish moving, the rybnik is ready and can be served. The baked rybnik is brushed with vegetable oil.

Rybnik with Siberian Fish

600-700g leavened dough:
filling:
500g fish fillet
2-3 onions
3 medium-sized potatoes
pepper, salt
brushing:
50g butter
Roll out dough 1 cm thick, put a layer of sliced salted raw potatoes, then slices of fish fillet seasoned with salt and pepper, then rings of raw onions, then cover it with a layer of rolled out dough. Leave to rest for 10-15 minutes, puncture the surface with a fork or a knife, and bake until ready. Butter the baked pie and serve hot.

Fish Pie with Potatoes

1kg fish
500g boiled potatoes
5 onions
2 tbsp flour salt, vegetable oil
Scale the fish, cut off fillet and fry in oil in flour coating. Put potato circles on a layer of dough, then put the prepared fish and onion rings. Cover the filling with 0.5-0.7 cm thick dough, and puncture it with a fork. The pie can be shaped as a rectangular or a boat.

Lenten Rybnik

400g flour
3 tbsp oil
25-30g yeast 5
00g fish (fillet)
1 onion
2-3 potatoes
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
salt, pepper to taste
Make Lenten dough and roll it into two flatbreads. The one to be used as the bottom layer of the pie should be a little thinner. Put the rolled out dough on the buttered baking pan, then put sliced raw potatoes, large pieces of fish fillet sprinkled with salt and pepper, and sliced raw onions. Pour everything with oil and cover with the dough. Connect the edges and turn them down. Put the prepared rybnik in a warm place for twenty minutes before putting into the oven and puncture the top in several places.

Moscow Rybnik

500g fish fillet
1 onion
2-3 potatoes
2-3 tbsp butter
salt, pepper to taste
2 eggs for brushing
Prepare leavened dough with 400g of flour. Roll it out as for a usual pie and shape two flatbreads of round or rectangular form. The one to be used as the bottom layer of the pie should be a little thinner. Put the filling atop: sliced raw potatoes, large pieces of fish fillet sprinkled with salt and pepper, and sliced raw onions. Sprinkle everything with butter and cover with the dough. Connect the edges and turn them down. Leave to rest, brush with egg and make several punctures with a fork. Bake at 200-220 C. Instead of raw potatoes you can use mashed potatoes prepared with addition of fried onions, milk and cream.

Rybnik with Mushrooms

7-10 dry mushrooms
2.5kg hake fillet
2-3 onions carrots
200-300g stale white bread
100g margarine
3 hard-boiled eggs
salt, pepper
Boil mushrooms, drain in a colander and chill. Then julienne and fry slightly in margarine. Dice onions and carrots finely, fry and combine with mushrooms. Add two chopped eggs to the chilled mass. Grind hake fillet twice, combine with white bread soaked in mushroom broth, chopped egg, salt and pepper. Mix everything. Put half the fish mass on the buttered baking pan, put the mushroom filling on it and cover with the second layer of the fish mass. Bake in pre-heated oven. Serve the ready dish with mushroom sauce.

Arkhangelsk Rybnik

1kg leavened dough
2 fish
butter and salt to taste
Rinse, empty and salt fish. Prepare the dough under one of the recipes, roll out into an oval, put the whole fish with head and tail in the middle. Pinch the edges of the dough or cut strips on the sides and bind as a plait. Then brush with egg and bake at 220 C. Brush the prepared pie plentifully with butter. Before serving make a cut on the side without cutting the fish. Use fish with few bones, like cod, navaga, whitefish, grayling, etc.

Bon appetite!