Fish Plaki

Name: Fish Plaki
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Romanian
Ingredients: 500-750 g fish (weighed after cleaning; carp, crucian carp, rudd; i used sea bass); 2 onions (about 200-250 g); 2 large cloves of garlic; 50 ml dry white wine; 80 ml tomato paste (or 2-3 canned tomatoes blended; or 50 ml simple tomato sauce); 1 bay leaf; 1 sprig of thyme; 2 allspice berries (optional); 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns; 1/2 tablespoon vinegar (or lemon juice); 1 small bunch of parsley; 50 ml oil; base stock; fish heads and tails; 1 carrot; 1 slice of celery root; 1 small tomato

June 2, 2015

Fish and Seafood Meat Dishes Romanian

Plaki is a fish dish with a sweet-sour onion-based sauce. For preparation, white fish with sweet flesh is used (carp is often used, but I do not really like it, plus it is too big for 2 people; crucian carp and rudd I cannot find in Cluj; so I chose a saltwater fish with sweet flesh: sea bass). The onion also contributes to sweetening the sauce. So does the allspice I added to recall the Greek origin of plaki. I kind of pestered two friends - what was I supposed to do, they are the only ones I know who live near the Danube - with questions about plaki, how they make it, what makes it special, etc. It seems I asked this at every visit of theirs and they are probably happy now that I am posting the recipe and got rid of me 😋

Ingredients

500-750 g fish (weighed after cleaning; carp, crucian carp, rudd; I used sea bass)
2 onions (about 200-250 g)
2 large cloves of garlic
50 ml dry white wine
80 ml tomato paste (or 2-3 canned tomatoes blended; or 50 ml simple tomato sauce)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
2 allspice berries (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 small bunch of parsley
50 ml oil

Base Stock

fish heads and tails
1 carrot
1 slice of celery root
1 small tomato

Servings: 2-3

How to prepare fish plaki

Clean the fish of intestines, cut off the fins with scissors. Remove the scales. Cut off the tail and head (we will use them for the base stock). If you have a large fish, then cut it into pieces of about 250 g. If you have small fish you can leave them whole. I used 2 sea bass of 350 g each, and after cleaning I was left with 2 pieces of 250 g each which I left whole and scored in a few places across the width. The sauce resulting from the given quantities is enough for 3 portions, so you can use 3 pieces of fish of 250 g.
Sprinkle the fish pieces with coarse sea salt inside and out. Let them sit until you need them.
In a small pot, put the fish heads and tails together with the carrot, celery root, and tomato cut into pieces. Add just enough water to cover everything and simmer over low heat, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Strain the stock.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the fish pieces on both sides only until half done (about 2 minutes per side, until they get a little color; do not let them brown too much so the flesh does not dry out). Transfer the fish to a plate.
Add the onion cut into strips to the remaining fat. Saute the onion, stirring from time to time over low heat, until very soft and starting to get a little color (about 15-20 minutes). Add the garlic cut into slices and saute for another minute.
Add the bay leaf and wine and simmer over medium heat until the wine evaporates. Add the tomato paste and simmer for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until you see oil collecting at the edge of the pot.
Add 300 ml of the fish base stock, thyme, allspice, peppercorns, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes over low heat.
Adjust the sauce for salt. When tasting, if the sauce is very sweet (depends on the onion and tomato paste), add a little vinegar, just enough to balance it (I added 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar).
Add half of the chopped parsley and the fish pieces to the sauce. Spoon sauce over the fish pieces to soak them well. Cover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes (just until the fish is fully cooked).
Turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes for the flavors to blend.
Serve on a bed of polenta, sprinkled with the remaining chopped parsley.