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Ryba Po Grecku (Greek-Style Fish)

Served hot or cold, this dish is made with fried whitefish in a tomato-based sauce. Despite being called “Greek-style fish,” this Polish dish has no connection with Greece. It may have gotten the name due to the idea that fish with vegetables is popularly eaten along the Mediterranean. Ryba po grecku is traditionally prepared for Polish Christmas Eve celebrations. Similarly, the dish is enjoyed by Polish-American families in the Midwest at Christmastime.

Recipe Servings: 4

Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb whitefish fillets (tilapia, perch, pike, walleye)
  • Salt, to taste
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp oil, more as needed for frying
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
  • 1 celery stalk, coarsely grated
  • 1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely grated
  • 1 large leek (white and part of the green end) sliced
  • 6 whole allspice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 Tbsp tomato paste, more to taste

Directions

  1. Rinse the fish fillets and pat dry.
  2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Place the flour in a shallow dish or bowl and dredge the fish fillets through it, coating thoroughly.
  4. In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat.
  5. Fry the fish fillets until golden-brown and cooked through, about 3–4 minutes per side.
  6. Transfer the fried fish to paper towel to drain.
  7. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
  8. Add the carrots, celery, parsnip, and leek, and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened.
  9. Add the allspice, bay leaf, and tomato paste, mixing to combine.
  10. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables become soft and tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
  11. Remove the bay leaf and the allspice from the pan.
  12. Season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper.
  13. On a serving platter, add about ⅓ of the tomato-vegetable mixture then layer over the fried fish and cover completely with the remaining tomato-vegetable mixture.
  14. Serve hot or chilled.

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