Sturgeon is a large freshwater fish, reaching very impressive sizes in nature. Because of this, cooking a whole sturgeon is a rather big problem, but now in supermarkets it is possible to buy live fish weighing 1,5–2 kg, which even a novice cook can bake at home.
How to clean a sturgeon
So that the scales that are located along the sturgeon ridge come off well, pour boiling water over the carcass. Then use a special knife to clean the fish. Remove the gills and eyes from the head.
Make an incision in the abdomen and remove all entrails. Rinse the fish thoroughly with cold water, first on the inside and then on the outside. Let the carcass dry. Make cuts along the back to the ridge every 3-5 cm (depending on the size of the portions). The fish is now ready for cooking.
How to bake sturgeon
Sturgeon is a delicacy, the meat is tasty in itself, but adding spices and marinating it a little is still worth it, this will give the fish a special piquancy and aroma. To bake the whole sturgeon, you will need: – black pepper; – white pepper; – dried thyme; – dried parsley, dill; – lemon; – vegetable oil; – dry white wine; – greens.
Rub the carcass with salt, white and black pepper, sprinkle with dried herbs (dill, parsley, thyme). Drizzle the inside and outside of the meat with lemon juice and dry white wine. Lubricate the skin with vegetable oil. Let the fish marinate a little, at room temperature 15–20 minutes will be enough.
Cover a deep baking sheet with foil in 2 layers. Place the sturgeon on it, belly down. Cover the top with another sheet of foil and secure the edges.
Since the fish is large, it will not fit on a baking sheet even in its entire length, so place the sturgeon in a semicircle
Heat the oven to 200 ° C. Place a baking sheet with sturgeon in it for 10 minutes. Then take out the fish, remove the top layer of foil. Reduce the temperature and place in the oven. This time, the fish should be baked until tender. Turn off the oven and let the sturgeon simmer in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
Now the most crucial moment – you need to transfer the sturgeon to the dish so that the fish does not fall apart. Place the dish next to the baking sheet, bend it slightly and carefully move the baked sturgeon along with the foil, which then remove, lifting the fish with a spatula.
Decorate the dish with lemon, fresh herbs and vegetables. Cut the lemon into thin slices. Insert them into the incisions on the back of the sturgeon. Stick an olive into the eye sockets, you can make a special sauce. Put vegetables and parsley, lettuce around the fish and invite your loved ones to taste the royal dinner.