Fish with Mushroom & Dill Sauce

What a busy week it is going to be, so I wanted to make sure to get something up on the blog before I fell off the face of the earth for a few days! This is the perfect recipe to share because it's got all the classic CWW traits - international, creative, and only slightly challenging (because of coordination, not the food itself). This recipe is courtesy of the Russian cookbook that Courtney sent us for Christmas, which was of course an exciting surprise. This is the first Russian recipe we've tried, since making our borscht. While I visited Russia many years ago, I really enjoyed the food, much to my surprise. So we're very happy that Courtney found this cookbook, which has a whole variety of exciting recipes to try that seem undeniably, classically Russian. There's lots of beets, potatoes and dill in our future, each time we crack this book open. So keep an open mind, ignore political issues, and try this straightforward and mouthwatering fish dish!

Cooking Notes: We halved this recipe (except for the wine and mushrooms), which is reflected below. We also used cod instead of perch, which was the recommended fish. We didn't have fish stock, so we used veggie stock instead. We also chose to use fingerling potatoes because that seemed closest to what was in the picture!

Fish with Mushroom & Dill Sauce (adapted from The Food & Cooking of Russia; serves 2)
2 cod fillets
1/2 tsp salt
All-purpose flour, to coat
2 tbsp butter
1 lb. fingerling potatoes
Dill Sauce
1 onion
20 fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup veggie stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup dry white wine
Small bunch, fresh dill
1-2 dashes soy sauce
S&P

Begin to bring a pot of water to a boil for the potatoes - once the water has reached a boil, drop in cleaned fingerling potatoes and cook until they are fork-tender, about 25-30 minutes. Once tender, remove from heat and drain, allowing to cool for 5-7 minutes before serving.

To make the sauce, chop the onions, slice the mushrooms and pre-chop the dill. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onions and fry to 3-5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the sliced mushrooms and fry for another 5-10 minutes. Begin to bring a pot of water to a boil for the potatoes - once

While the onion-mushroom mix is frying, season the fish fillets with salt and coat with flour. Heat the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, then add the fish and fry for 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and crisp.



Sprinkle the 1/2 tbsp flour into the onion-mushroom mix and stir until mixed. Gradually stir in the stock until smooth. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring the entire time, until the sauce boils and thickens. Stir the heavy cream and creme fraiche into the sauce, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the white wine to the sauce and season with the soy sauce, S&P, to taste. Stir in the chopped dill. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve with boiled potatoes. Enjoy!