Fish Baked in a Dough Jacket

Submitted by Da Huz

"A traditional Balkan recipe. It's easier than it sounds, and quite tasty. The dough keeps the fish nice and juicy."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 kg whole fish (choose a flavorful fish like trout)
• salt and pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
• 225 g white flour, sifted
• 1 1⁄2 ml salt
• 7 g active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 60 ml warm water
• 60 ml milk

directions

1. If needed, scale and gut fish. Cut off head behind gills/dorsal fins, and cut off the tail.
2. Wipe fish dry with a paper towel. Rub inside and out with salt and pepper and put in the refrigerator.
3. Put flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
4. Whisk egg, milk and water in a separate bowl. Add about half to the flour bowl and knead to make a soft dough. Add a little more liquid if needed,.
5. Move dough to a floured work surface and kneed until smooth. Cut into two pieces, one a little larger than the other.
6. Roll the smaller piece so that it is larger than the fish, with about 2 cm (1 1/2 in) border on all sides. Place on a greased baking sheet and put the fish on top, centered.
7. Roll the larger piece of dough until it is large enough to drape over the fish and still have 2 cm (1 1/2 in) of border. Don't put it on the fish yet.
8. Apply some warm water on the border area of the lower piece of dough. Place top dough on the fish and press the border areas together to form a seal.
9. Allow to rise for 30 minutes.
10. Brush the remaining egg/milk/water onto the dough to form a glaze. Bake 30 minutes at 180 C (350 F).