Siberian Fish Pie

This pie recipe is not exotic at all, it has only one small peculiarity. It lies in the fact that besides fish and onions, raw potatoes are added to the filling. During cooking, it absorbs all the fish juices and aromas. The pie turns out very juicy, soft, tender, and very tasty.

For the sponge:

Milk

1 cup

Yeast

1 tsp (dry)

Sugar

1 tsp

Flour

1 cup

For the main dough:

Salt

1 tsp

Sugar

1 tsp

Margarine

7 tbsp

Flour

1.5 cups

For the filling:

Potatoes

3-4 medium

Fish

1.1 lbs (fillet)

Onion

Salt

to taste

Black pepper

to taste

Butter

3.5 tbsp

Egg

1 (for brushing the pie)

To prepare the Siberian fish pie, first, prepare a sponge. Add yeast and sugar to warm milk and let it sit for 3-4 minutes. Stir until completely dissolved. Then add the flour. The dough should be not too thick, resembling oatmeal in consistency. Cover the bowl with the sponge with a towel and let it sit in a warm place (1-2 hours).

At first, the sponge will rise, then its surface will be covered with burst bubbles, and it will start to move backward. This indicates its maturity.

Add salt, sugar, and the sponge to the remaining flour. Knead a slightly sticky dough. If the dough is too dense, add a little water. Let it sit for a while (15-20 minutes) and then knead the dough thoroughly.

Gradually add melted margarine while kneading. Cover the bowl with the dough and place it in a warm place until it doubles in size.

Punch down the risen dough and let it rise again. Then punch down again and divide the dough into two parts, one larger than the other.

Take a small piece from the larger part to use for decorations. Roll out the rest of the dough into a sheet (25x30 cm). Place thinly sliced raw potatoes as the first layer. Season with a bit of pepper and salt.

On top of the potatoes, add onions sliced into half-rings (or smaller, according to your preference).

Then add fish, cut into small pieces (I used pike). Season with salt and pepper, you can use a store-bought fish seasoning.

Add another layer of onions and top with pieces of butter.

Finally, add a layer of thinly sliced potatoes and a little more salt and pepper.

Roll out the remaining piece of dough and place it on top, covering the filling. Pinch the edges, cover the pie with plastic wrap, and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes. Then brush the pie with beaten egg. Use the reserved dough to make decorations (according to your taste). Place them on the pie and brush with egg again. Make sure to create a vent hole for steam to escape.