Fish – Can’t have Kūčios without it

FISH CROQUETTES
žuvies kotletai
3 lbs. fish (bass. perch, whitefish, etc.) boned and skinned
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 medium onion, grated
3 Tbsps. butter
2 eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
To make boning easier, put the fish into hot water for a short time. This sets the flesh and makes it easier to remove the bones. Grind the fish together with the bread crumbs, add onion sautéed in some of the butter. Add the eggs, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Form into croquettes, sprinkle with bread crumbs and fry in remaining hot butter. Fry on high heat to start, and lower the heat for the last part of the cooking process. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

FISH WITH TOMATOES
žuvis pomidorų padaže

2-3 lbs. cod or other firm white fish (haddock, halibut, perch, ortilapia)
Flour
2-3 medium onions, chopped
2 cans (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
4-6 bay leaves
10-12 peppercorns
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper
Sugar to taste
Cut the fish into 2-3 inch pieces. Mix flour with salt and pepper. Roll the fish in the flour mixture. Fry the fish in oil in a heavy skillet until browned, about 3-5 minutes each side. Remove the fish and drain on paper towels, then add to a bowl. Sauté onions in fresh oil for 10 minutes. Mix together the tomato sauce and tomato paste and add to the onions. Also add the bay leaves, peppercorns, sugar and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour the onion/tomato mixture over the fish and refrigerate.

FISH CHOWDER
žuvies sriuba

2 lbs. fish (bass, perch, whitefish, etc.)
2 qts. water
1 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
3-4 peppercorns
2 onions
2 potatoes
1 carrot
Butter for frying
1 cup sour cream
Scale and clean whole fish. Place in
water with salt, bay leaves, peppers, and 1 sliced onion. Boil till flesh separates from bones. Strain. To liquid add diced potatoes, carrot, and onion which has been lightly fried in butter. Boil until vegetables are done. Add cooked fish (separated from bones). Before serving, blend in the sour cream.

HERRING WITH EGGS
Silkės su kiaušiniais

1 Tbsps. tomato paste
1 tsp. mustard
Pepper
Sugar
6 herring fillets, cleaned and boned
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Mushrooms for garnish
Vinegar marinade (recipe follows)
Mix tomato paste with mustard and chopped eggs. Add pepper and sugar to taste. Mix and spread on the inside of herring pieces. Roll up, put into a dish and pour in vinegar marinade. Keep covered in marinade in a refrigerator overnight. Discard spices used in marinade. Before serving, garnish marinated herring with egg sections and marinated mushrooms.
Vinegar marinade:
Salt
Sugar
2 bay leaves
5 cloves
12 peppercorns
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 cups boiling water
2 cups wine vinegar
Place the salt, sugar, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, onion, carrot, parsley, and celery into boiling water. Cover the pot, and let simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes. Add the vinegar, return to boil, and remove from heat immediately. Pour over herring.

HERRING IN TOMATO SAUCE
Silkės pomidorų padaže

4 large herrings
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup tomato ketchup
2 onions
Bay leaves, and peppercorns to taste Soak herring in cold water for 24 hours. Skin and remove heads and bones. Cut each herring into 8 pieces. Peel and slice onions into rounds. Fry the onions in the oil until tender. Stir in the ketch- up and add salt, bay leaves and peppercorns to taste. Place the herring pieces in rows in a glass dish. Cover with the prepared sauce. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Please note: Herring fillets without skin and bones can be found at many food stores or ethnic delis, even some imported from Lithuania. Pickled her- ring sold in jars can also be used.