Pan Roasted Pike with Roasted Carrots and Honey-Vinegar Glaze

Photos and recipe by Keane Amdahl

This recipe from Keane Amdahl’s Lake Fish: Modern Cooking with Freshwater Fish offers up big, sweet flavors that are balanced with a little heat and nuttiness. The flaky, succulent fish pairs well with carrots’ natural sweetness, while slivered almonds, chile flakes, and a little fresh dill pull the whole plate together.

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter
4 cups roughly chopped carrots
1 cup sliced almonds
¼ cup honey
2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 Tablespoon olive oil

4 (6-ounce) skinless northern pike fillets
Fresh Dill
Salt

Directions

To a skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons butter, a pinch of salt, carrots and enough water to cover them halfway (1-2 cups, depending on the size of the pan). Bring to a boil and continue to cook until water evaporates, butter starts to brown, and carrots begin to caramelize. Add in the almonds and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender. Season with salt.

Stir together honey, vinegar, and chile flakes in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce just starts to simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Pat fish fillets dry, season with salt, and, once the butter has fully melted, place fillets in the skillet. Cook on one side while basting with melted butter and oil until the fish is about two-thirds of the way done, about 3 minutes. Flip and finish cooking, about 1 minute. Flip the fish back over and baste with the glaze.

Portion fish and carrots onto serving plates and drizzle with remaining glaze. Garnish with fresh dill.

Lake Fish – Modern Cooking With Freshwater Fish
Author: Keane Amdahl

About Keane Amdahl’s cookbook. From classic panfish to Lake Superior ciscoes, the Midwest’s abundant freshwater resources offer a versatile protein source that creative home cook Keane Amdahl transforms in the pages of Lake Fish.
The recipes are arranged by fish type, and include appetizers, and twenty-first century interpretations of soup and salad standbys like Midwestern Fisherman’s Stew and Smoked Trout Kale Nicoise.

Amdahl, who lives in Minneapolis, offers tips on purchasing, substituting, and preparing midwestern fish as a varied way to savor “seafood” locally and sustainably. Throughout 256 pages, and 100 recipes, Lake Fish encourages readers to experiment and thoroughly enjoy their catch of the day.

Published by Minnesota Historical Society http://www.mnhs.org/mnhspress/books/lake-fish