Pikeperch is a predatory fish that lives in rivers and fresh waters. In terms of gluttony, she takes second place after pike. Due to its high mobility and aggressiveness, there is a little fat in the pike perch, which allows it to be attributed to dietary products. Its white and tender meat is suitable even for the first feeding of babies. In our article, we will present the chemical composition and nutritional value, we will tell you whether the pike perch is bony or not, and explain how to properly clean this predator. Here we will offer simple recipes for delicious and healthy dishes.
Nutritional value and calorie content of zander fish
Among freshwater fish, this predator takes pride of place. It lives in deep water in clear reservoirs, therefore its meat has a pleasant color and smell. Many people are interested in the question of whether the fish is pike or not.
The meat of this carnivorous inhabitant of fresh water contains a lot of easily digestible protein, enough water and no carbohydrates. It contains a minimal amount of fat. At the same time, 75% of them are mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Anyone who prefers to cook zander, do not worry about the figure. This is a low-fat fish with a low calorie content (84 kcal) and a rich vitamin and mineral composition. The amount of protein is 18.4 g, fat - 1.1 g, water - 80 g per 100 grams of product.
Zander contains up to 20 amino acids important for humans, as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, C, PP, E. A sufficient amount of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and iron is present in fish.
Regular consumption of pike perch contributes to:
- harmonious development of the child;
- improving brain function;
- normalization of the stomach and intestines;
- lower blood glucose and cholesterol;
- improving the condition of the skin, nails and hair;
- decrease in blood density;
- normalize metabolism and improve the general condition of the body.
Vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids have high antioxidant properties.
Pikeperch fish: bony or not?
There is no doubt that the meat of this freshwater predator is healthy. Taste fish pike perch has no less pleasant. The meat of this deep-sea inhabitant of the water bodies has a delicate texture, white color and a pleasant smell. It contains virtually no bones, which is a big advantage.
Pike perch is not so easy to clean because of the stiff and tight-fitting scales. About how to do it right, we will tell below.
How to clean zander fish?
You can remove the scales with a sharp knife with a serrated edge, special scrapers or a peeler with a longitudinal blade. Clean the fish in the following order:
- Use the scissors to remove the spiky fins.
- Clean the fish with short movements from the tail to the head, lifting the scales and removing it. To prevent the fish from slipping out of your hands, it is recommended to rub it with salt or pre-rinse with boiling water before cleaning.
- Rinse the cleaned fish and put on a cutting board.
- Gut the zander. To do this, make a longitudinal section from the tail to the head, revealing the belly of the fish.
- Pull out the insides, being careful not to damage the gall sac. Separate the fat lining the belly, milk or caviar.
- Remove the black film inside and rinse the fish thoroughly.
- Cut into portions.
If you want to cook a fillet dish , you need to make sure bony or not pike perch. As mentioned above, the dietary meat of this carnivorous inhabitant of fresh water practically does not contain bones. Therefore, you can safely cut the pike perch on a fillet and cook a variety of dishes from it.
How to cook fish?
Rich in easily digestible protein, dietary meat of pike perch is recommended for use by losing weight, people with diabetes mellitus and diseases of the digestive system and kidneys. This fish can be prepared in any way: boil, fry, stew, bake in the oven or on the grill, stuff, dry, dry, smoked, grind and make delicious meatballs for a couple. However, it should be noted that during heat treatment the calorie content of zander increases. For example, boiled fish contains 97 kcal, and fried fish contains 180 kcal per 100 grams of product.
We recommend preparing the following delicious dishes from pike perch: ear from the head, aspic, bake in foil with vegetables and sour cream sauce, as well as stew in a slow cooker in cream. A garnish of rice, buckwheat or potatoes is ideal for fish.
Recipe for zander soup
The amount of ingredients indicated in the recipe is calculated on a 3 liter pot. An ear from the head of a pike perch is prepared in the following sequence:
- Boil the broth. To do this, you will need the head and tail of a zander. They need to be well cleaned and washed. Gills must be cut from the head. Put the fish in a pan, add cold water, add 5 peas of black pepper and peeled onion whole.
- Boil the broth for 25 minutes over low heat. Periodically you need to remove the foam.
- Strain the finished broth through a sieve. Disassemble the head and tail, separating the meat from the bones.
- Pour the broth into a clean pan, salt and add meat to it.
- Add chopped potatoes (2 pcs.) And carrots, chopped into strips, into the pan. As soon as the vegetables in the broth boil, pour a handful of millet in the ear. Boil the soup until the ingredients are ready. At the end of cooking, add salt, pepper and chopped dill.
Baked pike perch in foil
Tender, juicy, aromatic and low-calorie fish can be prepared according to the following recipe. The meat is lean and very tasty.
How to cook zander fish can be described in a step-by-step instruction:
- Clean the carcass, remove the entrails and the head. It can be used to make fish soup.
- On one side, make transverse cuts to the ridge at a distance of about 1.5 cm from one another.
- Salt and pepper the fish and leave it on the table for 20 minutes.
- Make mustard sauce (3 tbsp. Tablespoons) and juice of half a lemon.
- Cut the onions in half rings, tomato and lemon into slices, and then cut them in half again.
- Place part of the onion on a sheet of foil greased with vegetable oil. Put fish on top. Lubricate the pike perch with the sauce, and insert half the lemon and tomato into the transverse incisions.
- Foil tightly. Send the fish to an oven preheated to 200 ° for 30 minutes. Open the foil 10 minutes before the end of cooking so that the pike perch is browned. If desired, you can sprinkle the dish with cheese.
Zander jellied
This dish will decorate any festive table, and especially the New Year. Anyone who does not yet know if the pikeperch is bony or not, and doubts whether it is worth cooking aspic, we recommend that you immediately take up this process. There are no bones in this predator, so both adults and children will enjoy eating a dish from it.
Step-by-step aspic from zander is prepared in the following sequence:
- Clean fish from scales, remove fins, entrails and gills. Cut off the head and separate the fillet from the bones.
- In a 3 liter pot, cook the broth from the head, tail and ridge. As soon as the water boils, it is necessary to remove the foam. Add the whole onion, carrots, peppers, peas. After 25 minutes, salt the broth and add bay leaf.
- Remove the broth from the stove and strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. Pour it into a clean pan, add slices of fillet and cook them for 15 minutes.
- Arrange the meat in forms. Here you can add a beautifully chopped boiled egg, greens and slices of carrots. Strain the broth again.
- Soak gelatin (2 teaspoons) in cold water for 15 minutes. Add the swollen mass to the hot broth, mix well and pour it into the molds. Cool first on the table and then send to the refrigerator.
How to cook zander in sour cream?
Many housewives complain that when baking low-fat fish in the oven, it turns out to be dry. To avoid this, it is recommended to cook zander in sour cream sauce. Then the meat will be tender and very tasty.
How to cook zander fish, we describe in the following step-by-step instructions:
- Clean the carcass and cut it into portioned pieces 2.5 cm thick. You can use the head to prepare another dish.
- Salt the fish, pepper and put on a baking sheet greased with olive oil. Top well poured pike perch with lemon juice.
- Prepare a sauce of sour cream with a fat content of 15%, mayonnaise (2 tbsp. Tablespoons), 1 kg of onion, salt and pepper chopped in half rings.
- Pour the fish on top with the prepared sauce. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
- Bake the dish at 180 ° for 40 minutes.
Delicious zander in a slow cooker
According to this recipe, you can cook stewed fish. A step-by-step dish is prepared in the following sequence:
- Pike perch fillet (400 g) cut into portions. Pour the fish with lemon juice (2 tbsp. Tablespoons), salt, add a little lemon zest, then cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Sweet pepper, onions, carrots and mushrooms (100 g) cut into strips. Mushrooms can be chopped in plates.
- Put the vegetables in the multicooker bowl, adding a tablespoon of vegetable oil to them.
- Set the “Baking” mode to 5 minutes.
- Heat cream with 10% fat (200 ml) on a stove. Pour them into a slow cooker for vegetables, and then continue to simmer the vegetables in the same mode for two minutes.
- Remove half the vegetable mass on a plate. Put zander fillet on the remaining vegetables. Cover the fish with the mass set aside on a plate.
- Set the "Extinguishing" mode and cook the dish for 20 minutes.