Every so often I get the good fortune to fly up to Canada in search of lake trout, rainbow trout and northern pike. And while I admire the beauty and grace of the trout and its cousins as much as anyone, pike get my blood racing.
Trout are a symphony, or perhaps John Coltrane. Northern pike are more like GWAR or Megadeath. Aggressive, arrogant, utterly indifferent to your catching and releasing them, slough sharks are insanely fun to catch.
Last year, using Elk Island Lodge as our base, my friend Shel from Travel Manitoba and I proceeded to catch pike after pike after pike after pike. I lost count at 60 fish, and Shel outfished me by a lot; she loves catching “jacks,” as she calls them, so much she has one tattooed on her in some unknown place. And she only halfway jokes about legally renaming herself “Jack Slayer,” a great name for a Canadian angler-turned-spy if you ask me.
Where we were fishing, Gods Lake in Manitoba, the action is mostly catch-and-release. We kept a few pike here and there for shore lunch, but virtually all our fish went back into the icy waters of Gods Lake.
I did manage to catch one gigantic pike: This 39-incher, nabbed with the largest Daredevle lure I’ve ever thrown. I was perfectly happy to let this riot grrrl go (most large pike are female). That said, I did bring home some pike from that trip.
Pickled pike was the first way I ever ate this awesome fish, back in Minnesota more than a decade ago. Pike are under-appreciated as table fare in most parts of the world, something I find wildly unfair.
Yes, they have an extra set of bones, but once you learn how to fillet a pike, it’s pretty easy.
Pickled pike is perfect for smaller fish — you just fillet them like any other fish, skin them and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, right through the bones.
The beauty of pickled pike is that the vinegar softens the bones so much you don’t even notice them. (This won’t work on a pike much larger than about 6 pounds, which is about 28 inches.)
If you’ve never eaten pickled pike, it’s basically a Scandinavian/Eastern European version of ceviche. Really, really good on crackers as a snack or as an appetizer. I like it with beer — kolsch, pilsner or a pale ale are my favorites here — but I hear the Swedes wash their pickled pike down with akavit. Skål!
Pickled Pike
Ingredients
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 5 cups water, divided
- 1 pound pike, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups cider or white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 2 teaspoons whole allspice
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 leaves bay
- Peel of 1 lemon, sliced and white pith removed
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat 4 cups of water enough to dissolve salt. Let this brine cool to at least room temperature, preferably colder. When it is cold enough, submerge the pike pieces in the brine and refrigerate overnight. Meanwhile, bring the sugar, vinegar, the remaining cup of water and all the spices to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let this steep until cool.
- When the pike has brined, layer it in a glass jar with the sliced lemon peel, bay leaves and red onion. Pour over the cooled pickling liquid with all the spice and seal the jars. Wait at least a day before eating, and I find it best after about a week to 10 days. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Is there a way for it to keep longer?? Would like to be able to have these jars of deliciousness on hand year round
Danman: Not really. You can pressure can it, but it won’t be as good. Better to pickle other fish as your season progresses.
Good recipe ,but pickled some with red onions and Yellow onion taste better with yellow onion
What doesn’t taste good with good beer?
I’ve only canned before with hot food (jams, etc.) How do you seal jars for these pickled fish if the pickling liquid is cold?
TK: They’re not “sealed,” as in making this shelf stable. You need to keep this in the fridge, and it only keeps a couple weeks.
Can u preassure can this to make it last longer
Dave: I don’t know. I’d look up pressure canning recipes for herring and see.
Will the pickling process kill any parasites that may be in the meat?
George: Most of them. So as a precaution, I freeze the meat for a couple days first. That does the trick.
I am a diabetic. Can you substitute an artificial sweetener for the sugar?
Darrell: I have no idea. You can leave it out, but the pickle will be a bit harsher.
Can I leave the sugar out?
Nicole: Yes. But the resulting pickle will be a bit harsher.
II grew up in up in northern Wisconsin where my mom pickled fish every summer.Usually Pike, or bluegills and crappie. Unfortunately I didn’t get the recipe from her. This recipe taste just like her’s! Great! Now my kids can taste it even though she’s gone.
So the fish is raw, freeze it, thaw it and then start this recipe? So You never cook it?
Jamie: Correct. It is “cooked” via the acid in the vinegar, and rendered safe to eat that way by the quick freezing.
We Finns in Northeaster Minnesota enjoy pickling suckers each early May when they are running. Great with pro-gun, anti-Sierra Club Coors Beer and after sauna (not sawna!)
What about the pressure canning method? Salmon is 11 pounds for 100 minutes. Would that work or would they be mush?
Angela: It’d be safe, but I suspect it would turn the fish to mush. Have not yet tried it, though. If you do, can you post back and let me know how it went?
Hi, I’d like to process my fish using the canning method. ..how long should I water bath pint glass jars ? Also I think the brine should be hot when I pour over the fish….any input is appreciated. ..
Linda: You cannot preserve fish or any meat with the water bath method. That’s how people get sick. Sorry!
should you rinse the brine off before placing in the jars?
Ken: I don’t. But some people do. It makes the fish a little saltier, but I like that.
General question. Why use red onion? Is it a color thing? I’ve found Spanish yellow onions better tasting than red onions.
Tom: Yes. And, once pickled, all the onions are pretty similar. Use a yellow one if you prefer.
Do you freeze pike first or use it fresh? Recipe sounds deliciou. Than you
Vera: Either way works.
What size jar? Thanks. I can hardly wait for fishing season to open on Lake Sakakawea.
Sue: I use pints.
What other species will work well? Channel cat?
Rodger: Channel cats might be too soft for this one.
do you leave the fish in the salt brine or rinse them off
Kevin: I just move them from the brine to the pickle.
I have had pickled pike non refrigerated and it was good.never got sick.