Pike fillet on tagliatelle with lettuce pesto and Mediterranean vegetables

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 2 fish fillets (pike fillets) approx. 250 g each
• 6 crayfish (crayfish), cooked
• 30 g smoked bacon, cut into strips
• 1 red bell pepper(s)
• 1 bell pepper(s), green
• 1 bell pepper(s), yellow
• 1 zucchini
• 4 tomatoes (vine tomatoes), small
• some lettuce leaves
• olive oil
• butter
• salt and pepper
• Salt (Fleur de Sel)
• Cranberries, some for decoration

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Our largest freshwater predator is the pike. It can grow up to 1.5 m long and weigh over 30 kg, but these are exceptions. Generally, pike weighing 1.5-3 kg are used for fish dishes. Pike meat is somewhat sweet, very lean, and finely textured, and in my opinion, probably the best of all freshwater fish. The only drawback is the multitude of thin, fork-like bones, making it almost impossible to remove them all before cooking. This is why the meat is often pureed and used in stuffing. Pike meat is rarely found in markets, and this was the first time I’ve ever encountered it as a fillet. However, these pieces were labeled and sold as grouper fillets. It wasn’t until I ate it that I realized that this meat couldn’t have come from a perch, based on the taste and the pike-typical bones. Judging by the markings, it could easily have been a grouper or white snapper. A perch has far fewer, but much thicker, bones. After consulting my fishmonger, it was quickly resolved. Preparation: Scale the pike fillets if the fishmonger hadn’t already done this, and remove any palpable bones with tweezers. Set the fish aside. Place 3 crayfish each onto toothpicks. Clean and dice the bell peppers. Use a skewer to peel pieces from the zucchini. Cook the vegetables in an uncovered pan or saucepan with a little olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The vegetables should retain their bite. Season with salt and pepper. Place the vine tomatoes in a saucepan, drizzle with a little olive oil, and simmer over low heat with the pan closed for about 15 minutes. Wash some nice lettuce leaves, spin dry, and puree with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the tagliatelle according to the package instructions, drain, and toss in the lettuce pesto with a fork until evenly coated over the pasta. Sear the fish fillets skin-side down in a butter and olive oil mixture for about 1 minute, then reduce the heat and sear for another 3 minutes. Turn the fillets over and let them cook thoroughly with the grill on the side. Add the bacon strips, being careful not to overheat them, or they’ll become tough. Sprinkle the fish fillets with fleur de sel. Arrange the fillets on large plates, top each with a crab skewer, and garnish with a few cranberries (large American cranberries) and the remaining pesto.