Crispy Pike-Perch with Creamy Apple Kohlrabi

Crispy pike-perch and creamy kohlrabi make an elegant Central European main course. The kohlrabi is sliced paper-thin, gently simmered with cream, and sharpened with a small splash of apple vinegar.

Keeping the fish skin dry and beginning skin-side down creates the crisp texture that contrasts with the tender vegetable underneath.

Ingredients

• 2 kohlrabi
• 1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
• Crème fraîche or sour cream, to taste
• Ground nutmeg
• White pepper and salt
• Apple vinegar, to taste
• 21 ounces (600 g) skin-on pike-perch fillet
• 8 garlic cloves
• Vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• Ground caraway seed, optional
• Chopped chives
• Sea salt or fleur de sel

How to make pike-perch with apple kohlrabi

1. Slice the kohlrabi

Peel the kohlrabi and slice it paper-thin with a sharp knife or mandoline. Use the mandoline guard and work carefully.

2. Cook the creamy kohlrabi

Warm the whipping cream with a spoonful of crème fraîche, salt, and a dash of nutmeg. Add the kohlrabi and simmer gently - do not boil hard - until it is tender but still slightly al dente.

Add a small splash of apple vinegar and season with salt and white pepper. Keep warm.

3. Prepare the fish

Remove any remaining pin bones. Cut the fillet into 8 equal pieces and pat them very dry, especially on the skin side. Dry skin is less likely to stick and crisps more evenly.

4. Pan-fry skin-side down

Heat a generous splash of oil and the butter in a nonstick skillet. Lightly crush the garlic cloves until their skins split. Place the fish in the pan skin-side down and add the garlic.

Cook primarily on the skin side, spooning the hot fat over the fish as it cooks. The skin should become crisp and the flesh should turn opaque and flake easily. For food safety, cook fish to an internal temperature of 145°F.

Transfer the fish to paper towels briefly to remove excess fat.

5. Plate and finish

Spoon the creamy kohlrabi onto warm plates. Place the fish on top, skin-side up, and add the garlic. Season with sea salt and, if desired, a small pinch of ground caraway. Finish with chopped chives.

Can you substitute another fish?

Zander is another name commonly used for pike-perch. If it is unavailable, another firm skin-on white fish can work, although cooking time will depend on thickness.

Add the apple finish

A restrained splash of apple vinegar keeps the cream sauce lively. For a rounder, gently sweet finish, try Gölles Balsamic Apple Vinegar, adding it a few drops at a time.