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Believe it or not, a fish related to cod swims in Finnish lakes. Burbot, or made in Finnish, might have a homely form, but especially in winter this codfish tastes absolutely delicious.
Burbot is mentioned in many Finnish folktales. In Iisalmi in eastern Finland there's a legend about its creation: God, after creating several silver-sided fish for our lakes, got tired of the hard work and took a day off. The devil noticed the Creator's hour of rest and started to work on his own fish. But the devil's fingers were crooked and dirty with soot, and they left their prints on the side of the fish. When the devil released the fish he had created into the water, it swam as deep down as possible, embarrassed by its ugly form, and has hidden deep in the lakes' shadows ever since.
There's a grain of truth in the tale: the burbot looks somewhat strange and resembles a snake. On its sides you can see the black spots of the devil's fingerprints and it wriggles along like an eel in the cold lake bottom waters. Its Finnish name made most probably derives from its crawling movement, called madella in Finnish.
An inhabitant of cold waters.
Finnish lakes aren't the only place where you find the burbot. In France it swims in rivers; hence the name Lotte de Rivière. It is also common in North America where it has long been overlooked as a food fish.
In Finland, the burbot is common from south to north. It thrives in cold waters. Small ponds don't suit the burbot, because in summer the water gets too warm. In winter the burbot swims closer to the surface and can be fished with nets, jigs, or fykes. In summer, as the surface water warms up, the burbot dives deep into the cool depths of the lake.
Excellent roe and liver
The best burbot season is in midwinter. Burbot is abundant and fish salesmen are up to their elbows in burbot skins. Burbot can be fished in summer, too, but its taste might be muddy due to it swimming near the lake bottom.
Soup and stew are the traditional burbot dishes, but they aren't the only delicacies you can make of it. You can bake it in the oven, make a fritata, or roll it in rye flour and pan-fry in butter. For an Italian twist, roll the pieces in parmesan cheese before frying.
The firm burbot meat can be fried in a pan or cooked in the pot. And don't forget the excellent roe and liver that taste wonderful with a crisp blini.
BURBOT ITALIAN STYLE
Enjoy some winter burbot with parmesan, pickled cucumber salad spiked with chili, and some wine that brings the promise of the upcoming spring.
PARMESAN-BREADED BURBOT WITH PICKLED CUCUMBER SALAD
200 g burbot fillet
2 tbsp wheat flour
1 egg
2 tbsp grated parmesan
3 tbsp grated white bread
Salt, white pepper
Debone the burbot fillets and cut them into 50 g pieces. Rub with salt and pepper.
Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Dip the pieces of fish in the flour, then in the egg, and then in the mix of grated parmesan and bread.
Fry the fish in butter until crisp and golden. Serve with warm pickled cucumber salad.
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