Recipe:

Simon Metzler prepares a typical dish from Lake Constance for us. He's the head chef and owner of Bürgerbräu, in Überlingen on Lake Constance, in southern Germany.

Lake Constance Pike, prepared two ways

Pike quenelles and fillet, fried on its skin, with vegetables, spätzle and pinot blanc cream sauce.

Pike Quenelles:

375 g pike fillet, skinned

125 g heavy cream

1 egg white

75 g cubed, crustless white bread

salt, pepper

Dice the fish and mix well with cream, egg white and bread. Make sure all ingredients are well-chilled before preparation. Portion mixture with a spoon and drop the portions into boiling water. Poach for 10 minutes.

Pike Fillet:

Use 100 g of pike fillet per portion. Season with salt and pepper, then fry on the skin side in a pan.

Vegetables:

500 g seasonal vegetables, e.g., zucchini, bell peppers, leeks, kohlrabi, celeriac

40 g butter

200 ml vegetable broth

Peel and chop vegetables. Glaze with broth and butter until the broth has almost boiled away completely, and the vegetables have the desired consistency. Season to taste with sea salt, sugar and black pepper.

Sauce.
Fish carcass (whatever is left after fileting the fish)

Water

250 ml Pino blanc

100 g whipped cream

300 g root vegetables

Juice of half a lemon

Make a stock of the fish bones: put the carcass into a large pot and just cover with water. Add chopped root vegetables, season with lemon juice and sale, and allow to gently simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the broth, add the butter and pinot blanc, and reduce. Thicken with whipped cream and serve.

Spätzle:

5 eggs

250 g flour

Salt, nutmeg

Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine with a cooking spoon until the dough forms bubbles. Scrape small pieces off a board into boiling water. Allow to boil, then rinse with cold water. Lightly coat with a little butter in a pan just before serving.

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Head Chef Simon Metzler of the Hotel Restaurant Bürgerbräu in Überlingen on Lake Constance, in southern Germany.