This dish sparks a vision of an ice fisher on a frozen Eastern European lake, bringing home a fresh carp, combining it with two of that region’s winter staples—bacon and sauerkraut—and roasting it over a hot fire. What a treat that must have been and what a relief from what might have been months without any fresh meat or fish at all. It’s a great dish in a warm winter kitchen in the twenty-first century, too. Use sauerkraut that is fresh or packed in plastic (never canned), which contains no more than cabbage and salt; real sauerkraut needs no preservatives. Serve the dish with mashed or boiled potatoes.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

　　2 pounds sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

　　1 tablespoon sweet paprika

　　2 pounds fillets of catfish, red snapper, grouper, carp, or mackerel

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Put the bacon in a skillet and over medium heat cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon renders its fat and becomes crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Toss the sauerkraut with half the paprika and half the bacon, with some of its fat, then spread this along the bottom of a roasting pan or casserole.

　　

Step 3

Brush the fish with a little bacon fat, then season it on all sides with salt, pepper, and the remaining paprika. Place on top of the sauerkraut and roast, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon and cook until the fish is white throughout, about 5 minutes more. Serve immediately.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.