Baked Fish Fillet with Beetroot

Let's start with the beetroot. Take a raw one, not boiled. Wash it thoroughly and thinly peel it. Grate it using a beetroot grater. Then we need lemon juice, 2 tablespoons. For this amount, you will need about half a small lemon. Pour the juice over the grated beetroot and set it aside, let it marinate while we work with the onion.

Peel and slice the onion into thin half-rings. If you have one large onion, slice it into quarters. Heat a frying pan, pour a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil and add the sliced onion. Fry it for a few minutes until it becomes lightly golden. The onion should remain juicy.

Place the beetroot on a sieve and press it with your hand from the top - let some juice drain - we need moist, not wet beetroot. Add it along with 10 grams of butter and a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the frying pan with the onion and fry on high heat for a couple of minutes. Then turn the heat to low and fry-simmer, stirring, for another 10 minutes. The beetroot tends to stick, so don't forget to stir.

Peel the garlic, crush it through a press or chop it with a knife. Mix it with the contents of the frying pan along with salt, black pepper, and turn off the heat. Transfer the beetroot and onion to a bowl to cool faster. If you're not in a rush, let it cool in the same frying pan while you do something else. To the cooled beetroot (it can be warm, but not hot), add an egg, starch, and cottage cheese, and mix well. About cottage cheese. It should be something like the quite famous and popular Philadelphia cream cheese. I take a local equivalent with herbs and garlic, the amounts of which are quite small.

Fish. I had purchased frozen pangasius fillet. Overall, I really love this fish - inexpensive, fatty, tender - it meets all the criteria. You can use zander - it's more expensive, but more noble. Since my fillet needed to be thawed, I took it out in the evening and put it in the refrigerator. By 12 o'clock, when I was ready to cook, it was already completely defrosted. Season the fish fillet with salt and pepper on both sides. Now take a baking dish and line it with a large sheet of sturdy foil. Grease it with two tablespoons of vegetable oil (bottom and sides) and spread one-third of the beetroot mixture. The size should be the same as the fillet. Place one piece of fish fillet on top, add pieces of butter (20 grams), and sprinkle with chopped dill (I use freshly-frozen dill).

Next, take the remaining beetroot mixture and distribute it on the top and sides, shaping it into a log. You can shape it using your hands, a wide-bladed knife, or simply a spatula. The important thing is to achieve an even and neat result.

Wrap it tightly in foil. Then, take the wrapped log in your hand and flip it over. Pierce the bottom part of the foil in several places to allow the sauce to drain out during baking. We will be able to use this sauce later to pour over our log. It is better to preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, but if you forgot or for some reason couldn't, it will still work. The baking time may vary slightly. If using a preheated oven, bake for 30 minutes; if using a cold oven, bake for 40 minutes.

That's it, our dish is ready. In fact, it is quite quick and easy, and the result is very original and does not require any additional side dishes. If you want to prepare this dish in advance and simply reheat it on the day of serving, no problem, it will not lose its taste. Let it cool at room temperature, remove it from the mold, transfer it to a plate or simply a bag, and pour the sauce into a small cup - you will need to pour it over our log before serving. Then, refrigerate it. If the temperature outside is between +7 and 0 degrees Celsius, you can also place it on the balcony. And most importantly, never try making a new dish directly on a holiday! It is better to make it beforehand, taste it, and adjust the flavors - maybe you want more garlic or spiciness, or maybe you simply do not like the combination of fish and beetroot. In general, do not take risks, as culinary surprises can turn into an unpleasant unexpected outcome. Overall, I really hope that you will enjoy this dish as much as I do. Bon appétit and happy holidays!