Treska po-Pomorski (треска по-поморски, 'Pomor-style cod') belongs to Russia's northern Pomor kitchen — the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk coast where Atlantic cod is the year-round protein. The technique is simple: salt-cured cod fillets baked under a thick layer of sour cream that bastes them as it bubbles. Russians eat far more freshwater fish than sea fish, but the north is the exception.
Cod from the White Sea simmered with potato, onion, and cream — Russia's northernmost fish dish, eaten by the Pomor people who fished the Arctic. The cream tempers the fish's strong taste.
Arctic cod has 3× more omega-3 than Atlantic cod — that high oil content needs balancing. The cream's casein binds to the cod oils, preventing the fish from tasting overly oily.
Variations
Pomor northern Russian uses cream; Karelian version uses fermented fish; Finnish lohikeitto is the cousin — three Arctic fish soups.
On the Palate
Where Treska po-Pomorski sits in the Russian flavor cloud
Ingredients
How it's made
6 steps · 45 min
- 130 min
Pat dry 4 cod fillets (~150g each). Salt generously and let rest 15 minutes; pat dry again.
Watch outAfter salting and the second pat-dry the fillet surface should feel tacky and firm, not wet.
- 24 min
Slice 1 large onion thin; sweat in 40g butter over medium-low heat 5 minutes until translucent.
- 32 min
Butter a baking dish. Spread the onion as a bed; arrange the cod on top.
- 42 min
Pour 300g sour cream over the fish, spreading to cover. Scatter 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, salt, black pepper.
- 525 min
Bake at 200°C for 18-22 minutes until cod flakes easily and the sour cream is bubbly and golden at the edges.
Watch outDone when a fork slides in and the flesh flakes cleanly and the cream is golden and bubbling at the rim.
- 62 min
Serve directly from the dish, with the pan juices spooned over boiled new potatoes.
Archive tool suggestions — not reviewed
These legacy suggestions have not been evidence-reviewed and are not presented as required tools.
