A rustic single-crust skillet pie with flaky white fish, sautéed onion and dill baked under a golden pastry lattice.
Rybnik is a homely Russian fish pie made in a skillet rather than a deep dish — a shortcrust pastry base holds flaked white fish mixed with sautéed onion, dill and a little sour cream, topped with a lattice or partial pastry lid that lets steam escape as it bakes. It's simpler than the elaborate coulibiac fish pies of festive Russian cooking, closer to what a home cook makes on a weeknight with pantry staples. The fish is cooked briefly first so it doesn't release excess liquid into the pastry during baking, then folded with onion cooked until sweet and a spoon of sour cream for richness. The pastry needs a vented top, whether lattice strips or a few slashed cuts, so the filling's steam has somewhere to go rather than turning the crust soggy. This is unpretentious Russian home baking — a filling, savory pie that turns a couple of fish fillets into a full dinner, best served warm with the crust still crisp at the edges.
Serves 6
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until soft and golden, about 7 minutes. Add fish chunks and cook gently 3-4 minutes until just opaque, being careful not to overcook. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Fold sour cream, salt, pepper and dill into the fish mixture, breaking the fish into large flakes as you go.
Roll out the base pastry and line an oven-safe skillet or pie dish, letting excess hang over the edge.
Spoon the fish filling into the pastry base. Cover with the remaining pastry, crimping the edges to seal, and cut a few vents or a lattice pattern in the top.
Venting the top is essential — trapped steam will make the crust soggy instead of crisp.
Brush the top with beaten egg and bake at 200°C for 30-35 minutes until deeply golden.
Let the pie rest 10 minutes before slicing so the filling sets slightly and doesn't spill out.
Cook the fish only until just opaque before it goes into the pie — it will finish cooking in the oven and overcooked fish turns dry and rubbery.
Always vent the top crust; without steam holes, the bottom crust turns soggy from trapped moisture.
Let the pie rest 10 minutes after baking so the filling firms up enough to slice cleanly.
Add cooked rice or hard-boiled egg slices to the filling for a heartier coulibiac-style version.
Use salmon instead of white fish for a richer, more colorful filling.
Make individual hand pies using the same filling for portioned servings.
Refrigerate leftover pie up to 3 days; reheat slices in a 180°C oven for 10-12 minutes to re-crisp the pastry rather than using a microwave.
Savory fish pies like rybnik are part of a broader Russian tradition of pirogi — filled pastries that could stretch modest ingredients like a few fish fillets into a substantial family meal, historically valuable in regions near rivers and lakes where fish was abundant but meat was not.
Yes — thaw it fully and pat it very dry first, since excess moisture will make the filling watery and the crust soggy.
Standard shortcrust works just as well and is actually closer to the traditional texture; just make sure it's fully thawed and pliable before rolling.
The filling likely had too much liquid, or the top wasn't vented; make sure to cook off excess moisture from the fish and cut steam vents before baking.
Per serving (220g / 7.8 oz) · 6 servings total
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