Name: Polish Fish with Vegetables (Ryba po Grecku)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1.3 pounds cod (or haddock, skinless, boneless, cut into large pieces); 2 medium onions (finely chopped); 4-5 medium carrots (peeled, coarsely grated); 2 medium parsnips (peeled, coarsely grated); 2.82 ounces celery root/celeriac (small piece, peeled, coarsely grated (peeled weight)); 5 tablespoons fresh parsley (finely chopped); 5-6 tablespoons tomato puree; 1 large bay leaf; 2 allspice berries; 1 teaspoon paprika; 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for frying the fish); 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (and pepper to taste); 1 cup water (or more depending on preference); 1 tablespoon butter; 2 tablespoons flour (for coating the fish)

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This delicious fish with vegetables is a traditional Polish dish typically served on Christmas Eve. Polish 'ryba po grecku' consists of stewed root vegetables served alongside fried white fish. It's incredibly simple to prepare and can be enjoyed either hot or cold.

Stewed vegetables with fried fish on white plate with spoon, herbs and vegetable stew in black dish in background.

Traditional Polish fish with vegetables is an easy and delicious way to serve fish. The sweet and tangy vegetable stew requires very few ingredients, comes together quickly and can be served with any white fish.

This dish is similar to Greek 'psari plaki', which also consists of fried fish with vegetable sauce. This is why in Poland it's called 'Greek style fish' ('ryba po grecku'). It's one of the simplest and quickest to make Polish Christmas dishes and one that is generally loved by everyone at the table. Whereas Polish porcini dumplings and sauerkraut dumplings are not everyone's cup of tea fried fish with stewed root vegetables is a less unusual dish and everyone seems to like it. It's also one of my favourite Polish Christmas Eve dishes.

The vegetables are briefly stewed with seasoning and a little water, which produces surprisingly delicious results. This vegetable stew takes only about 15-20 minutes to make, which is no doubt one of the reasons it's so flavoursome.

Fish with vegetables ingredients

The fish is coated in seasoning and flour and briefly fried in oil. It is served with stewed vegetables including onion, carrot, parsnip and celery root. I also used tomato puree and butter to intensify the flavour of the stew.

There are no complicated spices or herbs involved, just a bit of sweet paprika, seasoning, bay, allspice and parsley.

Good to know

In Poland parsnip would be replaced by 'parsley root' which is a very popular vegetable but one that's hard to come by outside of Poland.

Preparing the fish

Either cod or haddock would work in this Greek-style fish recipe, but you can also use hake, tilapia or basa. Use either fresh or frozen fish, but if you choose to use frozen take it out of the freezer ahead in order to let it thaw. The best way to do this is by placing the frozen fish in the fridge overnight. Once it's thawed completely pat it dry to remove excess water.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Start by preparing the vegetable sauce. Chop the onion and coarsely grate the other vegetables.

Grated carrot and parsinp in large metal bowl.

2. In a pot heat up 2 tablespoons of the oil, add the bay leaf, allspice and onions and fry gently over a medium heat for 4 minutes until golden.

3. Add the grated carrots, parsnip, celeriac, parsley, seasoning, paprika and some of the water. Cook for 5 minutes stirring often.

Grated vegetables and herbs in large pot with spoon.

4. Add the tomato puree, the rest of the water and continue cooking for 6-8 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Stewed grated vegetables with tomato paste in large pot with spoon.

5. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, adjust the seasoning if needed and set aside.

Grated stewed vegetables in large pot with spoon.

6. Season the fish pieces and coat in the flour.

Fish fillets coated in flour on top of white plate with fork.

7. Heat up approx. 3 tablespoons of oil and fry over a fairly high heat for about 2 minutes on each side (or longer if your fish pieces are thicker).

8. Serve immediately with the vegetable stew. Alternatively chill the fish and stew first, then place the fish in a large shallow dish, cover with the stew and serve.

Top down view of fried fish fillets with stewed vegetables on white plate with large spoon, and herbs in background.

Top tips for making Polish fish in the Greek style

The fish: Either cod or haddock would work, but you can also use hake, tilapia or basa.
Make the sauce ahead: You can make the vegetable stew the day before and once cooled, refrigerate it until you are ready to serve it.
Consistency of the sauce: The vegetable stew is quite thick but you can adjust the amount of water to get the consistency you want.
Best served immediately (while the fish is hot and crispy).
Storing: Leftovers can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months.

Serving suggestions

If you are planning to serve Polish 'ryba po grecku' hot fry the fish and serve immediately as part of your Christmas Eve meal or alongside boiled potatoes as a family meal.

Alternatively cool the fish and stew first, place the fish in a large shallow dish, cover with the stew and serve with bread (you can also refrigerate it overnight and serve cold the next day).

Stewed grated carrots and fried fish on top of white plate with spoon, herbs and vegetable stew in black dish in background.

Check out also these other traditional Polish recipes!

Keep in touch!

How did your Greek-style fish and vegetables turn out for you? Did you serve it hot or cold? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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