Categories: Seafood, Main dish 
      Yield: 6 servings 
  
      3 qt Boiling salted water 
    2/3 c  Rice 
      1 lg Cucumber; peeled, seeded and 
           -coarsely chopped 
    1/4 ts Salt 
      2    Hard-cooked eggs; coarsely 
           -chopped 
      2 tb Butter 
    1/2 c  Onions; finely chopped 
    1/2 c  Parsley; finely chopped 
    1/4 c  Chives; finely chopped 
      1 tb Salt 
    1/8 ts White pepper 
      1 tb Heavy cream (to 3 tb) 
      8 tb Butter (a 1/4-lb stick) 
      6 tb Dry bread crumbs 
      3 lb Pike; cleaned and scaled * 
    1/2 c  Boiling water 
  
     * Remove backbone but leave head and tail on fish. May substitute 
       mackerel or sea bass. 
  Cook the rice uncovered in 3 quarts boiling, salted water for about 12 
  minutes or until it is still slightly firm. Drain in a large colander 
  and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, toss the chopped cucumber 
  with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, then 
  drain and pat dry with paper towels. In a small saucepan, melt 2 
  tablespoons of butter and cook onions and cucumbers 6 to 8 minutes 
  until soft and transparent but not brown. Transfer to a large mixing 
  bowl and add chopped eggs, cooked rice, parsley and chives. Season 
  with salt and pepper and moisten with a tablespoon of heavy cream, 
  adding more if the stuffing seems too dry. Mix together lightly but 
  thoroughly. 
  Wash the fish inside and out under cold running water and dry 
  thoroughly. Fill the fish with the cucumber-rice stuffing, close the 
  opening with small skewers and crisscross kitchen string around the 
  skewers as you would lace a turkey. 
  Preheat oven to 350ÜF. In a baking dish or roasting pan attractive 
  enough to bring to the table and large enough to hold the fish, melt 
  1/4 lb butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, place the 
  fish in the baking dish, raise the heat and cook for about 5 minutes 
  until it is golden brown. Carefully turn over the fish and brown the 
  other side. Sprinkle top with half of the bread crumbs and then turn 
  the fish over again and sprinkle the other side with the remaining 
  bread crumbs. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water around the fish and bring it 
  to a simmer on top of the stove. Bake uncovered in the middle of the 
  oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until fish feels firm when pressed 
  lightly with a finger. Serve directly from baking dish. 
  Note: In Finland, 1 cup of finely chopped spinach, squeezed dry, is 
  often substituted for the cucumber in the stuffing.