Fish soup is a traditional dish throughout Hungary, which is known for its richness in lakes and rivers and excellent cuisine. Fish soup is best served as a meal with a fine Hungarian wine, hearty white bread (Italian), and cucumber salad. To have a traditional Hungarian soup cookout: cook the soup in a large kettle hanging from a tripod over a open flame, add several drunken loud singing Hungarians and your evening is complete!
Last important key - make sure the paprika used is labelled as sweet, bright red -not a brick red color, and is made in Hungary.
Ingredients:
- 12 cups fish stock (remains of the fish fillets and sliced onions)
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 4 pounds freshwater fish fillets (perch, catfish, carp, etc. - I recommend catfish and carp), cut in bite-sized chunks and seasoned with salt (reserve milt and roe, if available)
- Hungarian peppers, chopped (no Hungarian peppers - try green bell peppers and jalapenos)
- 1 tomato, skinned and chopped into chunks
- salt and pepper to taste
Bring the stock to a boil and stir in the
paprika. Let simmer for a minute. Add pieces of fish, the chopped tomato and peppers, and cook over fairly high heat for about 20 minutes.
Don't stir the soup or you will break up the fish--just slowly rock the pot
back and forth so the fish does not clump together.
Serve into a heat resistant bowl - the soup is very hot. If you desire to garnish I recommend green pepper slices and/or parsley sprinkled on top.
Jó étvágyat!
references: grandmother's cookbook and personal cooking experiences