A Recipe for Fisherman’s Soup
Fisherman’s soup is a hot, spicy, fish dish that originates from the Szeged region of Hungary, where it is known as halászlé. Traditionally, the soup was prepared by fishermen over an open fire along the banks of the rivers where they had just fished. Aficionados of the dish insist that it must be prepared immediately after you’ve just bagged your catch for the day and that fish of both different sizes and species should be used. Game fish like carp, bass, and sterlet are authentically used in the bright-red soup, which gets its fieriness from the generous amounts of hot paprika and peppers, that are included in the recipe.
Did you know?
Experts believe paprika has excellent anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-depression, and antioxidant properties and can even be useful in the treatment of some cancers. However, as well as being a spice used in conventional cooking, paprika is also utilised in the production of many processed foods, beverages, confectionery, pharmaceuticals, perfumery, and others.
However, there’s no need to dig out the rod and wellies! Here’s a simple (to follow) recipe that captures something of the great-tasting, hearty, fiery Hungarian soup:
Fisherman’s Soup
Ingredients
- 6 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped
- 1 tbsp (15 g) butter
- 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp hot paprika
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme
- pint (450 ml) fish stock
- 12 oz (350 g) potatoes, diced
- 2 lb (900 g) skinless fillets of white fish, cut into large chunks
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Garnish
Fresh parsley, chopped
Method
- Step 1 – Fry the bacon in a large pan over moderate heat until lightly browned. Remove from pan and drain on a kitchen towel.
- Step 2 – Add the butter to the pan, then cook the onion for several minutes until soft. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for a further 1 minute, whilst continually stirring. Next, add the tomatoes and wine and bring to the boil.
- Step 3 – Reduce the heat, then cover and simmer for around 10 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender.
- Step 4 – Add the chunks of fish, fried bacon, paprika, and seasoning. Simmer gently, with the pan uncovered until the fish is just cooked (i.e. so the fish flakes just begin to separate easily with a fork) and the potatoes are tender.
- Step 5 – Carefully serve out the fish chunks and strain over the broth into pre-heated bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley.
SERVES 4 – each serving contains approximately 370 kcal, 40 g Protein, 17 g Carbohydrate, 14 g Fat, 2 g Fibre
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