From Flanders to Thailand, from fish soup to bouillabaisse

Hot fragrant fish soup is the best thing that can happen on a cloudy autumn day. As you know, fish is a source of protein, iodine, phosphorus, omega-3 and other useful trace elements, so a tasty and satisfying lunch will not only cheer you up, but also add strength and health. We have chosen five options for fish soups from different national cuisines: each of them has a unique taste and smell, its own history of appearance and nuances in cooking. All recipes are for two servings.

Flemish waterzoo

An unusual Belgian stew was born in the city of Ghent in East Flanders. The recipe, to the surprise of many cooks, uses cream and yolks: they are needed in order to thicken the broth, give it a creamy texture and emphasize the taste of fish (by the way, it is better to use several types). Waterzoi is served with white bread, and Belgian beer is traditionally chosen from drinks.

Ingredients:

1.5 kg fillet of pike, whitefish, whitefish or perch

butter

1/2 cup celery

1/2 onion

1/2 leek

1 carrot

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp. l. heavy cream

2 tbsp. l. parsley

Cooking:

Melt the butter and fry the onion in it until golden brown. While it cooks, chop the leeks and carrots. Add the celery, leeks and carrots to the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.

Put the fish in a shallow saucepan, put the vegetables on top, add salt, pepper, celery leaves and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the fish starts to fall apart. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon and place in the preheated oven. Strain the fish broth into a clean saucepan.

Whisk the yolks and cream together. Stir 1 cup of fish stock into the egg mixture, then add to the remaining stock. Heat very slowly, stirring constantly. Don't boil.

Pour the broth over the finished fish, garnish with parsley and serve with baguette pieces.

Bouillabaisse

One of the most famous dishes of French cuisine was once a cheap soup: Marseille fishermen made it from seafood they could not sell in a day. Bouillabaisse is now considered a gourmet dish, but it can be easily prepared at home by buying the ingredients at a nearby supermarket. Bouillabaisse is traditionally served with toasted baguettes and garlic sauce.

Ingredients:

90 ml olive oil

1 bulb

1 leek

2 tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

1 small sprig of dill

1 small sprig of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp orange peel

180 g mussels, peeled

1 liter of boiling water

salt and pepper to taste

1 kg sea bass

1 small pinch of saffron

180g fresh shrimp, peeled and chopped

preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and add finely chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic and leeks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until all ingredients are soft.

Add dill, thyme, bay leaf, orange zest, mussels and pour boiling water over. Add salt and pepper to taste, turn up the heat and simmer for about 3-4 minutes to mix the oil and water.

Add fish and shrimp, cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes until fish is done. It should be opaque, tender and should not fall apart.

Taste the soup, add saffron and more salt or pepper if needed. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

Ukha tutored

The classic Russian fish soup is cooked not from one type of fish, but from two or four, in order to achieve the right rich taste. A good soup should be transparent and without a specific fishy smell, the fish in it should be white and not overcooked. The fish soup is always cooked without a lid and sometimes a glass of vodka is poured in (we decided to bypass this tradition in the recipe). Served with black bread, fish pie or pies with various fillings.

Ingredients:

800 g river fish

1 liter of water

1 bulb

1/2 small carrot

1 parsley (root and herbs)

1/2 parsnip root

1 potato

1/2 st. l. dill

2 bay leaves

4 black peppercorns

1/2 st. l. tarragon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp flour

1 egg

preparation:

In salted boiling water, put potatoes, cut into large pieces, fish heads and tails, finely chopped onions and chopped carrots and parsley. Cook over moderate heat for about 20-30 minutes, then remove the foam (if desired - strain the broth), put the bay leaf, pepper and boil for another 5 minutes.

Increase the heat and dip the fish, peeled and cut into large pieces (4-5 cm wide), into the prepared broth, cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, not letting it boil too much.

Whisk the egg with the flour, remove the fish from the soup, dip it in the egg mixture, lightly fry in butter and plunge back into the simmering fish broth.

Boil for 3-5 minutes, then, if necessary, salt, add parsley, dill and tarragon. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 7-8 minutes.

Serve with black rye bread.

Fish tom yum

The simplest variation of the famous sour and spicy tom yum was the most common in Thailand before the advent of mass tourism, as the fish is available everywhere in the country. Almost all products for a seemingly exotic soup can now be found in local stores. Delicate fish tom yum is usually served with steamed rice.

Ingredients:

1 liter of water

200 g fish, bones removed

80 g oyster mushroom

1 tomato

1 small onion

2-3 sticks of lemongrass

5 kaffir lime leaves

1 lime

1/2 sweet chili pepper

1/2 galangal root

1 small bunch of cilantro

1 small bunch green basil

1 1/2 tbsp. l. Thai fish sauce

1/2 st. l. palm sugar

preparation:

Clean and gut the fish, boil the heads and fins for 15 minutes in boiling water, and then remove them with a slotted spoon.

Add crushed lemongrass, halved kaffir lime leaves, sliced ​​galangal and chili slices, and feathered onion to the broth. Add sugar and fish sauce. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes and leave to infuse.

Cut the fish fillet into centimeter slices, mushrooms in half, tomatoes into small slices, add to the broth and cook for 3 minutes.

Squeeze the juice from the lime and add to the soup, tasting it constantly to adjust the taste for a balance of salty, sour, spicy and sweet, then add the cilantro.

Serve the soup with steamed rice.

Halasle

The traditional Hungarian fish soup is famous far beyond the borders of Hungary. Of course, cooked in a saucepan, it is not as good as from a pot over a fire on the banks of the Danube, but it is definitely worth a try: the rich red color, unusual taste and texture will surprise you. Serve the dish with bread, fresh parsley and sour cream.

Ingredients:

1 perch (about 800 g)

30 ml olive oil

1.5 liters of water

1 st. l. vegetable oil

1 bulb

1/2 green pepper

2 small tomatoes, skinned

1 st. l. Hungarian sweet paprika

preparation:

Cut the perch fillet into pieces (about 3 cm) and put in the refrigerator.

Heat in a saucepan 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, fry the fish heads and bones over moderate heat for 2 minutes, turning once. Add cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. Then strain the broth into a clean container.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and peppers and cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes. Then chop the tomatoes, add them to the pan and, stirring constantly, cook for another 5 minutes. Add paprika.

Pour the strained broth into a saucepan and simmer over moderate heat for 40 minutes.

Add salt, pepper and fish fillets. Simmer for 10 minutes or until fish is done.

Serve with sour cream, fresh parsley and white bread.

Things to know (Q&A)