Fine fish soup with dried fruit from Fiefhusen

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 ½ liters of mild and clear vegetable broth
• 200 g celeriac, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp dill seeds
• 2 medium-sized onions, with skin, quartered
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 slice(s) ginger
• 50 ml dry white wine
• 125 g sprats, smoked and whole
• 100 g dried fruit, e.g. plums, apples, apricots
• 100 g green beans, fresh or frozen
• 250 g salmon fillet(s), roughly diced
• ½ tsp dill seeds
• 1 tbsp, heaped butter
• 1 dashes lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground
• 2 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, including the stems, roughly chopped, for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

Low German taste reinterpreted

First, prepare the soup base. Peel the celery. First slice, then cut into very fine strips. Quarter the onions, do not peel them. The onion skin is necessary for the broth’s beautiful color. Place both ingredients in a large saucepan with the vegetable broth, dill seeds, bay leaf, ginger, and white wine, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for one hour over low heat. Remove from the heat and strain the solids through a fine sieve. Add the sprats to the soup. Bring back to a boil briefly, then simmer gently with the lid on for at least half an hour. Then strain the sprats out of the soup using a fine sieve and clarify the soup base through a coffee filter. Add the dried fruit and thawed or fresh green beans to the now clear soup base. Please cut the beans down to spoon size beforehand. Bring to a boil again briefly and vigorously, then simmer gently under the lid for about 30 minutes until cooked through. The soup base is ready as soon as the beans are tender but still have a bite. Check frequently if necessary. Just before the beans are tender, place a non-stick pan over medium heat and lightly toast the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of dill seeds until a pleasant dill aroma wafts from the pan. Now add the butter, melt it, and let it reduce the heat without burning or browning. Now add the salmon cubes and cook for a maximum of 5 minutes, tossing several times. The salmon is ready as soon as it is hot but still slightly translucent on the inside. Now add a pinch of salt and pepper from the mill and a squeeze of lemon juice and toss again. Place the salmon in the center of the preheated deep plates and carefully pour the soup base all around using a ladle. Finally, garnish with coarsely chopped parsley and serve. A light, dry white wine goes wonderfully with this dish. If I have any leftover soup base, I freeze it and can always spice up a nice piece of fish. Of course, this dish also works with other fish, such as pollock, cod, or wild salmon. The flavor of the soup is typical of the Low German palate, which often combines sweetness with spice. See also “Pears, Beans, and Bacon” or “Dithmarscher Mehlbüddel” (Dithmarscher Mehlbüddel). Tip for cat owners: Let the sprats cool down and offer them to your house cats. My two cats go crazy for them and love this rare treat!