Halaszlé

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 ½ kg fish (freshwater fish), mixed
• 2 bell peppers, red
• 4 tomatoes
• 2 onions, large
• 2 tbsp paprika powder, rose hot
• 2 bell peppers, green, hot (Hungarian)
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Hungarian fish soup from the cauldron

Scale and gut the fish (reserve the roe and milt), wash, and remove the fillets. Cut the fillets into pieces and set aside. Cut the peppers and tomatoes into small pieces and the onions into rings. Place the fish heads, bones, and fins, along with the onion rings, in a pot and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, sprinkle in the paprika, season with salt, and simmer gently over very low heat for about 1 hour. Strain the finished fish stock. Meanwhile, you should have time to light a fire and prepare a cauldron (a tripod). Pour the finished fish stock into the cauldron, add the pepper pieces, tomatoes, roe and milt, and the fillets, and cook over a sufficient heat for about 20-30 minutes. Do not stir, just rock the pot back and forth to prevent the fish pieces from falling apart. When serving, Hungarian fish soup is often served with hot green bell peppers, which are served separately. This way, everyone can add more spice to their taste. The soup is served with fresh white bread. TIPS: Of course, you can also make the soup with just one type of fish, such as carp. Using different types of fish makes the soup more aromatic. You can also use less valuable or small fish, such as whitefish, to make the broth more flavorful. Of course, you can also prepare the broth in the kettle. I do this on the stove, though, which makes preparation much easier. To make the soup a bit more filling, you can also cook diced potatoes, adding them to the broth some time before the fish and vegetables. This won’t be more authentic, but it goes well with the soup!