Ucha – Russian fish soup

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 ½ liters of water
• 750 g fish(s) (leftovers)
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 carrot(s), diced
• 1 stalk(s) celery with leaves
• 1 stalk(s) leek, the white part
• 1 parsnip(s), peeled
• n. B. bay leaves
• Spice(s) of your choice
• salt and pepper
• ¾ liter white wine
• 3 potatoes, peeled
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 1 egg white
• ½ kg salmon fillet(s)
• 5 shallots, chopped
• n. B. Lemon(s) – slices, thin

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 50 minutes

Chop the vegetables for the stock. Place the water, leftover fish, onion, carrot, leek, celery, parsnip, spices, pepper, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil uncovered over high heat. Skim any foam that forms occasionally. Then put the lid on the pan, reduce the heat, and let the stock simmer gently for the next 35 minutes. Remove the stock from the heat and pour through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Press any solids remaining in the sieve against the sieve with the back of a spoon to press out the liquid. They are not pushed through the sieve; they are simply squeezed out and then discarded. Return the pan with the stock to the stove. Add the carrots and potatoes intended for the soup garnish, whole, to the stock along with the white wine. Once this liquid is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer the broth gently with the lid on until the soup garnishes are tender, about 25 minutes later. Pour the soup through a sieve into a clean pot again. Carefully remove the potatoes and carrots and set them aside, taking care not to mash them, as they will be used later as attractive soup garnishes. Discard any other solids collected in the sieve. Gently heat the soup over low heat for a few minutes, but do not boil. Add the egg whites. Whisk continuously and heat the broth until it boils. When the soup boils, the cooked egg whites will rise to the surface. At this point, remove the broth from the heat, cover, and let it steep for five minutes. Line a coarse sieve with a double-folded kitchen towel. Saturate the towel thoroughly with water and wring it out lightly. Pour the soup through the sieve lined with the cloth into a clean pot. Add the salmon fillets to the soup and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan. Season to taste. Cut the reserved potatoes into sticks and slice the reserved carrots. Toss the potatoes and carrots into the soup. Cut the fish fillets into bite-sized pieces and add them to the soup. Sprinkle the finished soup with chopped shallots and garnish with lemon slices.