Fine fresch-water fish soup
This is not a traditional recipe, or at least not in its preparation (our grandmothers would have probably just thrown all the fish that wasn’t going to be dried or soused directly in a large pot, without too many frills), to the “compulsory” ingredients, I have added something of the places I love, of the cuisines I appreciate, of the raw materials I prefer working with.
Ingredients: (for 2/3 people)
- 400g mixed fresh-water fish (trout, char, sturgeon, pikeperch…) – eviscerated and scaled
- Potatos, 1 rather large
- 1 bunch tarragon
- 1 good glass of Prosecco (Valdobbiadene)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 leek
- 1 carrot
For the court bouillon:
- Carrot, celery, onion
- 1 or 2 cherry tomatoes
- 1 piece of lemon peel
- Black peppercorns
- Parsley
Preparation
First, you need to prepare a basic court bouillon: in a pot add a slice of a peeled onion, half a celery stick, a cut up carrot, a squashed cherry tomato, the lemon peel and the peppercorns. Add about 1,5l of water and simmer until it reduces by a third. At this point, add the fish cut in large pieces and cook for a few minutes.
Carefully take the fish out of the broth, strain it and leave it aside.
Put the finely chopped celery, carrot and onion in another pan; as soon as they start browning, add the cut up potato and the thinly sliced leek. Deglaze with the prosecco, add the chopped tarragon, the bay leaf and the court bouillon. Once the vegetables are almost soggy and the broth is sufficiently reduced, add the fish so that it will absorb the flavour without overcooking.
Great served hot with crusty garlic bread or buttered polenta
Tips & Tricks
- I have used fine fish; you can use any kind of fresh-water fish, just keep in mind that other kinds will have more bones and will be trickier to eat.
- Since this is a delicate product, I have opted for a shorter cooking time for the fish, dipping it in a reduced broth that has then been used to cook the soup.
Find my other recipes at myiummy.