Go Back

Hungarian Fisherman's soup

Fisherman's soup is one of the most famous and popular dishes in Hungarian Cuisine, particularly in summer and on Christmas Eve. It's made with freshwater river fish which has resulted in there being two basic versions from each areas beside the two major Hungarian rivers, the Danube and the Tisza. This recipe is popular along the banks of the Tisza and it's called Tiszai Halászlé. Traditionally, fisherman's soup is made outside in a cauldron hanging on chain from a tripod over an open fire, but these days it's made on the hob too. It takes a long time to cook the stock - but this can be made in advance, even the day before the meal. It is served with dried chilli pepper or hot green pepper, pickled cherry peppers or stuffed pepper with cabbage. This hearty fish soup is normally followed by Hungarian desserts such asTúrós tésztaorMákos guba.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 8 people
Cuisine: Mid&East European
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg of mixed small river fish
  • 1 medium carp about 1 kg
  • 2 large onions
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 large ripe tomato
  • 2 Tbsp sweet paprika
  • Salt fat, oil

Method
 

  1. Clean all the small fish - make sure they are scaled and gutted properly.
  2. Now turn your attention to the carp. Cut off the head and the fins & tail and take out the gallbladder, any eggs/sperm and liver. Set all these aside for making the stock. Make sure no gills, eyes or the big "bitter" teeth stay in the head! Cut the carp's body into 2-3 cm thick slices, season with salt and let them rest in the refrigerator.
  3. Coarsely chop the peppers and tomatoes. Finely chop the onion.
  4. Heat a little oil in a large, heavy based saucepan and fry the onion until soft. Add the tomatoes and pepper, simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Add the cleaned small fish and carp bits you set aside (but not the main salted slices) and add water to cover the fish well.
  6. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with a little ground paprika. You can add a fish stock cube too.
  7. Bring to the boil - take off the froth with a finely spotted spoon then, at low temperature, cook for 1-2 hours. It is ready when the flesh falls off the main bone and the steam from the stock is dense.
  8. Push the stock through a sieve - trying to make sure no little bones get through accidentally - and it's worth blending it with a hand-held blender or in a liquidizer.
  9. Pour the soup back into a pot or cauldron, bring to the boil, then add the remaining paprika and carefully place the carp slices back into the soup. Cook for 10-15 minutes, but don't stir it!
  10. Serve with bread and hot peppers.