Last summer my mother showed me how to make a simple, flavorful fish soup. We had bought sea breams for the barbecue; they were gutted and cleaned at the supermarket but still had their heads on. My mother insisted keeping the heads was a good idea because they make a quick, delicious soup. She made it and it turned out wonderfully.
Since then, whenever I buy fresh fish I ask for the heads so I can make this soup — it’s a great way to use every part of the fish and get two dishes from one purchase: soup and barbecue. If you prefer, you can use whole fillets instead, or freeze the heads until you have enough to make the stock.
I considered making halászlé, the traditional Hungarian carp-based fisherman’s soup, but decided to stick with my mother’s simple version for now. It’s adaptable to whatever fish you have available and is especially convenient when the heads are on hand.
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Fisherman’s Soup
Ingredients
- 4-5 Sea Bream Heads (or any fish heads; more heads = stronger flavor)
- 2 tbsp Paprika
- 1 Small Onion
- A Pinch of Pepper
- Salt to taste
- A Few Sprigs of Parsley
- 1 Large Tomato , skinned
- 1 Green Pepper
- 2-3 tbsp Sunflower Oil
Instructions
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Bring about 1 liter of water to a boil in a saucepan and add the fish heads. Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 10–15 minutes. When the meat becomes tender, remove the heads and let them cool. Reserve the fish stock.
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Heat the oil in a large pot. Add finely diced onion and the green pepper (sliced or diced) and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the paprika and cook for another minute or two to bloom the spice.
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Strain the reserved fish stock through a fine sieve to remove bones and pour it into the pot. Add the diced, skinned tomato and any cooked fish meat you removed from the heads (see notes). Add more water if needed and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
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Stir in finely chopped parsley just before serving. Serve hot with crusty bread.
Happy Cooking with Happy Foods Tube!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and may vary based on ingredient brands, substitutions, and portion sizes.