← Nouns Cooking · Soup Pot

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg whole carp, perch or catfish, filleted, heads, bones and tails kept
• 2 l Water
• 3 Onion, chopped
• 1 Hungarian wax or green pepper, half chopped, half cut into rings
• 2 Tomato, chopped
• 3 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
• ½ tsp hot paprika or cayenne
• 2 tsp Salt

Method

1. Cut the fillets into 4–5 cm pieces, salt them lightly and keep them in the fridge.
2. Put the heads, bones and tails in a large pot with the water, onions, chopped pepper and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 1 hour, until the onions have collapsed.
3. Press everything through a sieve back into the pot, pushing hard so the soft onion and fish pass through; this thickens the broth. Throw away what is left in the sieve.
4. Stir the sweet paprika and hot paprika into the broth and bring to a lively boil for 10 min, so it turns deep red and glossy. Season with salt.
5. Lower the heat, add the fish pieces and pepper rings and simmer gently for 10–12 min. Shake the pot instead of stirring so the fish stays whole.
6. Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread, and extra hot paprika for anyone who wants more fire.

Tips

• Watch for small bones in carp; tell everyone at the table, and use perch or catfish fillets if you prefer.
• Real Hungarian paprika makes all the difference; check it is fresh and bright red, not brown. Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate within 2 hours and reheat until piping hot.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

SBS Food Smithsonian Folklife Festival