Szegedi halászléSzeged fish soup

• 1.5 kg3.3 lb whole carp (ponty), scaled and gutted; body cut into 3 cm steaks, head, tail, fins and backbone kept for the stock
• 600 g1.3 lb other Tisza fish: catfish (harcsa), pike (csuka), pike-perch (süllő) or sterlet (kecsege), cut into thick pieces; trimmings kept for the stock
• 700 g1.5 lb small whole white fish (keszeg, bream) and extra fish heads and bones, gills removed; this gives the stock its body
• 400 g14 oz yellow onions (Makó onions are the local choice), roughly chopped
• 2.5 l10.5 cups cold water
• 4 tbsp Szeged sweet ground paprika, divided
• 1–2 tsp hot ground paprika, Szeged halászlé is meant to have a bite
• salt, about 1 tbsp, to taste
• 2–3 hot cherry peppers or green chillies, optional, to serve
• white bread, to serve

Method

1. 1

   1. Salt the carp and other fish steaks lightly and keep them cold.

2. 2

   2. Put the carp head, tail, fins and backbone, the trimmings of the other fish and the small whole fish in a large pot with the onion.

3. 3

   3. Cover with the cold water, bring to the boil and skim off the foam.

4. 4

   4. Stir in 2 tbsp of the sweet paprika, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour, until the onion has melted and the small fish have fallen apart.

5. 5

   5. Pass everything through a food mill or press it through a sieve with a ladle (passzírozás), working the soft onion and fish flesh through so that the stock becomes thick and opaque; discard the bones and skin left behind.

6. 6

   6. Return the strained stock to a wide, clean pot and bring it back to the boil; it should be about 2 l, so add a little water if it has reduced too far.

7. 7

   7. Add the remaining sweet paprika and the hot paprika, then lay in the carp and other fish steaks in one layer.

8. 8

   8. Simmer briskly for 15 minutes without stirring, shaking the pot from time to time, until the fish is just cooked through.

9. 9

   9. Taste and adjust the salt; the broth should be thick, deep red and peppery.

10. 10

    10. Serve each person a few pieces of fish in plenty of broth, with white bread and fresh hot peppers on the side.