Halaszle
What is Halaszle?
Halaszle, a Hungarian river fish soup is served all over Hungary, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Macedonia. It is a bright red soup that consists of paprika and mixed river fish.
How to make Halaszle ?
Often consumed by the tourists and even locals, this dish is famous all over Europe. An important ingredient is in the court bouillon which is nothing but a broth of the following ingredients. This adds a unique flavor to the dish.
The base of the soup is prepared with fish trimmings, fresh carp bones, skin, fins and fish head. These basics are boiled in water, salt and vegetables like red onions, tomatoes and green peppers for about two hours. The next step in the process is to strain the court bouillon, add hot ground paprika, the roe, coral and two finger thick fillets to the boiling soup just ten minutes before it’s served.
The History:
Traditionally, the fishermen cooked the Halaszle in a kettle on open fire with fresh fish on the banks of the river. Cooking Halaszle in a kettle is s completely different process. First the onions are fried in oil till it caramelizes. The ground paprika is added and the kettle is filled with water. When the water comes to boil, other spices like pepper, white wine and tomato juice are added. Finally, the chopped fish is added. The whole body including the head and tail are used. Normally, species of fish such as common carp, pike, catfish and perch are used.
Depending on the amount of paprika used, the soup is either mild or very hot. The soup is poured directly from the kettle to the plates and eaten with bread. Spicier soup requires more bread.
The recipe of fish soup is simple. However, the right ratio of spices, the quality and variety of fishes, the amount of water added and the timing affect the soup significantly. Therefore, many fishermen regard the preparation a secret tradition. Many fishermen regard their recipe a tradition, a secret kept well.
The Types: – Depending on the variety of fish used and the quantity, Halaszle has a number of types.
- Fisherman’s Soup A La Szeged:Four different types of fish are used in the preparation- carp, sturgeon, catfish and perch or pike.
- Hell’s Pub Style Fisherman’s Soup
Also called the Drinker’s fisherman soup, the additives used are bay leaf flour, small amount of lemon juice and sour cream. The soup is garnished with lemon rings. - Fisherman’s Soup A La Paks
In this variety, the only addition made is homemade pasta called Csipetke. It is a thin soup.
Competitions:
Fairs and picnics conducted on riversides in Hungary conduct competitions in soup making. The visitors are offered money to taste the soups. Winners are judged by a committee. Loss is often a matter of ridicule.
Accompaniments:
Spritzer, a combination of white wine and soda is a popular additive. It is called fröccs in Hungary or spricer in Serbia or spritz in Germany.
While Hungarian cuisine is predominantly meat foods, Halaszle is one of the few all fish recipes.
- Vishwadha Chander.
Tags: fish soup, fish soups, fisherman’s soup, halaszle, hungarian river fish soup, hungarian soups, river fish soup
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