(Serves 10)

 

Ingredients:

3 onions finely chopped
1 cup oil
100ml white wine
200ml pureed tomatoes

2 litres of water

3 Fish stock cubes

A dash of vinegar
1 whole dried chilli
3 sachets fish soup spices*
At least 500g of 2-3 kinds of freshwater white fish, including heads and tails of carp and catfish,

Some freshwater fish roe (mashed).  

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:

Heat the oil, add onions and sauté until golden.
Add 3 sachets of fish soup spices and stir well, add water and bring to the boil. When the water boils, remove it from the fire and add salt, pepper, stock, tomato juice, wine, dried chilli pepper (do not chop!) and some vinegar.  Check the taste.  Return to the fire and bring back to the boil, then remove from the fire and add the fish and mashed roe.
Reduce fire and cook for 10 minutes. Do not stir or the fish will crumble.
The soup should be spicy, sour and salty.

 

Tips:

- cook it outdoors, preferably by the river,

- use an bronze cauldron (see pic) as it gives special flavour to the dish,

 

 

*  “Fish soup spices” was in the original Serbian version of the recipe.  These may only be available in specialist shops.  If unavailable substitute with a mixture of Hungarian paprika and Vegeta seasoning.