Bojti halikraleves (spawn soup for lent)
8 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | eaches | Carrots |
| 2 | eaches | Parsnips |
| 2 | mediums | Onions |
| 1 | small | Celery knob |
| 1 | teaspoon | Salt |
| 2 | eaches | Bay leaves |
| 5 | eaches | Peppercorns, black |
| 1 | tablespoon | Butter, unsalted |
| 1 | tablespoon | Flour, all-purpose |
| 1 | pinch | Paprika |
| ½ | pounds | Fish fillet; small pieces |
| 1 | each | Fish head |
| 1 | pounds | Spawn (fish roe) |
| 2 | tablespoons | Vinegar, wine, white |
| ¼ | cup | Sour cream |
Directions
Peel vegetables and cut into small pieces, and together with salt, bay leaves and peppercorns cook them in 2 qts water till they are almost soft.
Make a roux with butter and flour, cook for only a few minutes, leaving it very light. Add paprika and whip ½ cup cold water into the roux.
Pour roux into the vegetable mixture and bring again to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer.
Add fish pieces and fish head, and simmer soup for 10 minutes. Add spawn and cook for another 5 minutes.
Pour in the vinegar; just before serving stir in the sour cream.
Adjust salt and vinegar to your taste.
Note: During Lent most Hungarians eat a lot of fish. There are almost always little bits of fish meat, bones and heads left over and that's when this soup would be a good beginning for a Lenten meal.