Halászlé

Fisherman's soup

A plate of fisherman's soup with carp
Type	Soup
Place of origin	Hungary
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Fish (carp or mixed river fish), paprika, vegetables (red onions, green peppers, tomatoes)

Fisherman's soup or halászlé (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈhɒlaːsleː]) is a hot, spicy paprika-based river fish soup, originating as a dish of Hungarian cuisine, a bright-red hot soup prepared with generous amounts of hot paprika and carp or mixed river fish, characteristic for the cuisines of the Pannonian Plain, particularly prepared in the Danube and Tisza river regions. With its generous use of hot paprika, halászlé is arguably one of the hottest (spicy hot) dishes native to the European continent.

The dish is a famous soup, and often consumed by tourists and locals. An important ingredient in Fisherman's Soup is in the court bouillon, which adds significant flavor. To prepare the soup base, fish trimmings are used, fresh carp heads, bones, skin and fins. These are boiled with water, salt and vegetables (red onions, green peppers and tomatoes) for two hours. When ready, the court bouillon is strained. Hot ground paprika and two finger-thick carp fillets, the roe and coral is added, ten minutes before serving, to the boiling soup.

Fisherman's Soup variations

Traditionally, the soup is prepared in small kettles on open fire on the river banks by fishermen. Fisherman's soup in kettle is prepared with fresh fish on the place. When prepared in kettles, first, chopped onion is fried in the kettle with some oil until it is caramelized. Then, ground paprika is added and the kettle is filled with water. When the water comes to a boil, other spices (such as black pepper, white wine, tomato juice) are added, and finally the fish, chopped into large pieces. Entire fish, including heads and tails, are often added to the soup. The soup is usually prepared with mixed fish, the most common species are common carp, catfish, perch and pike. Depending on the amount of added hot paprika the soup is mildly to very hot. The Hungarian soup is famous for being very hot and spicy.