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The most popular kind of fish soup in Russia is called “Uha”, and there are a large number of uha recipes; it depends on what the region is, which types of fish are in the rivers and lakes, which greens are traditional for the place, and many small cooking details. Other kinds of fish soups are: “kalia”, “rassolnik”, “fish solanka”, “borzch with fish”, and “schi with fish”.
Before 18th century, people called “uha” many soups with grains, vegetables, noodles, and fish.
The most simple “uha” is an analog of the French and Spanish bisque. The difference is that commonly, people in Russia did not eat most of “frutti di Mare”, so uha could contain just fish, probably, some kinds of fish.
Ordinary uha is uha from one type of fish from one catch, of any size.
I will give you a recipe of the double uha, a more “noble” dish. By the way, triple uha was popular in Moscow in 19th century (uha from 3 types of fish.)
Double Starlet Uha - Soup
Ingredients for 8:
4 lb large starlet, preferably whole fish
2 lb whitefish, preferably whole fish
1 large shallot onion
1 large carrot
3 tbsp butter
1 parsley root
20 black peppers
Bunch of greens (dill and parsley)
Method:
Prepare fish: peel fish, remove the guts, gills (they give a bitter taste), and clean up the inner black film. Then wash, cut off fins and heads, and cut into large pieces.
Put cut fish into the boiling water for a few seconds, pull out the fish pieces, or pour out the boiling water, and pour cold water on.
Pour 3/4 gallon of water into a large pan, and bring it to boil.
Cut peeled onion and carrot into 4 parts, cut peeled parsley root into 2 parts. Take 1 part of carrot and grate it. Fry it with butter for 5 minutes.
Put onion, carrot, parsley root in the boiling water, then put black pepper, fish heads and fins in, and boil for about 10 minutes, removing the foam regularly.
Add fried carrot and boil for 5 minutes.
Then, filter the broth in another pan and bring to boil.
Put the broth fish cuts, reduce heating to low, and boil for about 10-12 minutes.
Add greens and serve.