26 September 2020
Russian Ukha. Simple Fisherman's Soup Recipe with Minimum Ingredients
I want to introduce you to one of the simplest and healthiest recipes of the Russian cuisine!
Ukha is a very old Russian dish, and for me it is always associated with the soup cooked on the open fire from freshly caught fish with minimum other ingredients.
Of course, it can also be cooked at home! Here I will describe step-by-step our family recipe and reveal you some secrets that will help you make the most deliciously flavored fish soup in less than 1 hour.
Ukha is a very old Russian dish, and for me it is always associated with the soup cooked on the open fire from freshly caught fish with minimum other ingredients.
Of course, it can also be cooked at home! Here I will describe step-by-step our family recipe and reveal you some secrets that will help you make the most deliciously flavored fish soup in less than 1 hour.
Cooking Ukha outdoors, photo yandex zen
About Ukha
Ukha has many varieties. While in most Russian restaurants and on the Internet, you will find Ukha recipes that combine white and red fish, in our households we mostly cook Ukha from white fish. It happens because red fish has always been more valuable in Russian kitchen and not easy to be caught. That said, if you happen to have some heads and bones of red fish, you can also use them to cook the broth for Ukha.
Traditional Ukha is cooked from all parts of freshly caught white fish with a few spices and only potatoes, onion, garlic and shot of vodka. Vodka helps the soup to remain clear and transparent. No fish parts are wasted, they will all be used to cook rich broth for your Ukha.
In our family, we often cook Ukha during summer weekend trips to cottages near lakes from fish that has just been caught, but it is also a dish that can suit any season!
About Ukha
Ukha has many varieties. While in most Russian restaurants and on the Internet, you will find Ukha recipes that combine white and red fish, in our households we mostly cook Ukha from white fish. It happens because red fish has always been more valuable in Russian kitchen and not easy to be caught. That said, if you happen to have some heads and bones of red fish, you can also use them to cook the broth for Ukha.
Traditional Ukha is cooked from all parts of freshly caught white fish with a few spices and only potatoes, onion, garlic and shot of vodka. Vodka helps the soup to remain clear and transparent. No fish parts are wasted, they will all be used to cook rich broth for your Ukha.
In our family, we often cook Ukha during summer weekend trips to cottages near lakes from fish that has just been caught, but it is also a dish that can suit any season!
Ingredients
1 kg of white fish (entire fish)
2 litres of water
2-3 potatoes
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
few black peppercorns
salt to your liking
few allspice berries (optional)
1 shot of vodka (optional)
chopped dill
1 kg of white fish (entire fish)
2 litres of water
2-3 potatoes
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
few black peppercorns
salt to your liking
few allspice berries (optional)
1 shot of vodka (optional)
chopped dill
The best fish for transparent Ukha is pikeperch, it will also make it jelly-like when cold, with other types of fish the broth may become too cloudy. Do not get upset – it will not change the taste of your soup and you can still make it more transparent by putting egg whites into the hot (but not boiling) fish broth and straining the broth through a sieve.
My cat is participating in the process
Step 1. First, clean and gut your fish, then separate heads, fins, tails and bones from it and set the meaty part of the fish inside. Put the heads, tails and bones of the fish into a pot and cover them with water. You will need to have around 2 litres of water for each kilo of your fish.
Put the pot into the max heat. Just before the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and gently separate the foam that will appear on its surface, and throw the foam away. Add bay leaves, peppercorns and allspice into the pot, continue cooking on medium heat for 30 minutes.
In 30 minutes strain the broth through a sieve. Put the broth without any ingredients back to the pot. If your fish pieces have some fish meat on them, take it out and keep it aside, throw away all the rest.
Step 1. First, clean and gut your fish, then separate heads, fins, tails and bones from it and set the meaty part of the fish inside. Put the heads, tails and bones of the fish into a pot and cover them with water. You will need to have around 2 litres of water for each kilo of your fish.
Put the pot into the max heat. Just before the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and gently separate the foam that will appear on its surface, and throw the foam away. Add bay leaves, peppercorns and allspice into the pot, continue cooking on medium heat for 30 minutes.
In 30 minutes strain the broth through a sieve. Put the broth without any ingredients back to the pot. If your fish pieces have some fish meat on them, take it out and keep it aside, throw away all the rest.
If you have small fish, gut it and add entire pieces to the pot where you already have fish heads, tails and bones. It will add flavour and substance to your broth.
Step 2. Cut fish that you have put aside either into cutlets (fish steaks) or into fillets, take larger bones out if you can. it is NOT necessary to take the fish skin off, just make sure that you scale it well. Peel and cut potatoes into large pieces – these could be wedges, cubes, quarters, but all pieces should be uniform. Cut onion into wedges. Chop garlic into small pieces.
Step 3. Put your fish cutlets or fillets into the broth, season it with salt and pepper (only if your broth is not yet spicy enough). In 5 minutes after than add potatoes, cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Step 4. Once your potatoes are crispy, but not raw and not overcooked, add chopped onion and a shot of vodka, cook for another 5 minutes. Taste the broth again and add some extra salt if necessary. Do not overcook the onion, it should stay crispy and elastic.
Step 5. Add chopped garlic and some cooked fish meat that you might have had left from your step 1. As soon as the soup boils, immediately remove it from the heat – your Ukha is ready!
Step 6. Put a bowl with chopped dill on the table and add it to your liking into the plates with Ukha. Dill goes perfectly well with fish soups.
Step 3. Put your fish cutlets or fillets into the broth, season it with salt and pepper (only if your broth is not yet spicy enough). In 5 minutes after than add potatoes, cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Step 4. Once your potatoes are crispy, but not raw and not overcooked, add chopped onion and a shot of vodka, cook for another 5 minutes. Taste the broth again and add some extra salt if necessary. Do not overcook the onion, it should stay crispy and elastic.
Step 5. Add chopped garlic and some cooked fish meat that you might have had left from your step 1. As soon as the soup boils, immediately remove it from the heat – your Ukha is ready!
Step 6. Put a bowl with chopped dill on the table and add it to your liking into the plates with Ukha. Dill goes perfectly well with fish soups.
Although most Ukha recipes contain carrots, do not add it if you cook your Ukha from white fish. White fish is quite sweet on its own, by adding carrots you will make it extra sweet.
Will Your Ukha Smell of Fire?
Well, if you don't cook your Ukha outdoors on the open fire, but you still want to add some smoky taste to it and you happen to have a fireplace in your house, here is another tip that you can try. Take a small steaming birch log and dip its end in your soup for a second! My father claims that putting out a birch log in your Ukha will also make it more transparent. I can't guarantee that trick with any other type of wood!
Well, if you don't cook your Ukha outdoors on the open fire, but you still want to add some smoky taste to it and you happen to have a fireplace in your house, here is another tip that you can try. Take a small steaming birch log and dip its end in your soup for a second! My father claims that putting out a birch log in your Ukha will also make it more transparent. I can't guarantee that trick with any other type of wood!
Now you know that if you cook fish, you can separate and freeze its head and tail, and use it later for your Ukha. This way, you won't spare a single part of your fish. Our Ukha will help you be more sustainable and use all the parts of the fish, do not waste anything.
I hope that you will like this simple and delicious recipe and that you will take a look at our other typical Russian recipes, and let us know how it goes!
And if you are planning to come to Russia one day, take a look at our tour ideas and find some inspiration in our blog!
Text by Alexandra Carusel Tours
And if you are planning to come to Russia one day, take a look at our tour ideas and find some inspiration in our blog!
Text by Alexandra Carusel Tours