3. Balik Çorbasi (Turkish Tangy Fish Soup)
The Seasonal Cook in Turkey blog presents this dish from Angie Mitchell’s “Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen.” In certain parts of the Black Sea region, this recipe is still very common, bursting with a generous pour of lemon juice and a hint of saffron, just like it used to be served in the Ottoman Palace.
John Kessler, a food writer who wrote about the soup in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, calls it “bright, creamy, tangy, and unlike any other soup you’ll ever eat." He insisted, “You need a big, fresh fish with clear eyes, a nice smell, and a firm resistance when you bend its backbone.” His choice was a four-pound Caribbean snapper, orange-pink and shiny. This recipe allows readers to select their own, preferably local and fresh out of the water.
Tangy Fish Soup/Balık Çorbası (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients
- 450g/1lb whole fish of choice, cleaned and gutted (left whole)
- 1/2 onion (left whole)
- 1 garlic clove, roughly crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 1 bunch parsley/maydonoz (here in Turkey, they weigh approx 75g), stalks and leaves separated
- 1 bunch dill/dereotu (a little smaller than the parsley bunches), stalks and leaves separated
- 6 cups/1 1/2 litres water
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp plain white flour (I WOULD SAY HEAPED IF USING TURKISH FLOUR)
- juice of lemon
- 2 egg yolks
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- lemon wedges for serving
Method
- Place the fish, onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, dill and parsley stalks (chop the leaves for use as a garnish and set aside, there wil be lots of extra), water and a little salt in a pan. Poach gently – don't let the water boil fiercely – for about 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily from the bones. Try not to overcook as this will lose valuable flavour.
- Using a straining spoon, transfer the fish to a plate and set aside to cool.
- Strain the fish stock through a sieve into a clean pan, discarding the onion, peppercorns and herbs. When the fish is cool, peel the flesh away from the bones and add this to the fish stock. Reheat the stock gently and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the olive oil, flour, lemon juice and egg yolks. Into this mixture stir half a cupful of the fish stock.
- Whisk thoroughly, slowly adding a little more stock. Return this mixture to the pan, season with salt and pepper and stir over a gentle heat as the soup thickens. (It's the same idea as a bechamel: Stirring is the key. Take it slowly, adding and stirring bit by bit. Don't panic if it goes lumpy, with continuous stirring, the lumps will disssolve, and if they don't, you can always strain them away with a sieve).
- Serve garnished with parsley and dill, or sprinkle of chopped herbs, and a lemon wedge to squeeze on top.
