Finnish fish soup is not a Russian fish soup. It is served in restaurants, the dish is known all over the world and is fundamentally different from the usual version for us. What is it about him?
Let's start with the main thing - the cost of Finnish fish soup
If in Russia soups were prepared from simple and cheap products (it is even better when they are caught or grown on their own), then for the Finnish fish soup they chose the highest quality and best ingredients. At the heart of fish fillet, but only salmon. It is cut into small pieces. In the Russian dish, large parts of carcasses are often used.
What fish is used for finnish fish soup:
- salmon;
- chum;
- trout.
It can be replaced by more affordable pink salmon, but in no case crucian carp or pike. This fish in the Finnish ear does not belong. Even the broth for it is prepared from salmon heads, ridges and other illiquid parts. In addition to red fish, other not the cheapest products are also used, about them below. So, you can’t name Finnish fish soup a budget dish.
Vegetables in the Russian and Finnish ear
No soup is cooked without vegetables. They give taste and aroma, thicken the broth, are almost the main ingredient after fish. Therefore, it is important to lay them according to all the rules, they have their own for the Finnish fish soup.
Highlights:
- In the Finnish ear, carrots and onions are slightly fried, usually olive oil is used for this. The Russian dish is cooked without sautéing, the vegetables are immediately thrown into the pan.
- The fried vegetables are added to the broth very first, sometimes they are made in a pan, pour boiling broth, only then the rest of the ingredients are introduced.
- Potatoes are always added to this dish, but laid in small pieces. Whole potatoes or halves, as is customary when cooking Russian fish soup, are not used.
- Finnish dish seasoned with a small amount of dill. Parsley, cilantro and other too fragrant greens are not used. Russian dishes are seasoned with what is in the kitchen according to the principle "the more the better."
- Tomatoes, peppers. These ingredients are found in both the Russian and the Finnish ear. In both cases, they are laid directly in the pan, no need to fry in advance. If desired, peels are removed from tomatoes.
Unlike river fish, salmon has a sophisticated aroma, it is important to emphasize it, and not to kill.
For this reason, when cooking the broth, it uses vegetables, onion husks, various spices, as is customary to do during the preparation of broth from river fish. Also, Finnish soup is never seasoned with vodka. The smell of tina is usually removed with this ingredient; salmon does not have it.
Creamy broth: how is it?
Another feature of Finnish fish soup is cream. They are certainly added to the fish stock, not to the water. The broth is prepared from illiquid parts of red fish. No need to try to replace broth from river rocks. It will simply ruin the aroma of Finnish fish soup.
What replace the cream:
- milk
- soft cheese;
- hard cheese.
Sometimes cheese and cream are used together or it is mixed with milk, but the Finnish ear is never cooked on ordinary fish broth.
This is an opaque soup, which is its highlight.
Is it an ear or porridge? Should cereal be added
A feature of Russian soup is the addition of various cereals. They give satiety and rich broth. Finnish food is not needed. No cereals or other thickeners are introduced into it. The dish never “stands a spoon”, but at the same time it is satisfying by adding cream to the broth.
What cereals are introduced into the Russian ear:
- millet;
- rice
- barley;
- semolina.
All of them are perfectly combined with fish and vegetables. If the choice falls on pearl barley, then it is prepared separately, then introduced into a common dish.
Haze refueling
Another feature of the Finnish fish soup is the absence of haze. It is customary to cook a Russian dish at the stake, which gives a special flavor.
At home, it is "filled" with smoke.
To do this, use wooden lights, which are lit, and then stewed in broth.
Finnish dish of tender salmon can be ruined by this. For refueling, it is better to use a slice of lemon or citrus zest.
Classic finnish ear with cream and salmon
If all housewives know how to cook Russian fish soup, there is nothing complicated in this dish, then the Finnish dish requires certain knowledge. Here is a step-by-step classic recipe that any housewife can handle. At the heart of fish fillet. For the broth, carcass parts unsuitable for other dishes are used.
Ingredients
- 200 g of salmon (fillet);
- 35 ml of olive oil;
- 1 carrot;
- 1 white onion;
- 3 potatoes;
- 2 laurels;
- 5 peas of pepper;
- 200 ml cream 15%;
- 20 g of dill;
- head, ridge, fins.
Cooking method
- For the broth, you need a head and other illiquid pieces. We thoroughly rinse them with running water, put them in a saucepan (volume 2 liters), fill them with water and boil for about half an hour, remove the foam. We do this regularly to get a clear broth.
- The broth is filtered through a fine sieve or several layers of gauze. We wash the saucepan inside, as plaque and foam gather on the walls. Pour the broth into it and put on the stove.
- In olive oil, fry the diced onion and carrot. Transfer to boiling broth and salt.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes. Add to the broth, start cooking the ear. At the same time, we cut into cubes the fillet of salmon or other salmon fish.
- As soon as the potatoes are almost ready, add red fish. Cook exactly five minutes. You should not do this longer, otherwise the whole taste will go into the water. No need to be afraid that the fish will not have time to cook, small pieces of salmon this time is enough.
- Pour the cream into the pan with the Finnish ear. We try on salt, add. Crush peas of pepper, throw along with laurel. Cut dill, add next.
- We give the Finnish ear a boil and immediately turn off the stove. Cover, leave for ten minutes. When serving, you can throw a slice of lemon.
In addition to this recipe, there are options for Finnish fish soup with shrimp, squid and other seafood. All of them radically differ from the traditional Russian soup in appearance and appearance. There is nothing in common between them, except that the fish in the composition and the common name "ear".
