Chowder – (Halászlé)

Chowder  -  (Halászlé)
Ingredients (6-8 servings):
2 carps (2 1/4 lb each), 1 heaping tablespoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon cherry pepper paste, salt, 6-7 medium red onions

Wash and fillet the fish. Remove the skin then cut the meat into 1/2” cubes and rub thoroughly with the paprika, cherry pepper paste and 1 teaspoon salt. Prepare the roe if the carps had any similarly. Covered, put the meat into the refrigerator. Peel the vegetables, cut the onions into thin slices. Place them into 2 1/2 quarts of water in a pot. Add the head and fish bones to it, add 1 tablespoon of salt then bring to a boil. Cover it leaving a small opening and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You can add some parsley, 1 tomato or green pepper if desired. Pull the pot to the side. Strain the broth then push the onion through a sieve and add to the broth. Remove the meat of the head bones, crush and add to the broth as well. Bring this thick fish broth to a boil then add the marinated fish cubes and the roe and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add salt to taste and finish it with hot cherry pepper for a real Hungarian taste.

Advice
– Chowder is often prepared in an iron kettle. To do this, prepare the stock of the head and bones, strain it (or crush it). Cut the fish crosswise into horseshoe shaped slices and cook those into the fish choader.
– Many people believe that real chowder is made of a number of different fishes. Clean and marinade the more prestigious ones
(as described with the carp). Others, like cat-fish, boil in the stock and crush.
– Since preparing fish chowder is quite time-consuming and a lot of work, prepare a larger amount and freeze it.
– The famous Baja Chowder is prepared the same way but it is enriched with a pasta made of the dough of eggs, flour and water cut into short, match-size strands.

Preparation time: 3 hours
One serving: 720 kJ/173 kcal