Cooks' Corner

[Arykana]

Carp are regarded as serious environmental pest in some of Australia's inland water ways.

What a pity. In Germany where I come from, carp is a delicacy eaten for Christmas if you can afford it; well it used to be when I was young, don't ask...

Yes, you cannot have Christmas without carp and still expensive!
here: http://arykana.lapunk.hu/?modul=oldal&tartalom=884956 look for fisherman's soup and we made it breded and fried also
Preparation
A plate of Fisherman's Soup with carp

The dish is a famous soup, and often consumed by tourists and locals. An important ingredient in Fisherman's Soup[1] is in the court bouillon, which adds significant flavor. To prepare the soup base, fish trimmings are used, fresh carp heads, bones, skin and fins. These are boiled with water, salt and vegetables (red onions, green peppers and tomatoes) for two hours. When ready, the court bouillon is strained. Hot ground paprika and two finger-thick carp fillets, the roe and coral is added, ten minutes before serving, to the boiling soup.

Fisherman's Soup variations[2]

    * Fisherman's Soup a la Szeged. Four different kinds of fish are used. The usual ratio is 1.5 pound (800 g) carp, 1 pound (500g) catfish, 0.5 pound (350g) sturgeon and 0.5 pound (350g) pike or perch.
    * Hell's Pub style Fisherman's Soup[3] or Drinker's Fisherman Soup. Bay leaf flour, sour cream and a small amount of lemon juice is mixed into the hot soup. Garnished with lemon rings.

    * Fisherman's Soup a la Paks. Home made thin soup pasta called csipetke is added.

Traditionally, the soup is prepared in small kettles on open fire on the river banks by fishermen. Fisherman's soup in kettle is prepared with fresh fish on the place. When prepared in kettles, first, chopped onion is fried in the kettle with some oil until it is caramelized. Then, ground paprika is added and the kettle is filled with water. When the water comes to a boil, other spices (such as black pepper, white wine, tomato juice) are added, and finally the fish, chopped into large pieces. Entire fish, including heads and tails, are often added to the soup. The soup is usually prepared with mixed fish, the most common species are common carp, catfish, perch and pike. Depending on the amount of added hot paprika the soup is mildly to very hot. The Hungarian soup is famous for being very hot and spicy[4].

The soup is poured directly from the kettle into the plates and eaten with bread (the spicier the soup, the more bread is required).

Many people, especially fishermen, regard the preparation of fish soup as somewhat secretive. Although the recipe is basically simple, the "right" ratio of spices, onion, fish (its quality and variety) and water, as well as timing, affect the soup taste significantly. Many dedicated fishermen regarded their recipe as a highly-kept secret.

Competitions in preparing the soup are popular and are usually held at fairs or picnics along river coast. Visitors are offered to taste the soup for money or for free; the quality is determined by public or committee and (un)success of competitors is often subject of mutual teasing.

The soup is best accompanied by dry white wine (such as Riesling), which may be diluted with soda water. The combination of wine and soda water (a wine spritzer) is called fröccs in Hungarian or špricer in Serbian and Croatian from the German word spritz, which imitates the sound made by soda water as it fizzes out of the dispenser.

[Arykana]

freesh and warm

[annew]

It smells lovely!

[Kristl Walek]

I now live in a climate where the fruit of Cydonia oblonga (Quince) ripens.

Jam has been done....but can anyone give me their favorite recipe for a Quince Tart?

(I have already been on the internet for this---but I want *yours*)

Rodger?

[Arykana]

I love the chatney I made from quince and the bissajt - mean cheese from quince

[Maggi Young]

I love the chatney I made from quince and the bissajt - mean cheese from quince

Yes, we have that quince cheese in the UK as well, Erika. I think it is popular all over the  Mediterranean are too?  Not really a "cheese" but a sort of solid jam ?


Good crop, Kristl!

[Brian Ellis]

Don't forget to put a few slices of quince in an apple tart, makes a lot of difference

[Lesley Cox]

Not really a "cheese" but a sort of solid jam ?

What we call quince paste. Superb with a cracker biscuit and a chunk of blue cheese.

[Arykana]

yes, this quince pasta/cheese very popular - because really good

OH, and try to this: slice very thin the quince, put in a big jar, spread sugar and vanilla  on it, some cinnamon and clove, fill up the jar with good white rum or vodka - whisky if nothing else at home, before Christmas filter the liquid and drink for me  

[Anthony Darby]

Not that would be interesting: quince pasta!

[Arykana]

  would you like the recipe? 

[Lesley Cox]

OH, and try to this: slice very thin the quince, put in a big jar, spread sugar and vanilla  on it, some cinnamon and clove, fill up the jar with good white rum or vodka - whisky if nothing else at home, before Christmas filter the liquid and drink for me  

I shall definitely be trying this, as soon as quinces are back in season in the south. For those amongst us (not many, I'm sure) who may find the vodka/rum/whisky a bit much, the thin slices of quince bottled with sugar and vanilla and cinnamon/cloves, would also be delicious, just easten in the fingers or on ice cream or in a cake filling. I guess the sugar would liquify to become a thick, quincy syrup. Mmmmmmmm.

[Arykana]

yes, something worth to test - it won't be strong

[Brian Ellis]

Quince was also put in chests of drawers in the old days to scent the clothes

[Anthony Darby]

would you like the recipe? 

Yes please.