Turkish Fish Soup (Balık çorbası)
Overview
Balık çorbası is a light fish soup made along Turkey's coasts, particularly around the Black Sea and Istanbul. Fish heads and bones are simmered into a stock, and fillets of white fish such as sea bass, grouper or whiting are poached in it with diced potato, carrot and onion. The soup is often thickened with an egg yolk and lemon liaison, which makes it creamy and fresh, and finished with parsley or dill. It is a good way to use the whole fish and is popular in seaside restaurants.
Pictures
History
Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides, and fishing communities have long made soups from small or less valuable fish and from heads and bones. Fish soup recipes vary between the Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, but the egg and lemon finish links them to the wider tradition of Turkish soups. Fish restaurants often serve it as a starter.
Main ingredients
White fish, potato, carrot, onion, egg yolk, lemon. The soup is built on fish stock and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~60 min
Ingredients
- 600 g white fish with head and bones
- 2 potatoes and 1 carrot, diced
- 1 onion
- 1 egg yolk, juice of 1 lemon
- 1.5 l water
- parsley or dill
Method
- Simmer fish heads and bones with onion in the water for 20 minutes and strain.
- Cook potatoes and carrot in the stock for 10 minutes.
- Add the fish fillets in pieces and poach for 5 minutes.
- Stir in tempered egg yolk and lemon off the boil and add herbs.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.