Fish Soup
In Greece fishing plays a huge part in the country's economy, and diet.
St. Nickolas is the saint who is looking after all sailors, and you will find many small churches, dedicated to the Saint, all around Greece close to the ports.
After I left Greece one of my uncles got a small fishing vessel. Apparently he had a stroke, his wife with their four young children took over. Through all those years I have seen them posting pictures of some weird fishes I had never seen before. When I went back to Greece in 2019, I sure got treated.
The taste, and the smell of the salty waters is something I am missing here in Canada. Although, we have a Greek store in Penticton, not all kinds of fish are available there, and you cannot transfer that smell you breath-in while walking by the fish agora, or a port where the fishermen are coming out of the sea, in Greece.
From smelt to sharks. There's so many different kinds, and so many different ways to cook a fish. In my household fish soup is the favourite one. My oldest daughter can eat it for days, if she leaves any leftovers the first day.
There are few different ways to make a fish soup. Kakavia is consisted from fish bones and heads. Different kids of fish is used across Greece.
When I first moved to Canada I made a fish soup, and my father-in-law loved it. After my mother-in-law who was out of country came back, he was asking for my soup but she will not tell me until she had enough of his nagging. After trying my soup she was sold. She could eat the soup without chocking on bones, and heads, and I don't know what else. She would advocate for my soup as well.
That's how you make the fish soup? My sister-in-law will exclaim years later, here in Kelowna. This I can eat it.
I truly hope you will enjoy my recipe as much as this family has for many many years.
Yours truly,
Sofia Simeonidis
You might have heard. Greek cooks never calculate portions. You add as much as you believe it will be enough to feed your family, and/or your whole community!
Ingredients:
potatoes, cut in four
carrots, sliced about a finger thick
celery
onions
rice for soup
fish
salt, pepper
olive oil
Directions:
I hope you have big pots!
Put two pots with enough water on the stove to start boiling. You can add salt/pepper/oil after you add your main ingredients, or towards the end, as they say it's better.
1. Add veggies in one of the pots. When ready, to your liking, place them on a platter. Leave the water on the low. I strain the water, so big pieces of veggies are not left inside.
2. Add the fish in the other pot when the water starts boiling. Make sure it is covered with water. When ready place it in the platter with the veggies, or in a separate one as you might want to clean skin, and bones before adding it into your plate.
3. In the veggie water add the rice to make the soup. Add some more salt/pepper/olive oil, as needed. Make sure the soup is not thick, it should have at least 3 extra cups of water when is done. If you add fish water it needs more.
In Greece we have a nice fish that has only one big bone. Here, in Canada, I have not found something similar, so I use whole salmon. Either is clean, or you have to clean the scales and the cavity before placing it in the pot. I used to use some of the fish water for the soup, as it gives a nice taste to it, however, it gives a thick “jelly” feel, as well, to the leftovers, if there's leftovers. You might want to try it once, and decide for yourselves.
Depending on the size, one potato, one carrot is more than enough for a person. I add one extra. We do not like to eat the celery, neither the onions, so I boil them as bigger pieces, and puree them with the extra(usually the most broken (discoloured) potatoes, some carrots and add them into the soup water.
(Avgolemono) recipe
Ingredients
warm broth from your prepared soup
juice from 2–3 lemons, I use more
1 egg, 2 if you are making a big pot
Instructions
1. To prepare the Avgolemono recipe, start by adding the egg white into a bowl and whisk well, to get a frothy look. Then add the yellow.
2. Gradually add the lemon juice and whisk again to combine.
3. Add a little of the warm soup water and whisk quickly, add more and whisk again, until your plate/bowl is full. The reason for slowly adding the broth is to gradually warm up the eggs so you don’t end up with an omelette instead of a sauce!
Until you get used to it is better to do the next step with a partner. One is holding the bowl, and the other is mixing the pot. Use some of the soup juice to “rinse” your bowl into the soup.
4. Pour gradually the egg mixture back into the pot, while constantly stirring and bring just below boiling point. Remove the pan from the stove and serve.
In Greece if the soup ends up looking the way the Chinese rice looks it is counted as a failure. I remember the whole food going into the garbage for that reason, especially if was to be served to guests, or customers.
Serving:
In a bowl, or cup with a lid add some olive oil and lemon juice(yes lemon goes amazing in the soups) and shake it vigorously.
Pour some of the mixture over the veggies, and the fish. Keep some lemon mixture to add to your plates. (Oh it gives so much more taste. I prefer to add extra lemon than salt, especially on my soups). Place the platter on the table with a fork for the fish, and a spoon for the veggies.
Add some soup, veggies, fish, in your plate, bon appetit!