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The Great Salmon Soup
From Siggi Hall, Master Chef
This soup has its origins in the famous salmon river in Kjos where I was the chef for a quite a while for salmon fishermen and still am occasionally. This is a real angler's soup. In Kjos, tradition demanded that the first salmon that were caught and brought ashore be used in this soup which was then served at lunchtime.
At first the fishermen tried to hide their salmon because they wanted to take it home, but eventually it turned into a race to be the guy who caught the salmon for the soup.
This is a big soup with a big name, leaving no room for compromise when it is cooked. There is butter and cream and alcohol. The extra calories are compensated for, however, since the salmon and vegetables are fresh and very wholesome, not to mention the extra invigoration stemming from unspoiled nature, fresh air and a long hard day's fishing. Even where those ingredients are missing, this soup is perfect to serve then entertaining at home. It may well be served by itself or with some crispy salad and freshly baked bread or with other dishes, either as a part of a menu or on a buffet.
Ingredients:
8-12 pound salmon, cut into boneless filets. Bones, head (with gills removed) and all excess cuts are used in the fond.
Fond:
bones, head and excess cuts from the salmon
1-2 carrots, depending on size
2 green apples
1/2 green leek
3 celery sticks
1/2-1 red pepper, depending on size
1/2 tsp thyme
3-4 bay leaves
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp mild curry
3 dl white wine
2 litres chicken stock
1-2 tbsp butter
The soup:
the fond
beurre-maine (100 gr flour + 150 gr. butter)
1/2 litre cream
3 cl port
3 cl brandy or vodka
salt and white pepper from the mill
pinch of powdered cayenne pepper
2-3 red onions, depending on size, cut lengthwise into boats
1/2 zucchini, cut in half lenthwise and then sliced
1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 peppers, red, yellow and green, sliced
1/3 green leek (the green part), sliced
1 tsp butter
1/3 tsp thyme
the boneless filets of salmon, cut into 2x2 cm sized cubes.
Method:
Cut the bones, the head and the excess cuts from the salmon into pieces. Cut the vegetables for the fond into big pieces. Melt the butter in a big stockpot. Add the bones and vegetables. Sauté with spice and herbs. Pour over the white wine and finally the chicken stock (it may easily be from a can or made from cubes). Simmer for about 30 minutes, removing all excess froth and fat from the top. After cooking, let the fornd stand without cooking for another 30 minutes. Remove most of the bones and cuts with a fish spatula and then strain the bouillon two times; first through a coarse sive and then through a fine one (or use a cloth). Pout the fond into a big soup- or stockpot.
Mix the buerre-manie (it should be rather thin and running; this gives better taste from the butter and less risk of clumps in the soup). Take the pot from the heat and pour in the buerre-maine, stirring constantely with a whip until right thickness is achieved (the right thickness is a matter of taste, but here's a tip: if the soup is to be served as a starter or with other food, then avoid having it very thick, and likewise, if it is served as the only dish, make it a little thicker.)
Pour in the cream, addin salt and white pepper from the mill if needed.
Sauté the vegetables lightly in butter with the thyme in another pan.
Finally, just before the soup is served, add the vegetables, the cayenne pepper and the alcohol into the very hot soup. Do the very last taste test (does it perhaps need some more wine, some port, some more brandy or vodka, a little salt and some white pepper from the mill?). Add the salmon cubes into the very hos soup, stirring very carefully with a wooden spoon over the heat for about 3 minutes.
Serve the soup very hot in beautiful bowl, preferably with a lid, or even straight out of the pot if it looks nice.
Wine suggestinon:
Very old Chardonnay
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Enjoy,
All the best
Harpa, harpa@lax-a.is
