Fish soup, called yushka or ukha (юшка or уха), is a classic dish, popular throughout Ukraine. This Black Sea Fish Soup, called Chornomorska (Black Sea) yushka, a version prepared along Ukraine’s southern shore where saltwater fish are abundant, can be easily prepared anywhere where fresh saltwater fish are available.
Yushka is one of the oldest dishes of Ukrainian cuisine. Although its origin is unknown, the method of preparing yushka has changed over the years. Legend has it that originally, fishermen prepared a cauldron of this soup from fresh whole fish on shore at the end of the day. Now, yushka is often prepared at home throughout the year, and it is an essential component of the Orthodox fasting diet.
The only element common to countless yushka recipes is the use of fresh, not frozen, fish. Any freshwater fish without small bones, such as carp varieties, chub, trout, eel, perch, catfish, walleye, whitefish and minnow, will make excellent fish stock. Suitable saltwater fish include whiting,, shad, sea bass, salmon, red snapper, redfish, seabream, anchovy, bonito, bluefish, mullet, turbot, flounder, grouper and sprat. In some recipes, shrimp and clams also are included. However, fish that create a cloudy broth (gudgeon, bleak, bream), have an unpleasant aroma (herring, mackerel), or are overly fatty (pompano) are usually avoided.
Every family has its method for preparing yushka. Simple recipes contain only fish, onions, salt and pepper. Some cooks add carrots, leeks and potatoes. In southern Ukraine, fresh tomatoes or tomato paste are added. In other regions, crayfish, milk, eggs, mushrooms and even cereals such as rice or millet are customary additions.
My family comes from Volyn, a region in the northwest corner of Ukraine far from the Black Sea, where yushka is prepared from dried fish or freshwater fish flavored with mushrooms, onions, carrots, herbs and sometimes cabbage. But along the Black Sea, yushka is prepared with a variety of saltwater fish, carrots, potatoes, peppers, herbs and spices and is served with salamur, a spicy condiment — a mixture of puréed bell peppers, chilis, tomatoes, garlic, herbs and salt so each diner can flavor the soup to taste. As an avid lover of tomatoes and saltwater fish, I prefer this light and spicy Black Sea Fish Soup.
How to make delicious fish stock?
A rich fish stock is the secret of an excellent yushka, and it is best made with at least three varieties of fish. To replicate Black Sea fish in this recipe, I use redfish, sheepshead and salmon, which adds a rich velvetiness to the stock.
Redfish
Sheepshead fish
Salmon
Yushka can be prepared as a rustic one-pot meal of cut-up fish, vegetables, and water as originally cooked by fishermen. Home cooks, however, have adopted and refined the recipe into a two-step process, which is how I prepare it. Homemade fish stock is quick to make in just two simple steps and yields a clear, robust stock that enhances the flavor of this Black Sea Fish Soup.
Traditionally, every part of the fish, except the guts, is used for making yushka. A good fish stock is prepared from fish scraps (heads, fish frames and tails). The fish are scaled, gutted, cut and filleted. The scraps are saved and used in making stock. (Many fishmongers will clean and fillet the fish and provide additional scraps for a richer broth for free or for a nominal cost.) The fillets are used in the finished soup.
At home, fish scraps and fillets are washed. Fillets are reserved for later use, but fish scraps are placed in a stockpot, scalded with boiling water, and steeped for six minutes to coagulate the albumin, which can cloud the stock. Then the boiling water is drained, fish scraps are rinsed and placed in a clean pot. Cold water is added for another hour of cooking with aromatics, herbs and spices to make a clear stock. Once cooled and strained through cheesecloth to remove tiny bones, the stock is ready to be transformed into fish soup by adding additional vegetables, aromatics and seasonings in sequence and, at the end of cooking, poaching pieces of boneless fillet.
Vegetables for stock and soup
What vegetables and herbs work best in fish soup?
This Black Sea Fish Soup is a light, low-calorie, colorful soup. Simple, tasty vegetables that hold their shape work best as they permit the fish to shine. Carrots enhance the soup’s flavor by imparting sweetness. Bell peppers add a sweet, mild taste and slightly grassy flavor. Chunks of new potatoes add earthy, toothsomeness, while tomatoes add subtle tartness. A fennel bulb and fronds are often added for a distinct anise flavor. Lemon zest and juice add a bright flavor to the soup.
Fresh herbs and spices give cooks opportunities for creativity. Because of their refreshing taste, dill and parsley are used as garnish for the soup. Dill adds a distinctive, fresh, clean taste that is tangy, grassy, and slightly lemony. Parsley adds a fresh, herbaceous taste. Some recipes include cilantro, which provides a savory, pungent flavor, or oregano for a distinct peppery taste. In some recipes, yushka’s flavor is enhanced with a cook’s choice of several spices such as whole allspice berries, a bay leaf, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, pepper flakes, paprika, turmeric and saffron.
Ingredients for Salamur, the spicy sauce
Why serve yushka with salamur?
This Black Sea Fish Soup can be enjoyed as cooked. Still, its flavor is enhanced by a spoonful or two of salamur, a spicy condiment from the Bessarabia region of Ukraine and neighboring Moldova. Salamur, customarily served with fish soup or as a marinade for fish, is made from a purée of tomatoes, garlic, hot peppers and fish stock that intensifies the Black Sea Fish Soup’s savoriness. Fresh, chopped herbs like cilantro or parsley are often added to the spicy mixture.
Many salamur recipes differ in their ingredient composition and degree of spiciness. Salamur is easy to prepare in several ways. In one preparation method, all the ingredients are puréed in a food processor or blender to create a smooth sauce. Another method calls for grating the tomatoes on a box grater, while the chilies and garlic are puréed before being combined with the tomatoes. As a result, this sauce has a palate-pleasing texture, which I prefer. A note of caution: this recipe packs heat, so add it a spoonful at a time to reach the desired taste.
Several yushka legends claim that this soup cannot be prepared before adding a shot of vodka to the pot. In one legend, fishermen added the vodka to neutralize bacteria in river and lake water and to kill the “muddy” smell of certain bottom fish. But this rationale does not apply to saltwater fish. Another legend claims that vodka makes the fish whiter and firmer and the stock clearer. While no evidence supports these latter claims, yushka’s flavor is not changed by adding or omitting the vodka. Respecting legendary tradition, however, I added vodka as I finished this Black Sea Fish Soup.
This Black Sea Fish Soup is savory, satisfying and beautiful. Gently poached and perfectly cooked fish fillets, carrots, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes float in a rich stock infused with the nuanced flavor of allspice, bay leaf and coriander. A few spoons of salamur, the tomatoey, garlicy condiment, provide the desired level of heat and add savoriness to the soup.
This yushka is delicious the day it’s made, but its flavor improves overnight. Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and reheated in small portions when needed. The soup should be eaten within a few days.
I like to serve this Black Sea Fish Soup with Salamur as a light spring meal for lunch or dinner with rye bread, followed by cherry or blueberry varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings) with sour cream for dessert.
Black Sea Fish Soup with Salamur
For the fish stock:
3 pounds (1361 g) firm-flesh saltwater fish, scaled, filleted, and washed, with fish scraps reserved separately from fillets
1-2 pounds (453-906 g) extra fish scraps, optional
8 quarts (2 L) water, in two parts
1 yellow onion, coarsely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 sprigs parsley with stalks/roots and 4 sprigs dill, chopped
4 whole allspice berries
2 bay leaves
8 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
For the soup:
12 ounces ( 340 g) new potatoes, peeled and left whole if small or in ½ in (1.27 cm) dice
1 carrot (32 g), sliced
2 bell peppers, red or yellow, about 3 ounces (85 g), seeded and diced
3 small plum tomatoes, about 7 ounces (198 g), peeled, seeded and diced
1½ teaspoons (9 g) each, salt and white pepper and more to taste
2 teaspoons sugar, optional
Reserved fish fillets
1 shot vodka, optional
For garnish:
1 tablespoon each, dill and parsley, finely minced
Lemon wedges
For salamur:
2 pounds (906 g) ripe tomatoes
3 heads garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
3-5 medium red chilies, fresh or dried
2 ounces (50 ml) red wine vinegar
2-6 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
Salt to taste
Preparing fish stock: Remove washed fish scraps, but not the fillets, from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Place fish scraps in a large pot.
Starting the stock with fish scraps
Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Pour hot water over the fish scraps and let them steep for 6 minutes. Drain, rinse fish scraps off with cold water and transfer to a clean stock pot.
Next, add 4 quarts of water and heat to a boil; then immediately reduce heat to a simmer. (It is important to cook fish scraps at a low temperature, which minimizes the release of any remaining albumin.). Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery, parsley, dill, allspice, bay leaf, peppercorns and coriander seed and simmer for 1 hour to extract maximum flavor.
Aromatics, herbs and spices for stock
Cool and strain the fish stock through two layers of damp cheesecloth to remove any tiny bones, discarding the solids and the cheesecloth. Do not squeeze out the cheesecloth. Stock can now be transformed into fish soup by adding new vegetables, aromatics, herbs, spices and fish fillets in sequence, or chilled and frozen at this point.
Preparing salamur: Cut each tomato in half, scoop out seeds with a teaspoon and discard seeds.
Deseeding tomatoes
Over a bowl, grate each tomato half on the large holes of a box grater until only the skin is left in your hand. Continue with the remaining tomatoes, reserving the pulp and juices, and discarding the skins.
Grating tomatoes
Cut the chilies in half lengthwise. To control the heat level in this sauce, remove the membrane and seeds for a mild sauce, or use the chilies whole for a hot seasoning. If using dried chilies, soak in hot water for 30 minutes before cutting and deseeding. Cut the chilies into small pieces.
Place chilies and garlic in a bowl of a food processor or blender. Add 1 tablespoon sea salt, peppercorns and 1 cup of fish stock, and process until blended into a paste. Combine the resulting paste with the tomato pulp. Taste and adjust salt. Add vinegar and oil (2-6 tablespoons) and mix until well combined. Makes about 2 cups.
Transfer prepared sauce to sterilized jars, close and store in the refrigerator. The sauce retains its pungency if used within one month.
Preparing fillets: While the stock is simmering, cut fillets into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
Dicing fish fillets
With a ladle, transfer 2 cups of stock to a shallow frying pan and heat to a simmer. Add the fillet pieces in one layer and poach for 2-3 minutes, until opaque and tender.
Poaching diced fish fillets
(Keep in mind that fish cooks very fast, toughens when overcooked and will continue cooking while soup is hot.) Remove from heat.
Finishing the soup: Return the fish stock to the stockpot and heat it to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add potatoes and carrots, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are partially cooked. Add the tomatoes and peppers and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Add sugar to mellow the acidity of the tomatoes, if needed. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the vodka if used, and with a slotted spoon, transfer the poached fillet pieces to the soup, discarding the cloudy poaching liquid.
Ladle stock into bowls. Distribute carrots, potatoes and fish fillets among the bowls. Sprinkle with herbs. Serve lemon wedges and a bowl of salamur.
Serves 6-8
Black Sea Fish Soup as cooked
Salamur and lemons to flavor to taste
Black Sea Fish soup with Salamur
Photo credits: Salmon: Dreamstime -ID.147384013, © Valentin Jucov
Other photos: Slava Johnson
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