Bergens Fiskesuppe (Bergen Fish Soup)
Submitted by Jayna2002
A traditional Norwegian fish soup from Bergen with homemade fish stock, halibut (or cod), carrots, parsnips, leeks, and an egg yolk-enriched broth. Topped with parsley and sour cream.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsBergen sits on Norway’s western coast, and this soup is the city’s most famous contribution to the table.
It starts the old-fashioned way: a proper fish stock simmered from bones, heads, and trimmings with root vegetables, peppercorns, and bay leaf, then strained and reduced until concentrated and clean.
Into that golden broth go finely chopped carrots, parsnips, tender leeks, and a whole piece of halibut (cod or haddock work too) that poaches gently until it flakes apart.
The finishing touch is a classic Scandinavian technique: egg yolks tempered and whisked into the hot broth, giving it a silky, velvety body without a drop of cream in the base.
A dollop of sour cream and a scatter of fresh parsley on top, and you’ve got something that feels like it belongs in a harbor-side restaurant.
Chef Tips
- Make the stock from scratch. It’s the backbone of this soup. Ask your fishmonger for heads and bones; they usually give them away or sell them cheap.
- Strain twice for the clearest, cleanest broth. A double layer of cheesecloth catches every last bit of sediment.
- Temper the egg yolks carefully. Add the hot broth one spoonful at a time to the beaten yolks, whisking constantly. Dumping hot liquid in all at once will scramble them.
- Never let it boil after adding the yolks. Gentle heat is all you need. Boiling curdles the egg and ruins the silky texture you worked so hard to build.
Ingredients
Directions
FISH STOCK: To prepare fish stock, which will be the base of the soup, combine the ingredients listed under that heading (above) in a 4 to 6 quart stock pot.
Bring to a boil, partially cover the pot, turn the heat low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl, pressing down hard on the vegetables and fish trimmings with the back of a spoon to extract their juices before discarding them.
Wash the pot and return the strained stock to it.
Reduce the stock to about 6 cups by boiling it rapidly, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.
Restrain through a fine sieve or through a double thickness of cheesecloth lining a regular sieve.
SOUP: Again return the stock to the pot. Add the carrots, parsnips and fish.
As soon as the soup reaches the boil, lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Add the leeks and simmer 2 or 3 minutes longer. Remove from heat, lift out the fish with a slotted spoon and set aside on a platter.
In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with a wire whisk; then beat in about ½ cup of hot soup, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Pour this back into the soup in a thin stream, beating continuously with a wire whisk.
With a fork, separate the fish into flakes and add it to the soup.
Season with sale and pepper and reheat, but do not let the soup boil.
To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls and spinkle with chopped parsley. If you like, garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.
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