Noodle soup from the head of a catfish

After preparing dishes from a large catfish, a big fish head remains. From this, you can make a hearty noodle soup from the head of a catfish. It is better to use a chilled head, not a frozen one.

Cooking time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings.

Caloric content: 53 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Ingredients

• catfish head (fresh) - 1 kg (1 pc.);
• potatoes - 4 pcs. (400 g);
• onion - 1 pc. (100 g);
• carrot - 1 pc. (60 g);
• bay leaf - 2 pcs;
• dill - 1/2 bunch;
• allspice berries - 3-5 pcs;
• black peppercorns - 7-10 pcs;
• coriander seeds - 1/3 tsp;
• salt - to taste;
• ground pepper - to taste;
• spices for noodle soup (optional) - to taste;
• water - 750-800 ml.

Preparation

1. Prepare the necessary ingredients for making noodle soup from the head of a catfish.

2. Inspect the catfish head. Scrape off the scales from the part adjacent to the head, rinse off the remaining scales. Cut the catfish head into pieces for easy placement into a small pot. Be sure to remove and discard the gills and eyes of the fish. Thoroughly rinse the pieces of fish head under cool running water. Any remaining blood on the fish pieces will negatively affect the result, the soup will have a dark, unappealing appearance.

3. Peel the onion and cut it in half. Peel the carrot, cut it into large sticks or rings. Cut the thick stems off the dill sprigs. Rinse the 2 bay leaves and measure out the required amount of peppercorns and coriander seeds.

4. Place the fish head pieces into the pot along with all the prepared vegetables and spices. Pour in water and place on medium heat. Once boiling, add salt, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Don’t forget to skim off the foam.

5. After the fish broth has boiled, remove the fish pieces to a separate bowl. Also add the boiled carrot here. Discard the onion and dill stems. Strain the broth through gauze folded in 4 layers.

6. Peel the potatoes and clean them from dirt, cut into pieces. You can cut the potato tubers into large pieces or small ones, whichever you prefer. You can also adjust the amount of potatoes to your liking.

7. Add the potatoes to the soup and cook until ready, about 15-20 minutes.

8. Slightly cool the catfish head, then separate: discard the bones and add the pieces of flesh to the soup.

9. Add ground pepper or ready-made spices for noodle soup to the broth. Taste the broth, if it lacks salt, add some.

10. Add chopped dill to the broth. Along with dill, you can also add other herbs, such as parsley or green onion tops, for example. Turn off the heat and let the soup steep for 5-10 minutes.

11. The noodle soup from the head of a catfish is ready.

Serve the soup hot.