Russian Ukha

Russian Ukha

Ukha is a clear Russian soup, made of fish. During the years the special requirements to cooking ukha have been developed inn Russia. Ukha has to been cooked in unoxidizable: enamel or pottery pan. Classical Russian ukha is cooked from tender and sweet sorts of fish that provide clear broth.

The best ukha, so called "white ukha" can be prepared from perch, ruff and vendace. One third of burbot, sheat-fish or tench is added to produce the flavor. "Black ukha" occupies the second place in ukha top list and is cooked from carp, crucian carp, red-eye and chub.

"Red ukha" is prepared from fish like salmon, sturgeon and great sturgeon, starred sturgeon and nelma. It is called amber ukha if it is prepared too rich and is usually served seasoned with saffron.

Ukha is cooked from at least 2 and 4 to the maximum sorts of fish. The exception is probably salmon ukha that is cooked from salmon only. The regional varieties of ukha include volzhskaya ukha or sterlyazh'ja ukha that is cooked from sterlet, chudovskaya and pskoskaya ukha, onezhskaya ukha, ets, each prepared form a particular kind of fish abandoned in this area.

Some basic rules to make delicious ukha is to use fresh fish (not frozen), choose smaller rather then big fishes and take the tailpiece.

Ukha requires small amount of vegetables like parsley root, leek, potato, bay leaf, carrotrs, dill, green parsley and necessarily spices like black pepper, cinnamon and cloves. The more fat the fish is, the more spices ukha needs.

The process of cooking is important as well. It is necessary to have the fish soft and juice after boiling, thus to cook the broth small fish, heads and skeletons are used, and then bigger parts that would be later placed in places added.

The time of cooking fish, depends on the fish species. Sea fish is boiled for 8-12 minutes and river fish has to be boiled for 20 minutes and even more. The quality fish broth is translucent, has no specific fish smell and the boiled fish can be easily removed from the skeleton.

Ukha is served with brown bread, fish kulebyaka (large pie with filling), rasstegai (pies with fish filling).

A simple ukha recipe

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Put water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cube-cut potatoes, chopped onion, finely sliced carrots and parsley root. Heat for 10 to 15 minutes until potatoes are half-ready. Then add all the spices except for dill and leek, and in 3 more minutes put pieces of fish. Simmer for 8-10 more minutes, sprinkle salt to taste add salt if necessary. Put in dill and leek and take the soup off the fire.

Let the pan stay for few minutes with covered lid and then serve. Slices of lemon can be added into the plates.

Russian national meals recipes

Ukrainian national meals recipes

Belarus national meals recipes

Caucasian national meals recipes

Authentic Russian Recipes, Cuisine and Cooking

Russian cuisine and Russian cooking recipes

A detailed description of Russian food and meals on Wikipedia

Traditional Russian meals and recipes

Order Russian food on http://www.russiantable.com/store