Fiskesuppe
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Intro
~ Disclaimer: I’m not appropriating this recipe, I consulted my very Norwegian boyfriend for this ~
During quarantine, I’ve been eating less meat since I literally just sit on my ass all day + I’ve finally found a good source of seafood in NYC — Eataly. It’s super expensive but the quality is just incredible and worth it because let’s face it, seafood is not the place to cut corners and the payoff is 💯.
The closest thing I can compare this to is American clam chowder. Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE SOUP; I have to have a large batch of homemade soup ready to go at home at all times. This one I made was SO FREAKING GOOD, better than any clam chowder or fiskesuppe I’ve ever had in the US or Norway, respectively. There’s also a bonus recipe on how to make homemade shellfish stock and then another on what you can do with any leftover soup (:
I know I said it’s “basically like” Norwegian clam chowder but resist the urge to add the things you normally would an American clam chowder (ACC) because there are significant taste differences. For one, it’s not as thick and chunky as ACC since you don’t thicken with corn starch/flours nor do you add potato to fiskesuppe. Also, the fish stock is shellfish-based and not clam-based so it won’t be as briny as ACC. Fiskesuppe has a lighter, cleaner and almost sweeter (not super obvious but just in comparison to ACC) taste and honestly I can’t recommend it enough. The dill (vs. parsley and celery) also adds an amazing brightness to the soup!
Of note:
Obviously, the better quality your seafood, the better this will taste
Some recipes also include salmon, I’m not really into cooked/boiled salmon but feel free to add; cod is a must, though
For the fish stock, you can throw in any old fish bones and/or include other molluscs like clams while you steam the mussels; you steam these separately first to gather the juices they leave behind but also because the shells add no flavor and you don’t want to overcook the meat
This first version of the recipe only includes shrimp in the fish stock because that’s all I could find, but you can also add langoustines, crab, and/or lobster shells for more flavor
Since we’re using seafood, salt will be to taste for every batch (especially since we’re using mussels, which include varying levels of sea water); when in doubt, add LESS salt and adjust saltiness at THE END
ALWAYS, when you prepare shellfish, keep the shells unless you were going to use them in your original recipe. I keep a large Ziploc in the freezer full of random lobster, shrimp, and crab shells. The shells from molluscs generally don’t provide any flavor so no need saving oyster, mussel, etc. shells
What You'll Need
Enough for 3 large portions
For the fiskesuppe:
Neutral-tasting cooking oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
6 large cloves garlic, minced
2 - 3 medium carrots, shaved with a peeler into ribbons (or just julienned, nbd)*
1 cup organic heavy cream
1¼ lbs black cod filet, skin removed & cut into ~ 2-in pieces
3 - 4 cups homemade fish stock
Salt to taste
Fresh-ground black pepper
Fresh dill, 5 sprigs + more fronds to garnish
For homemade shellfish stock:
1 lb mussels
1 lb SHELL-ON shrimp (with heads = better)
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 dry bay leaf
⅓ cup dry vermouth
1½ cup water
1 TBSP of dry (or 4-5 sprigs of fresh) thyme
Optional: any additional leftover shellfish shells (e.g. lobster, crab)
* As you peel the ribbons of carrots, there will come a point where it’s impossible to keep peeling ribbons -- see below -- keep these parts of the carrots, chop into big chunks, and keep for the shellfish stock
Carrot to left of peeler is basically done
Rough chop the rest of ribboned carrots into big chunks as shown to the right in this picture
Instructions
For the shellfish stock:
Clean shrimp and keep the shells! In one pot, add some oil and fry the shrimp shells on medium-high heat with ⅓ of the chopped onion, ½ the chopped shallots, ⅓ of the minced garlic, and a pinch of salt
In another, bring 1½ cups water, the vermouth, the other half of the shallot, ⅓ of the minced garlic, and thyme to a boil; add the mussels and cover the pot, let cook for 8 minutes. Turn off the heat once done but DO NOT throw away the liquid; throw away any of the mussels that did not open and remove the mussels from their shells into a separate bowl — keep that in the fridge for now and discard the shells.
Add the liquid from the steamed mussels into the pot with the shrimp shells and add another 2 cup of water, the bay leaf, the “big chunks” of carrots, and another splash of vermouth
Let this lightly boil while you start to prep the rest of the ingredients for the main soup; needs to boil for at least 45 min
For the fiskesuppe:
Add oil to a large pot (preferably Dutch oven) and at medium heat, add the rest of the chopped onions and cook until soft and translucent (do not let them brown; ~ 8 min); add rest of the minced garlic and cook for another minute or so
After the fish stock has had time to reduce for at least 45 min (it should be more opaque by now), strain the shellfish stock to the main soup pot; pick out the bay leaf from the shellfish stock remains and add to the fiskesuppe pot
Add the heavy cream and let it come back to a simmer/light boil
Add 1½ cups more water and the sprigs of dill; let simmer for ~ 20 min ^
Now is a good time to taste for saltiness; salt + pepper to taste (still err on the less salty side as soups tend to become more salty once it’s had time to meld together)
Add in the cod and allow to come back to a simmer; after 10 min add in the shrimp and allow to fully cook
Remove the bay leaf and used dill sprigs, throw in the carrot ribbons, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the soup sit for ~10 min
Taste again and adjust for salt + pepper before serving!
^ Remember, this isn’t supposed to be thick and viscous like a traditional clam chowder
How to Enjoy!
Either toast up some rustic bread that has a nice crispy crust, make garlic bread, or fry up some bread with butter/olive oil to dip while enjoying this suppe (kind of optional...but kind of not really). After portioning out, add back the mussels, garnish with fresh dill fronds, and generously crack some black pepper before eating. Don’t worry, the mussels will heat back up with the soup plus you don’t want to overcook the mussels anyways.
You can add some crème fraîche or lemon before eating if you’d like. This soup is surprisingly light, unlike the super thick and heavy American chowders, so I don’t find it needs lemon. If you’re not finishing this soup in one sitting AND adding lemon, though, make sure to never add the lemon until right before you’re about to eat (i.e. don’t add the lemon into the full batch and then refrigerate the leftovers).
Bonus mini-recipe:
I usually have some broth left over after eating all the seafood and after I’m full from dipping bread into the broth — SAVE THIS BROTH. I use this broth as a pasta sauce:
Put into small pot at low-medium heat
Add a sprinkle of cornstarch
Grate some fresh parmesan and let this reduce into a thicker, sauce-like consistency
Add some crushed chili flakes into the sauce (optional)
Prepare pasta and save some of the cooking water after draining
Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and stir with a low heat on; add pasta water if needed
Enjoy with some more cracked black pepper + fresh parsley to garnish (optional)
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