Fish Paprikash 🐟 Vojvodina Fisherman’s 🇷🇸 (Riblji Paprikaš)

Description

Danube-style stew of carp or catfish simmered with a mountain of sweet onions and paprika—brick-red, silky, and spicy to your liking. Traditionally cooked in a bográc kettle along the Tisa and Danube banks.

Hook: One pot, 40–50 minutes—clean fish flavor in a glossy paprika broth. ⚡

Ingredients

• 🐟 Carp or catfish, skin-on steaks (4–5 cm): 1.2 kg (2.6 lb)
• 🧅 Onion, very finely chopped: 450 g (3 cups / 1 lb)
• 🧄 Garlic, minced: 9 g (3 cloves / 0.32 oz)
• 🫗 Lard or sunflower oil: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🌶️ Sweet paprika (quality, non-smoked): 18 g (2 tbsp / 0.63 oz)
• 🌶️ Hot paprika or chili flakes (to taste): 1–2 g (½–1 tsp / 0.04–0.07 oz)
• 🍅 Tomato paste: 20 g (1 tbsp / 0.7 oz)
• 🌿 Bay leaf: 1
• 💧 Water or light fish stock: 1.1 l (4½ cups / 37 fl oz)
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈10 g / 1¾ tsp)
• ⚫ Black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🍷 Dry white wine (optional): 60 ml (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🌿 Flat-leaf parsley, chopped (finish): 1 tbsp (4 g / 0.14 oz)
• 🍝 Wide noodles or pinched dumplings (csipetke), to serve (optional): 250–300 g cooked

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Onion base: Warm 🫗 fat in a wide pot. Cook 🧅 onion with a pinch of 🧂 salt on medium 8–10 min until soft and sweet; add 🧄 garlic 30 sec.
2. 2️⃣ Bloom paprika: Pull pot off heat; stir in 🌶️ sweet (and hot) paprika 20–30 sec. Add 🍅 tomato paste; return to low heat.
3. 3️⃣ Broth: Pour in 💧 water/stock (and 🍷 wine if using), add 🌿 bay, 🧂 salt, and ⚫ pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
4. 4️⃣ Fish: Nestle in 🐟 fish steaks in a single layer. Simmer 15–20 min without stirring (shake the pot instead) until fish flakes and broth turns glossy red.
5. 5️⃣ Finish: Adjust salt/heat. Sprinkle 🌿 parsley. Serve in bowls over 🍝 noodles or with crusty bread.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook: 35 min
⏳ Total: 50 min

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