Fish Soup and Smoked Fish

Back in 1935, Romanian journalist and writer Constantin Bacalbasa published the 2nd edition of a cookbook called ‘’1501 dishes. The Gastronomic Dictatorship.’’ The most perverse and the oldest, this dictatorship deserves a book of its own. For Constantin Bacalbasa, known as a gourmet and a keen eater, publishing this book would be a landmark in his life. Another renowned writer and gourmet Pastorel Teodoreanu defined it as ‘’a gastronomic monument’’, one that was inspired by French gastronomy and local recipes alike. Bacalbas wrote in the preface: ‘‘a cookbook is not only a sauce index and a catechism of greed. There is more to it and there is quality there: it is a physiological Gospel’’.

Ștefan Baciu, 01.01.1970, 02:00

One could add that Bacalbasa’s recipe anthology is a monograph of his age, detailing its virtues and vices. The book was revised recently with footnotes, along with anecdotes that help the reader better grasp the spirit of the age.

Here is a part of a recipe included in the chapter ‘’Our Soups’’, that is Romanian soups. We will read out the actual excerpt: ‘’Fish soup. This soup can only be eaten in excellent conditions in fisheries, because there you can find several fish varieties and the fish, when alive, have a totally different taste than dead fish. Put several fish in a big pot, fill with water and add salt and vegetables. Boil to a paste, strain, then throw the paste away and boil a new fish in the broth. This way it acquires a special flavor.

And since we’ve talked about fish, let’s also look at several other ways to cook it. Smoking fish is one of the oldest ways of preserving food known to man, and it is considered better than salting or freezing. Smoked fish stands out with its flavor, taste and color. It is a particular specialty in the Danube Delta, where the locals are considered experts in everything that has to do with fish.

Obviously, it can be eaten as is, but here are a couple of recipes made with smoked fish. A quick and satisfying dish, as well as light, is made by breaking off flakes of your favorite fish, then cubing plain boiled potatoes, slicing finely onion and apple, and squeezing some lemon juice, adding salt to taste. Mix well in a deep bowl. It is a salad that can be served hot or cold.

The other dish you want to present to you is a bit more elaborate, typical of Balkan cuisine, which is a Danube Delta specialty. It is called ‘scordalea’, coming from the Greek word ‘skordo’, meaning garlic. You need a kilo of boiled potatoes for the mashed potato side dish, a kilo of smoked fish which you boil, oil or milk, butter, walnuts, garlic, black pepper and celery leaves. You don’t need to put salt in the mashed potatoes, since the fish has plenty of it, but do use a bit of the water in which the fish boiled. Mix in crushed walnuts, mashed garlic, pepper to taste and a few celery leaves, finely chopped. Mix in oil or milk, whichever you prefer, to bring the mashed potatoes to a creamy consistency. You can serve this dish Danube Delta style, by laying the pieces of fish on a wide platter and spreading the mashed potatoes on top, or you can mix the fish in it.

Enjoy!