RECIPE: MIEKOJÄRVI BURBOT SOUP / STEW

• 1 burbot, skinned or boneless, filet and liver 400g
• 1 kg of potatoes (Siikli or Lapin Puikula are the best variety)
• 1 carrot
• 1 parsnip
• ½ lemon
• 1 shallot
• 4 bay leaves
• 8 peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 3 fish broth cubes (only for use with boneless burbot filet)
• 1 bundle of fresh dill
• Cream 2 dl
• Butter

Place the skinned burbot (egg sac, roe and liver can be included) in enough cold water to cover well. Add lemon, salt, peppercorns and bay leaves. Heat the water to boil and remove the foam as it forms. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, until the meat is loose from the bone.

Remove the fish and other edibles to a plate, and drain the broth into a separate dish. Clean the meat from the bone. The bone can now be thrown away.

If you are using boneless Miekojärvi burbot filets, first prepare 1.5 liters of broth from the stock cubes with half a lemon. When your potatoes are almost finished, add the chopped burbot filets and livers to the boiling stew.

If you want gourmet-style stew, quickly pan fry the filets and liver first in butter and add to the soup at the very end.

Peel and chop the potatoes into wedges. Peel and chop the carrots and parsnips into cubes. Slice the onion.

Add a fair amount of butter to a pot. Cook the onions, carrots, parsnips and potatoes lightly and add the prepared fish broth. When the potatoes begin to be half-cooked, add the fish to the stew. Finally, add the liver, egg sacs and roe, if any.

Add 2 dl of cream.

Add a knob of butter.

Add dill just before serving.

Salt the broth to taste.

Serve with rye bread and burbot roe.