Montenegrin Fish Soup (Riblja Čorba)
Рибља чорба Riblja čorbaSay it: REEB-lyah CHOR-bah
On Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor and the wider Adriatic coast, riblja čorba is eaten hot as a main-course soup, with crusty bread alongside. Its broth tastes savoury and full, with sweetness from onion, carrot and celeriac, a backdrop of strained tomato and mild warmth from hot paprika. The practical hook is the two-stage build: fish heads, bones and trimmings first make a full-bodied stock, then firm white fillets and roe or milt are poached gently at the end.
Montenegrin Fish Soup (Riblja Čorba)
Рибља чорба, Riblja čorba
Pronounced REEB-lyah CHOR-bah
- Serves
- 8
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 55 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish, celery. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the fish stock
For the soup
Method
Rinse the fish heads, tails and bones, then place them in a large pot with the water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a rolling boil, remove the foam that rises, reduce the heat and let the stock bubble softly for 20 minutes. Pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing the solids lightly; discard the solids and keep the stock.
While the stock cooks, get the vegetables ready: chop the onions finely, crush the garlic, and grate the carrots, parsley root or parsnip, and celeriac or celery. Rinse the bell pepper and keep it intact; only if it is unusually big should you take out the stem and seeds.
Warm the oil in a separate heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onions and garlic for 7–8 minutes, until they soften and turn translucent. Stir in the grated carrot, parsley root or parsnip, and celeriac, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables slacken and give up their juices. Should the mixture begin to catch, add a ladleful of fish stock and reduce it until the vegetables are thick and nearly jam-like.
In a small bowl, beat the passata with 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the warmed stock, the sweet paprika, and a little salt and pepper. Stir that into the vegetables and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Add the rest of the stock, the bay leaves and the whole pepper, bring to a gentle simmer, cover partly and cook for 15 minutes.
Add the chunks of white fish. If you are using roe or milt, tear it by hand into pieces about the size of walnuts and add them too. Keep the soup at a very low simmer, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes, until the fish has just turned opaque and the roe or milt is done; avoid a hard boil.
Take out the bay leaves and lift out the whole pepper. Cut the pepper into strips and put it back if you wish. Taste, then adjust with salt, black pepper and a little extra hot paprika. If the soup seems too dense, loosen it with hot water or stock. Serve in bowls with the chopped parsley scattered over.
Regional variant: Clear fish soup with rice (Riblja čorba s rižom)
Leave out the passata, sweet paprika and hot paprika. Once the onions and root vegetables are soft, add all the fish stock and stir in 1/2 cup (100 g) short-grain rice. Cook for 15 minutes before adding the fish fillets and roe or milt, then continue until the rice is tender and the fish is just cooked. The broth remains pale, and the rice gives it a lighter, silky body.
Cook's notes
- Fish heads, tails and bones from firm white fish are the usual request at the fish counter; they cost little and give the broth substance. Oily fish heads can make the flavour very strong, so use them only if that is what you want.
- After the fish goes in, hold the pot at the barest simmer; this keeps the fillets and roe tender instead of breaking them apart.
- Letting the soup stand off the heat for 15 minutes improves it; warm it again gently and do not let it boil.
Serve with
Bring it to the table hot with crusty sourdough or soft polenta, and pour a dry white wine or chilled rosé alongside.
Make ahead and storage
The fish stock can be prepared one day in advance and refrigerated. Complete the soup shortly before serving, then reheat it gently without boiling.
