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Harcsapaprikás
Harcsapaprikás: Szeged catfish in paprika and sour cream sauce
HungarianAlong the Tisza at Szeged, the fish restaurants on the riverbank serve harcsapaprikás to families at long Sunday tables: thick chunks of firm, sweet catfish poached in a paprika and onion sauce, then finished with sour cream until it is a rich, coral-pink colour. Catfish has no small bones and holds together well, so it suits a sauce dish; the flavour is mild, creamy and gently smoky from the paprika. Traditionally it comes with túrós csusza (noodles with curd cheese and crisp bacon) or plain nokedli. A common mistake is stirring the fish too much, which breaks it into flakes; shake the pan instead. Chef's tip: salt the fish chunks 15 minutes ahead in the fridge, which firms them up and seasons them all the way through.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb catfish fillet, skinnedcut into 5 cm chunks
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- ¼ tsp hot Hungarian paprika
- 1 pale green peppersliced into rings
- 1 tomatochopped
- 1 ¼ cups water or fish stock
- 9 oz sour cream
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Sprinkle the 1 ¾ lb catfish fillet, skinned with the 1 tsp salt and leave it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Heat the 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide, shallow pan over a medium heat and fry the 2 onions for 8 minutes, until soft and pale golden.
8 minStep 3: Take the pan off the heat and stir in the 1 ½ tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika and ¼ tsp hot Hungarian paprika, then add the 1 pale green pepper, 1 tomato and 1 ¼ cups water or fish stock. Simmer for 8 minutes, until the pepper is soft.
8 minStep 4: Lay the fish chunks in the sauce in one layer, cover and poach over a low heat for 8–10 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until the fish is opaque all through and flakes easily at the thickest point.
10 minStep 5: Whisk the 9 oz sour cream with the 1 tsp cornflour and a ladle of the hot sauce until smooth.
1 minStep 6: Pour it around the fish and shake the pan gently over a low heat for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce is creamy and just bubbling at the edge. Do not boil hard.
3 minStep 7: Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley and serve with nokedli or túrós csusza.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does harcsapaprikás take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of sweet hungarian paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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