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Pira caldo
Creamy fish soup with cheese
Pira caldo: Paraguayan creamy river fish soup with cheese
Along the Paraguay River from Asunción to Concepción, pira caldo is the fishermen's soup, said to restore strength after a long night: chunks of firm river fish poached in a broth of onion, peppers and tomato fried in fat, then made creamy with milk and melted fresh cheese. Surubí or other catfish is traditional; any firm white fish such as hake or pollock works. The mistake most people make is boiling the soup after the milk and cheese go in, which splits it. Chef's tip: fry the vegetables until they are very soft and sweet before adding the water; that is where the flavour comes from.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb firm white fish fillets (surubí, catfish or hake)skinned, cut into 4 cm chunks
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 1 green pepperfinely chopped
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tomatoesgrated
- 1 litre hot water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- 5 ½ oz queso Paraguay or mozzarellacubed
- 2 tbsp parsleychopped
- 2 spring onionssliced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat. Cook 2 onions, 1 green pepper and 2 garlic cloves slowly until very soft and sweet, about 12 minutes.
12 minStep 2: Add 2 tomatoes and cook until thick, then pour in 1 litre hot water with 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp dried oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Lower in 1 ½ lb firm white fish fillets (surubí, catfish or hake) and poach gently, without stirring, until the flesh is opaque all the way through and flakes easily, 6–8 minutes.
8 minStep 4: Turn the heat to its lowest. Pour in 1 ¼ cups milk and add 5 ½ oz queso Paraguay or mozzarella; stir gently and heat until the cheese melts, without letting it boil.
4 minStep 5: Stir in 2 tbsp parsley and 2 spring onions and serve at once, with bread or boiled cassava.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pira caldo take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 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 garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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