Pike Perch Soup / Wild Food from Finland

Wild Food from Finland
Wild food – berries, mushrooms, wild herbs and vegetables as well as
fish, game and reindeer – is derived straight from Arctic Finnish
nature.

Pike Perch Soup (4 servings)
This is a delicious and easy recipe for pike perch soup that is ready in about an hour. The soup is perfect for lunch or a light dinner and is full of flavor from fresh pike perch fillets, vegetables, and herbs.

Ingredients:

Fish
300 g pike perch fillets (or frozen pike perch fillets)
Vegetables:

300 g (5-6) new potatoes
100 g celeriac
1 light part of leek
1 onion

Other:
1 tbsp butter
7 dl water
2 dl dry white wine
2 fish stock cubes
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 dl whipping cream
1 - 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 - 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Instructions:
Thaw the pike perch fillets: If using frozen pike perch fillets, thaw them in the refrigerator for about 4 hours before cooking.
Prepare the vegetables: Peel and chop the potatoes and celeriac. Halve and wash the leek and slice the white part. Peel and chop the onion.
Sweat the vegetables: Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Sweat the onion until softened and translucent. Then add the potatoes, celeriac, and leek and sweat them for a few more minutes.

Add the liquids and seasonings: Pour the water, white wine, and fish stock cubes into the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Blend the soup: Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender. Season with lemon juice, salt, and white pepper.
Whip the cream and chop the herbs: Whip the whipping cream until soft in a separate bowl. Chop the dill and chives.
Fry the fish pieces: Cut the pike perch fillets into strips about 3-4 cm wide. Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the fish pieces until golden brown on both sides. Season with salt during frying.
Serve the soup: Reheat the soup to a simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gently stir in the whipped cream. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the fried fish pieces. Garnish with fresh dill and chives.

Tips:
You can also add other vegetables to the soup, such as carrots or parsnips.
Enhance the flavor of the soup by adding a bit of crushed garlic or fresh thyme.
To make the soup vegan, substitute the whipping cream with oat or soy-based cream.
Enjoy your delicious and nutritious pike perch soup!