Norwegian Fish Soup

Preparation

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  1. First prepare the fish. Remove the skin from the salmon and the cod then cut them into small chunks. Devein the king prawns and cut them into halves or thirds. 2. To prepare the vegetables, peel and finely chop the onion. Cut the celery into 3 pieces lengthways then slice thinly. Wash and slice the leeks thinly. Peel the carrot and the parsnip, cut them lengthways into several pieces then chop into small pieces. Peel the potato and cut into very small dice.
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  3. Melt 30g of butter in a large saucepan then gradually stir in the flour, until it is well combined, and cook over a low heat for a minute. Add the fish stock a little at a time, stirring well to make a smooth paste after each addition. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 12 minutes.
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  4. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt the remaining 10g of butter and gently sauté the chopped onion for a minute or two, then add the celery, leek, carrot and parsnip and cook for a further 3 minutes. Put in the potato and cook gently for a further 10-12 minutes, stirring sometimes to prevent the potato from sticking.
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  5. Add the vegetables to the fish stock, bring to the simmer and cook together for 5 minutes
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  6. Stir in the double cream
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  I used light cream to reduce the fat, but feel free to use full fat if you prefer. Add the fish and the prawns, stir them in and bring to a simmer. Cook gently, stirring from time to time, for 5-6 minutes, or until the fish is cooked.
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  7. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice. Chop the parsley leaves and stir them into the soup, reserving some to sprinkle on the top as garnish when you serve it.
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  Variations:
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  You can vary the vegetables that you use, perhaps including celeriac or parsley root.
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  Other herbs can be used instead of parsley, such as dill, chives or bay leaves.
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  Some recipes for Norwegian fish soup include little fish dumplings, minced cod bound together with egg and flour.
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  The choice of fish is up to you
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  possibly halibut or monkfish, or even lobster for a special occasion!