No. 117 — Ukha from Ruffe, Perch, Whitefish and Burbot, Clarified with Caviar

Clean the fish and remove the fillets from both small and large fish, first cutting them away from the bones and then removing the skin. Wash the ruffe, all the bones, skin and heads of the other fish, except for the burbot head, which the author considers unsuitable. Put them into a saucepan with cold water as for meat stock: fifteen glasses for six to eight people.

If the fish is not freshly alive, add white soup roots, one or two onions, a bunch of greens, pepper, bay leaf and salt. Cook gently for at least two to three hours, removing the scum, until the ruffe have completely fallen apart and the broth has reduced to nine glasses. Strain through a fine sieve and bring back to the boil.

Twenty minutes before serving, lower evenly cut pieces of fish fillet carefully into the boiling broth. When cooked, lift them out with a slotted spoon and place in salted water that has previously been boiled and completely cooled, so that they do not dry out.

Whitefish cooks faster than burbot; preferably cook each species separately over a low heat so that neither falls apart. Clarify the broth with pressed caviar, as described in the original general notes, then strain with the clarifying material through a damp napkin.

Bring the strained ukha to the boil once more, pour into a tureen over chopped fresh dill and the prepared fish pieces. Sauternes or champagne may be added. Offer lemon half-slices with the seeds removed separately; serve rasstegai, Moscow kulebyaka, little pies with viziga and sago, or similar pastries.

To provide