Russian, Fish, dill, onion, potatoes, Soup
Best for: a cool evening around the fire, when the soup pot matters as much as the grill and everybody gathers close to see what’s in it.
Ukha is Russia’s great campfire fish soup — a clear, concentrated broth built first from fish heads and frames, then filled with potatoes, carrots, and generous pieces of fish. It is traditionally cooked outdoors in a pot over the fire, kept at the gentlest simmer so the broth stays bright and the fish stays tender. A handful of dill, a small splash of vodka if you like, and one old fishermen’s flourish at the end — a clean, glowing piece of hardwood touched to the soup for a breath of smoke — make it unforgettable.
Grill: Indirect medium heat, about 350°F, or a steady campfire. Equipment: Charcoal or wood grill, large cast-iron Dutch oven or kazan, fine-mesh strainer, ladle, instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients
Rest: 10 minutes Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
For the broth
- 2 pounds fish heads, frames, and tails from mild white fish or salmon, gills removed and well rinsed
- 10 cups cold water
- 1 yellow onion, halved
- 1 carrot, cut into large chunks
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons fine table salt
For the soup
- 1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 carrots, cut into thick coins
- 1 leek, white and light-green parts only, sliced and rinsed (or 1 yellow onion, sliced)
- 1½ pounds firm fish fillets or steaks — perch, pike, trout, salmon, cod, or a mixture — cut into large chunks
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons vodka (optional)
- ½ cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Black bread, for serving
Directions
Build the fire gently. Set a large cast-iron Dutch oven or kazan over indirect medium heat, about 350°F, or over a steady campfire with more coals around the pot than under it. Ukha wants a lazy simmer, never a rolling boil.
Make the broth first. Add the fish heads, frames, and tails, cold water, onion halves, carrot chunks, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Bring slowly to a bare simmer, skim any foam, and cook gently for 25 minutes.
Strain it clear. Lift out and discard the fish trimmings and vegetables, then strain the broth back into the clean pot. Pick any good meat from the heads if you like and save it for the bowls; a clear broth is the whole point of ukha.
Cook the vegetables. Return the broth to a gentle simmer. Add the potatoes, carrot coins, and leek, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender.
Poach the fish last. Slide in the fish chunks and black pepper and keep the soup just below a simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily and reaches 145°F. Do not stir hard or let it boil — gentle heat keeps the pieces whole.
Finish it the old way. Take the pot off the fire. Stir in the vodka if using, the dill, and the parsley. For the traditional flourish, briefly touch a clean, glowing piece of untreated hardwood to the surface and lift it straight out — just a breath of smoke, leaving no ash or charcoal behind. Cover and rest 10 minutes, then ladle broth, fish, and vegetables into warm bowls and serve with more dill, lemon wedges, and black bread.
Grilling tip: Temperature control is everything here. Keep ukha at a bare simmer from start to finish; a hard boil clouds the broth and breaks the fish into shreds.
