Halászlé, carp soup with paprika

Ingredients

• 1.6 kg of carp
• 5 onions
• 1 tomato
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons of mild paprika
• salt and pepper
• 1 mild chili pepper (cherry-sized) per person, to be served separately, optional

Clean the fish, remove the head, tail, and fins. Cut the flesh into two-inch thick slices, season with salt, cover, and refrigerate. Dice the onions.

Sauté the onions in a little oil until they become translucent. Remove from heat and sprinkle with paprika. Add the bones, tail, and head to a large pot and pour in about 2 liters of water. Add the chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours.

Strain the broth, squeeze the vegetables, then return them to the pot. Add the fish pieces and cook for about 8 minutes, shaking the pot rather than stirring, to prevent the fish from breaking apart. Serve with the chili peppers on the side.