Uha – The fish soup from the Prut River valley, from Ungheni

They say that if you ever take a sip of water from the Prut River, you won’t want to leave the places where it flows gently. You’ll become friends with everything this river has to offer. Over time, resourceful and skilled people have settled along its banks, mastering various crafts, including cooking. Since fish is still abundant, we all gathered on the riverbank for a fisherman’s soup with a name as hearty as it is playful: Uha!

Influences from our brothers beyond the Prut River are immediately apparent when preparing the ingredients for this remarkable dish. To ensure that the recipe is faithfully prepared, Uha is cooked on the riverbank, over a fast, intense fire, with logs that tell stories in a language only the logs understand.

In the large cauldron that will satisfy the entire village, a nearly sacred trinity of Romanian cuisine is gathered: plenty of onions, carrots, and bell peppers are sautéed in butter and oil. Once they become shiny and soft, water is added, and the mixture is brought to a brisk boil. Some whole parsley roots are added to enhance the flavor and add sweetness. After counting three times in a row all the clouds still caught by the sun’s rays, tomato juice and a bit of sour borscht, just enough to give the soup its characteristic tang, are added.

Fish, such as catfish, carp, perch, and pike, depending on what’s caught on the day of cooking, are cut into large pieces and added to the simmering broth. Fish cooks quickly, so all eyes are on the cauldron during this time. When the hunger is fueled by the fragrant soup, a generous amount of sour cream is added, and the soup is brought to a boil. Well, it might seem like just a simple fisherman’s soup so far, but the curiosity is only beginning.

To keep the fish meat firm in the soup, a large glass of vodka is poured into the prepared dish, depending on the quality of the catch. The alcohol evaporates quickly, and the soup is almost ready. In a climactic moment, the cook takes a log that has been burning in the fire and plunges it into the cauldron in an almost ritualistic manner. The sizzling imparts a smoky flavor and gives the soup a unique touch.

The taste is unmistakable, almost divine, reminiscent of Jonah, who was a brother to the fish, and the miracles from these places with tempting dishes. Uha!! Bon appétit, and rest assured that I haven’t told you a fisherman’s tale but rather a recipe that pleases all guests.

Ingredients:

You will need fresh fish in various varieties, cleaned, washed, and cut into generous pieces, totaling about 5 kg. Additionally, you’ll need onions, carrots, bell peppers (about half a kilogram of each), 1 liter of tomato juice, a few potatoes cut into small cubes, 2 liters of sour borscht, sour cream, pepper, salt, a cube of butter, a cup of oil, and as much lovage as you like.

Preparation:

Sauté the vegetables in a mixture of butter and oil. Add enough water and simmer until they soften. Then add tomato juice, sour borscht, fish, and lovage. Now it’s time for a unique touch: open a can of sour cream with the soup and pour it, along with a glass of vodka, into the soup.

Take a log that has been burning in the fire, blow off any excess ash, and dip it into the soup to give it a smoky flavor. Finally, add as much lovage as you like, and move the cauldron to the dining area. Enjoy!