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Pam's Lohikeitto or Finnish Salmon Soup
This recipe is the basic Finnish Salmon Soup, with a few things that I like in it. It is also the base for other creamy seafood soups. It is rich, it is flavorful, and it is so very comforting on cold winter nights.
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- 1 bowl, large with water for the potatoes
- 4 small bowls spice storage
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife chopping
- 1 paring knife dicing shallot
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 2 Liter pot, with lid
- 1 measuring cup, large
- 4 soup bowls
- 1 stirring spoon
- 1 ladle
- 1 tasting spoon
- 1 large tea Ball strainer Something to hold the skins and shrimp shells
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs butter or oil
- 1 ea leek, white and a bit of the green thin sliced
- 1 ea shallot small dice
- 1 ea carrot 114 to 228 grams, small dice
- 3 ea potatoes, white about 600 grams, small dice
Flavors for the stock
- 1 ea fish flavor cube, Knorr
- 1 ea shrimp flavor cube, Knorr
- 1 Tbs Vegetable bullion, Better than Bullion optional
- 3 oz fish skin and shrimp shells if available
- 600 grams fish, salmon More or less is okay. Other fish could be snakehead or blue catfish
Liquids
- 800 ml water helpful to heat to a boil before adding to the pot
- 200 ml cream more if you want to add it
Spices
- 3 ea bay leaves more or less is up to you
- 5 ea all spice, whole more or less is up to you
- 2 Tbs fennel bulb, chopped optional
- salt and black pepper to taste
- white pepper to taste
- 1 clove garlic, smashed optional
- 1 sprig dill, fresh Or use dry
- 3 Tbsp dill, dry Or use fresh
- MSG optional, as you like it.
Instructions
Preparations
- Measure out seasonings and set aside. Be sure to keep the flavor cubes separate and ready to peel open.
- Clean leek strip off stiff out leaves, cut off the tough green top, keep a little of the green that is young and tender.Using you knife slice the leek from near the root end to the top, rotate and do it once more, wash all sand and dirt from the leek, shake it dry and finish drying in a paper towel.
- Peel the shallot, small dice.
- Peel carrots and cut the top and root off. Dice to your favorite style.
- Peel potatoes and place in cold water to cover. Drain. Small dice and place in cold water again. This is leaching off a lot of the starch.
Make Fish Stock
- Warm your pot and melt the butter.
- Once the butter is melted add the leek and shallot, start sweating those. Add the carrots and stir cooking until the leek is soft and transparent.Add the water and bring to boil.As the water is heating up add the flavor cubes, skins and shrimp shells. I use a large tea strainer to hold those to make it easy to remove later on.Add the dill and all spice stir in. Add pepper as desired. Add salt to taste. I also use MSG.
- Drop the heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes. Check the potatoes for softness. Stir occasionally while it is cooking.
- When vegetables are ready, add the cream and bring back to a boil. Immediately drop the heat and remove the pot from the heat. Remove the skins and shrimp shells.
- You can add the fish to the pot, or to individual bowls. It will cook and help bring the temperature down. Serve as soon as the fish is done, a few minutes in the pot or bowl.
Notes
This is a great recipe for any fish, shellfish or sea critter.  The spices will vary depending on what you are cooking, but the basic recipe is wonderful. Â
You can make this in around 45 minutes, with a 20 minute break while it is cooking. The cleaning and dicing of the vegetables is time consuming, but very important for the success of this recipe.Â
I found the white potatoes work well in this recipe. They hold up even in leftovers (if there are any).
If you are really daring and ready to take the slings and arrows of purists, add some Old Bay Seasoning, a teaspoon or so should do it. It has a celery base so fits right into the flavor spectrum of seafood. I have seen Lohikeitto recipes with small dice of some celery, I never made it that way. I am American with a lot of Finnish history in me so I occasionally will stray, but mostly stick to what I know growing up.