Catfish paprikash with sour cream

• The lemon zest does not dominate the dish, but adds a slight freshness to the flavors.
  
  
• White pepper gives a more refined and less overpowering seasoning.
  
  
• The dill adds a fresh aroma, but it can be omitted if preferred.
  
  
• The butter at the end gives the sauce extra silkiness, though it is optional.

Catfish paprikash with sour cream is the creamy, elegant relative of Hungarian fish dishes – in its silky, paprika sauce the catfish fillet cooks meltingly tender, and the fried bacon gives a crisp contrast.

Bacon base

1. Cut the smoked bacon into small cubes and render its fat over a low heat. Take out the crackling and set it aside, and set aside about two-thirds of the rendered fat as well.

Vegetables

2. In the remaining fat sweat the finely chopped onion until glassy. Once it is glassy, add the chopped tomato, the sliced pepper, the crushed garlic, the salt, the white pepper, the caraway and a little grated lemon zest. Braise over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until it thickens.

Making the base

3. Sprinkle the paprika over the vegetables, pour in the stock, then drop in the trimmed edges or smaller pieces of the catfish fillet. Cook over a low heat until everything softens (about 15 minutes).

Making it silky

4. Stir the sour cream and the cream into the sauce. Mix the flour smooth with a little cold water and thicken the base with it. Then purée it with a stick blender to get a silky sauce.

Finishing the catfish

5. Put the larger, previously salted catfish fillet pieces into the sauce and cook them through over a medium heat at a gentle simmer for about 8-10 minutes, so they do not fall apart.

Serving

6. Sprinkle with fresh, finely chopped dill, you can put a spoonful of sour cream on top of each portion, and scatter over the reserved crisp bacon crackling. Nokedli (dumplings) or buttered potatoes make an excellent side.

Tip: Cook the catfish through only at the very end, at a gentle simmer – if you boil it hard, the fillet falls apart easily.