bojti halikraleves (spawn soup for lent)

Peel vegetables and cut into small pieces, and together with salt, bay leaves and peppercorns cook them in 2 qts water till they are almost soft.

Make a roux with butter and flour, cook for only a few minutes, leaving it very light. Add paprika and whip ½ cup cold water into the roux.

Pour roux into the vegetable mixture and bring again to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add fish pieces and fish head, and simmer soup for 10 minutes. Add spawn and cook for another 5 minutes.

Pour in the vinegar; just before serving stir in the sour cream.

Adjust salt and vinegar to your taste.

Note: During Lent most Hungarians eat a lot of fish. There are almost always little bits of fish meat, bones and heads left over and that's when this soup would be a good beginning for a Lenten meal.