Equipment
Ingredients
Fish Stock
- 800 g white fish bones and heads, rinsed well, gills removed
- 1500 ml water, cold
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 g black peppercorns, whole
Soup Base
- 45 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 potato, peeled and finely diced
- 50 g short-grain rice, rinsed until water runs clear
- 400 g white fish fillets, skinless, cut into bite-sized chunks
- salt
Terbiye (Egg-Lemon Temper)
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 45 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Garnish
- 10 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 366 kcal
- Protein
- 23 g
- Carbohydrates
- 24 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 576 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 157 mg
- Potassium
- 716 mg
- Calcium
- 86 mg
- Iron
- 2.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 61 mg
- Phosphorus
- 359 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 289 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 16 mg
- Vitamin D
- 12.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.23 mg
- Niacin
- 4.1 mg
- Folate
- 55 mcg
- Water
- 564 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the fish bones and heads, roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large pot. Cover with the cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to low. Skim and discard any gray foam that rises to the surface. Simmer gently for 30 minutes to extract the flavor without making the stock cloudy.
Carefully strain the fish stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large mixing bowl or secondary pot. Discard the solids. You should yield approximately 1200ml of clear fish stock.
Wipe the large pot clean and place it over medium heat. Add the olive oil, followed by the finely diced onion, carrot, and potato. Sauté for 7 minutes until the onions are translucent and the vegetables begin to soften.
Pour the strained fish stock into the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Stir in the rinsed short-grain rice. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice and potatoes are completely tender.
Gently slide the pieces of white fish fillet into the simmering soup. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the fish turns opaque and begins to flake easily. The internal temperature of the fish should reach 63°C/145°F. Remove the pot from the heat.
In a medium mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks and fresh lemon juice together until the mixture is completely smooth and slightly pale.
Create the temper by using a ladle to scoop about 200ml of the hot broth from the soup pot. Pour it into the egg and lemon mixture in a very slow, thin stream while whisking constantly. Repeat with one more ladle of broth to gently raise the temperature of the eggs.
Gradually pour the tempered egg mixture back into the soup pot, stirring gently and continuously in one direction. Do not return the soup to a boil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
Ladle the hot, creamy soup into individual bowls. Garnish generously with freshly chopped dill and a pinch of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- The gills of a fish contain bitter blood compounds. Always ask your fishmonger to remove them, or cut them out yourself with kitchen shears and rinse the cavity thoroughly before making stock.
- Using a short-grain rice like Baldo or Arborio is crucial here; it releases more starch into the broth than long-grain varieties, naturally aiding the thickening process before the egg temper is even added.
- When preparing the 'terbiye' (egg-lemon temper), ensuring your eggs are at room temperature will make them much less likely to shock and scramble when the hot liquid is introduced.
- For the cleanest flavor profile, avoid oily fish like salmon or mackerel for the stock and soup. Lean, white-fleshed fish such as sea bass, bream, cod, or halibut yield the bright, delicate flavor traditional to this dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat extremely gently over low heat; boiling will cause the egg emulsion to curdle.
Troubleshooting
The soup looks grainy and the liquid has separated
Cause: The eggs scrambled because the hot broth was added too quickly without whisking, or the soup was boiled after the temper was added
Fix: Cannot be fixed texturally, but the soup is absolutely still safe and flavorful to eat
Prevention: Always whisk the egg mixture vigorously while adding hot broth in a slow trickle, and ensure the soup pot is off the heat before stirring the temper back in
The fish stock is cloudy and tastes slightly bitter
Cause: The stock was boiled too vigorously or the gills were left inside the fish heads
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always remove the dark red gills from fish heads before boiling, and maintain a very gentle simmer
Cultural Context
Balik Corbasi is a beloved classic in Turkish coastal towns and meyhanes (traditional taverns). The technique of using 'terbiye' an emulsion of egg yolks and lemon juice is an ancient culinary practice in the region, designed to thicken broths luxuriously without the need for heavy cream or flour roux.
