"UKHA" (TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN FISH SOUP) ingredients: 1¾ lb fish fillet with skin on 1 tsp fish spice blend 1½ qt water 1 onion (diced) 1 celery root (diced) 1 carrot (shredded or diced) 2 tomatoes (sliced) ¼ butter stick 2 potatoes (peeled and chopped) 1 cup pearl-barley 5-6 black peppercorns 2 bay leaves (optional) Salt to taste directions: The most delicious bouillons are made with such fish as sturgeon, pike perch, catfish, sea bass, lancet fish, hake, blue whiting, perch, kingfish, and pink salmon. Herring, rasp, carp, bream are not to be used for Ukha. Cut fish fillet into portions. Place it in a pot with cold water. Over medium high heat bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and skim the froth off. Add spice blend, black peppercorns, bay leaves and salt to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile sauté onion, carrot and celery root till translucent. At the end of simmering add potatoes and pearl-barley to the bouillon. Bring heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Then add sautéed vegetables and tomatoes. Cook for 5 more minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped greens. ideas: 1) Add 1 sweet bell pepper when sautéing vegetables (slightly reduce the amount of all others) 2) Substitute pearl-barley with brown rice 3) Use 2 pickled cucumbers instead of tomatoes 4) Make the ukha with squid. Cut the squid into rings. In this case, you do not need to simmer the bouillon for 30 minutes.