Ingredients
Fish
- 1.2 kgsurubí, or any firm river catfish, in steaks with the head
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt
Base
- 3 tbspoil or lard
- 2onions, chopped
- 1red pepper, chopped
- 4tomatoes, chopped
- 4 clovesgarlic
- 3spring onions
- 1 tspground cumin
- 2bay leaves
Liquid
- 1.5 litreswater or fish stock
- 500 mlmilk
- 150 mlcream
Cheese
- 300 gqueso Paraguay, or a firm salty fresh cheese, cubed
To finish
- salt
- black pepper
- chopped parsley
To serve
- mandioca, boiled cassava
- bread
Directions
- Rub the fish with lemon and salt and leave it 15 minutes, then rinse it. The lemon and salt rub takes away any muddy river taste, which freshwater fish often carries.
- Simmer the head and any bones in the water for 20 minutes to make a stock, then strain it. Do not boil the fish stock hard or for long. Fry the onions and pepper in the oil until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, spring onion and cumin and cook a minute.
- Add the tomatoes and cook them down until they collapse and thicken. Pour in the strained stock and the bay leaves and simmer 10 minutes. From this point never let it boil.
- Add the fish steaks and poach them gently for 8 to 10 minutes. Poach the fish gently and lift it out as soon as it flakes, because catfish falls apart quickly.
- Lift the fish out, flake it off the bone, and return the flesh to the pot. Add the cheese at the end and over the lowest heat. Queso Paraguay is fresh, firm and salty, and it should soften without fully melting away.
- Stir in the cream and warm it through. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper, tasting first because the cheese is salty. Scatter parsley over and serve very hot in deep bowls.
- Serve boiled cassava alongside, which is what Paraguayans eat with almost everything. It has a firm reputation in Paraguay as a restorative and as a hangover cure, and it is ordered on that basis at riverside restaurants along the Paraguay and Paraná.
Technique
- Surubí is the prized fish and dorado and pacú are also used.
- It does not reheat well, because the fish breaks up and the milk can split.
- Some cooks add a beaten egg at the end, tempered in as for avgolemono.
Substitutions
- Any firm white fish, freshwater or sea.
- Halloumi or a firm feta in place of queso Paraguay.
Variations
- With an egg tempered in at the end.
- Made without cream, which is lighter.
- With cassava cooked in the soup itself.
History
Made with surubi or other Paraguay river catfish; pira is Guarani for fish, and the soup is drunk as a restorative.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pira caldo?
Pira caldo is a soup & stew from Paraguay: rich river-fish soup thickened with cheese, milk and tomato. Made with surubi or other Paraguay river catfish; pira is Guarani for fish, and the soup is drunk as a restorative.
How long does Pira caldo take to make?
Pira caldo takes 30 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Pira caldo?
Yes, within limits. Any firm white fish, freshwater or sea. Halloumi or a firm feta in place of queso Paraguay.
What is the most important thing to get right in Pira caldo?
Simmer the head and any bones in the water for 20 minutes to make a stock, then strain it. Do not boil the fish stock hard or for long. Fry the onions and pepper in the oil until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, spring onion and cumin and cook a minute.
