Salmon belly fish soup poached blanquette-style, pearl barley with skyr

This recipe, dubbed “Franco-Norwegian,” showcases the fusion of two culinary cultures: it draws inspiration from Fiskesuppe, a traditional Norwegian soup, while incorporating the elements of a classic French dish, blanquette. Chef Florian Barbarot also takes a strong stance against food waste and makes full use of every part of the Norwegian salmon: the heads and bones are used to make the broth, while the belly—a cut that is often underappreciated—becomes the main component of the dish. The side dish replaces the traditional rice with pearl barley—a grain commonly found in Nordic countries—seasoned with skyr to reinforce the recipe’s Nordic identity.

Ingredients for Florian Barbarot’s salmon belly fiskesuppe

Serves 4

Poached salmon belly

• 400 g salmon belly
• 20 g fine salt

Pearled barley

• 120 g pearl barley
• 1 L water
• 10 g salt

Crisp vegetables

• 80 g carrots
• 80 g leeks

Marinated mushrooms

• 80 g button mushrooms
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Fiskesuppe sauce, blanquette-style

• 1 salmon carcass (including the head)
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 whole leek
• 100 g button mushrooms
• 3 L water
• 40 g roux
• 140 g heavy cream
• Salt, pepper

Steps for Florian Barbarot’s Salmon Belly Fish Soup

1. Poached salmon belly: Salt thesalmonbelly for 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly, then let it dry on a rack for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Cut into even pieces about 1 cm thick and poach them for 40 seconds in gently simmering broth. Set aside.
2. Pearl barley: Bring salted water to a boil, add the pearl barley, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Crisp vegetables: Cut the vegetables. Cook the carrots for 4 to 6 minutes in boiling salted water to retain a crisp texture, and the leeks for 2 minutes in boiling salted water. Cool, then set aside.
4. Marinated mushrooms: Cut the mushrooms into quarters and season them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
5. Blanquette-style Fiskesuppe sauce: Place the salmon carcasses, vegetables, and mushrooms in a large pot and add 3 L of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, then let the broth infuse overnight in the refrigerator. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to separate the broth, then reduce it until you have about 200 g of concentrated liquid. Gradually whisk in the roux until the sauce is smooth, add the heavy cream, and let it simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and ground black pepper, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer one last time to achieve a perfectly smooth sauce.

This recipe was created for Seafood from Norway as part of a collaboration with Chef Florian Barbarot of the restaurant Quelque Part… Les Abysses (2 toques), featuring Norwegian salmon.