Halászlé / Hungarian Fisherman's Stew

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1. 1Step 1: Remove the larger bones in the filets. The smaller Y-shaped bones are removed by adding salt and letting the fish sit for 1 to 2 hours until the salt 'eats' the bones. If preferred, pick out the bones with needle-nosed pliers.
2. 2Step 2: Cut the filets into 1-inch square pieces, and put into the refrigerator until needed.
3. 3Step 3: With a small amount of oil, sweat finely chopped onions until they turn soft and glossy.
4. 4Step 4: Add about 2 to 3 quarts of cold water.
5. 5Step 5: Add the head, tail, fins, and skeleton of the fish, with bits of meat still hanging on.
6. 6Step 6: Add half of the paprika powder, whole hot paprika, and salt.
7. 7Step 7: Simmer on medium heat for 1 hour to make a fish broth for the soup.
8. 8Step 8: When the broth is ready, pour the contents of the pot through a colander into another pot and reserve the broth.
9. 9Step 9: Discard the head, tail, and skeleton after picking the tender pieces of meat off the bones.
10. 10Step 10: What you will have left in the colander should be the onions and small bits of meat. Press these through a mesh colander with a large ladle, or process through a food mill.
11. 11Step 11: Add this essence of ingredients back into the reserved broth. This flavors and thickens the broth.
12. 12Step 12: Bring the pot of broth back to a boil. Once boiling, add the filets, the second half of the paprika powder, and the peeled tomato.
13. 13Step 13: Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes until the filet are soft and flaky.
14. 14Step 14: Add salt to taste.
15. 15Step 15: It is very important to not stir the soup too much so that the pieces of fish don't break up into flakes. To serve, gently ladle a few chunks of fish into a bowl and then skim some of the liquid off the surface to pour over the fish until it is fully covered. Serve with a slice of crusty white bread to soak up the bright red broth.