Sculpin Fish in Miso Broth

Since I started this blog last year, I have grown a habit of harassing fellow store customers for recipes. Somehow, these interactions have been addicting, not only for the fresh kitchen ideas, but also for the sense of kinship they bring. Was I ever offhandedly treated by those I approached, you ask? Never. 100% of the people I interrupted on their shopping trips have pleasantly acknowledged me and entertained my inquiries. Quite a few even accompanied me to the aisles where I can find the ingredients. Oh yes, the human race is not a lost cause, yet.

I was at the fish section of our nearby asian grocer waiting for my turn and at the same time, was eyeing this sculpin fish from a couple of steps away, when a woman, who looked and sounded European, asked for the fish cleaner to gut and cut two of the same fish I was looking at. I have never heard of and more, have never seen this fish before so I was mighty curious on what way she was going to prepare it. The fish looked pretty meaty and sturdy and just right for bouillabaisse recipes. But fish soup with miso? Interesting. She said she cooks hers with just the broth and the fish. I completed my recipe with enoki mushrooms and bokchoy for added color and texture. I prepared my soup stock instantly with hon-dashi but if you’d like to try your hand in making dashi from scratch, here is a very useful link. For my soybean paste, I used aka miso, the red and bolder variety. Word of the wise, miso should not be allowed to boil. Simmer and turn off just before it starts to ripple. I lived in Japan for a couple years and from what I’ve heard and learned there, miso soup should not be reheated also. Hmmm? I wonder why I never got around to asking why that is. Maybe because my grasp of the Japanese language did not progress beyond watashi wa lalaine desu?

Anyway, this sculpin fish with its delicious miso broth is off to join the other Japanese-inspired meal ideas culminating at Joelen’s Culinary Adventures this month of August.

 

Makes 4 Serving

Ingredients

2 schulpin fish, cleaned, gutted and cut to serving pieces
5 to 6 cups water
1 tbsp hon-dashi powder
1/2 small onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsps aka miso
1 bokchoy, end trimmed and leaves separated
1 bunch enoki mushrooms, ends trimmed
vegetable oil

Procedure

Wash and prepare vegetables.

In a small soup pot, heat vegetable oil. Saute onions until tender. Add fish and saute until it slightly changes color but not cooked through. Remove fish.

Pour in water. Allow to simmer. Season water with hon-dashi. Add in fish and continue to simmer until cooked, around 5 minutes. Add in bokchoy and simmer for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove around 1/4 cup of broth and combine with miso paste. Blend well. Pour into broth. Add enoki mushrooms. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes and turn off heat before broth starts to boil. Serve immediately.

 

Fish and Seafood Recipes in The CookMobile Archive:

Seared Salmon with Kiwi-Mango Salsa

 

 

 

Sinigang Big Head Carp (Carp Fish in Tamarind Broth)

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