Salmon Head Soup
Ingredients
3 salmon heads, cut in half
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
3 inches thumb of ginger, peeled and sliced
2 leeks, tops discarded, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Thai red peppers, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional)
rice vinegar (optional)
aji-mirin (optional)
1 can Szechuan prepared vegetable (optional)
1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1 handful cilantro for garnish, stemmed, with stems reserved
1 package Asian noodles (e.g., udon, soba, ramen)
Preparation
1
2
3
Strain contents, picking and reserving as much salmon meat as possible. Return soup to simmer. Adjust for salt. Add half the remaining green onion and the cilantro stems. (Optional seasoning: Add a tablespoon of each: Chinese wine, rice vinegar, aji-mirin; add a few heaping tablespoons of Szechuan prepared vegetables.) Simmer another 15-30 minutes.
4
Strain soup a second time and return to low heat to keep warm. Dole out reserved salmon meat into bowls, along with noodles, a handful of shredded cabbage, and spoonfuls of both Szechuan prepared vegetables (optional) and bamboo shoots. Ladle soup. Garnish with green onion, cilantro, and Thai red pepper.
Tools
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About
My kids are big soup eaters. Because we live near Seattle's International District, at a tender age they discovered noodle houses and the "subtle yet profound" pleasures of an Asian noodle soup. These soups are so tasty and cheap that I never really considered trying to make my own before, but I'm a fisherman and prefer to do honor to my catch by eating every last morsel. Salmon heads fit the bill.
Yield:
4
Added:
Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 4:21pm
