← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 1 l Water
• 1 piece kombu (about 5 x 12 cm)
• 350 g skin-on salmon fillets, cut into large chunks
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 2 Potato, cut into thick slices
• 200 g Daikon radish, cut into half-moons
• 1 Carrot, sliced
• ½ Onion, cut into wedges
• ¼ Cabbage, cut into chunks
• 4 Shiitake mushrooms
• 400 g medium-firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 1 Japanese long onion or thin leek, sliced on the diagonal
• 2 handfuls shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) or spinach
• 5 tbsp Miso paste
• 4 tbsp Sake
• 2 tbsp Mirin
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1 corn cob, cut into rounds (optional)

Method

1. Soak the kombu in the water in a large pot or donabe for 15 min. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and set aside.
2. Add the potato, daikon and carrot to the pot and bring to a gentle simmer, taking out the kombu just before it boils. Cook for 8–10 min until the roots are nearly tender.
3. Pour boiling water over the salmon to firm it up and rinse off any fishy taste, then drain.
4. Add the sake and mirin to the pot, then dissolve the miso in a ladle of broth and stir it back in. Taste: it should be well seasoned, like a strong miso soup.
5. Add the onion, cabbage, shiitake, corn, tofu and leek, then lay the salmon on top. Simmer gently for 6–8 min until the salmon is just cooked and flakes. Add the greens for the last minute.
6. Top with the butter and let it melt into the broth at the table. Season with sansho or shichimi if you like.

Tips

• Keep it at a gentle simmer once the miso is in; hard boiling dulls its aroma.
• Contains fish, soy and dairy; skip the butter for dairy-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Japan Just One Cookbook