Senba-jiru: Fishermen’s Soup

15Feb09

The name of this soup literally means “onboard boat,” indicating that it was made on fishing boats. Today, however, fish is caught on large factory-size boats that spend weeks out on the open seas. The fish are caught, cleaned, and frozen right on board, making it possible to haul in big volumes at relatively low costs. This soup can be made with fish scraps (from other meals), or with cheaper fish—Ms. Shimbo specifies mackerel, but suggests salmon can be used for a less “fishy” taste.

Filed under: Fish and Seafood, Japanese Food, Soups   |  2 Comments
Tags: Japanese Recipes, salmon, Suimono

Dried Shiitake Mushroom Soup

14Oct08

Ms. Shimbo was inspired by Chinese mushroom soups to include this recipe in her book. Best quality dried shiitake mushrooms are soaked and then steamed in chicken stock for an hour. The mushrooms become juicy and chewy, adding a nice flavor to the soup. This soup is really delicious after being refrigerated for a day!

Filed under: Japanese Food, Soups, Western Influenced food   |  11 Comments
Tags: Japanese Recipes, shiitake mushrooms, Suimono

Clear Soup with Egg Flowers

02Mar08

This is a really fun recipe that could be served as an amuse-bouche. After only a bit of practice, people will consider you a skilled kitchen technician who can turn out miniature works of art.

Filed under: Eggs, Japanese Food, Soups, Vegetables   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: egg flower, Suimono

Dango Jiru, Recipe Test 2

30Jan08

This is the second recipe that Pat, over at The Asian Grandmothers’ Cookbook, sent me to test. If testing new recipes sounds like fun to you let her know. This recipe is “Grandma Mivoshi’s Dango Jiru.” It’s a Japanese-Hawaiian soup with lots of greens, Spam ™, and dumplings. “Dango” refers to the dumplings, which in Japan are usually made with rice flour, but in this Hawaiian variation, the dumplings are made with all-purpose flour.

Filed under: Asian Cooking, Noodles, Pork, Soups   |  4 Comments
Tags: dumplings, Suimono

Duck Dumplings

02Jan08

My dumplings look rather artisanal, but they were delicious!

Filed under: Duck, Japanese Food, Poultry, Soups   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: dumplings, miso, Suimono