I’ve been a real (asian) soup fiend lately. I’m constantly craving Phở and have been known to order a bowl of ramen here and there. As soon as I saw this recipe (originally with mackerel), I knew that I had to make it.

Interestingly, this also marks the first time I’ve actually gone inside and purchased something from the Seattle Fish Company on California Ave in West Seattle. I’ve been by it many times and kept promising that I would. It is a wonderful shop with anything seafood related that you could possibly want, right up to the lemons and limes near the register. I’ll be back soon.

adapted from the Spilled Milk podcast (so excellent)
serves 4

• 1 lb. of red-snapper (feel free to try any white fish as a sub)
• salt
• 1/4 lb. daikon – peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 tbsp dashi bouillon (or 2 cups of fish stock)
• 4 1/2 cups water (2 1/2 if using the stock)
• 1/2 cup sake
• 1/2 cup white miso
• 1/2 head of napa cabbage – chopped roughly
• 1/2 package firm tofu – cut into four pieces
• 4 ounces oyster mushrooms -  pulled apart
• 1 bunch spinach – stemmed
• 4 teaspoons grated ginger (a microplane works best)
• sliced scallions

Salt the fish generously on a plate and place in the fridge for roughly 30 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Get a large pot of water boiling and lower the heat to simmer the chopped daikon for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove the daikon slices and rinse them under cold water in a strainer to stop the cooking process. Set them aside but keep the water on the stove.

Slice the fish into 1 inch squares. Set up a bowl with cold water near by. Once the water is simmering again, blanch the fish in batches for roughly 15 seconds and transfer immediately to the cold water bowl. Once all the fish is done, drain, and dry the fish on towels.

Combine the dashi, water, sake and miso in a large mixing bowl. Whisk it all together.

Place the chopped cabbage in the bottom of a large stockpot so it covers the bottom. Put the spinach in a layer above that. Arrange the tofu, mushrooms, and daikon into individual, neat bunches on top of the greens. Leave some room for the fish in one corner. Pour in the broth. Don’t worry if the liquid doesn’t seem to cover the top yet.

Place a cover over pot and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Take off the cover and reduce the heat to low / medium-low. Add the fish back in to the space that you saved. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Try to maintain a very low simmer.

Serve in bowls with scallions and ginger.