Japanese Style Shellfish Soup Recipes

YOSENABE (JAPANESE HOT POT)

Steps:

• Boil Chinese cabbage in a large pot for about 8-10 minutes or until the thickest part of the stem becomes tender. Transfer the leaves from the pot to a strainer and drain.
• Using the same pot and water used for Chinese cabbage, blanch spinach for a minute until the colour of the leaves become bright green colour. Drain in a strainer and run cold water over the spinach to quickly cool it down so that it is no longer warm.
• Hold the bunch of Chinese cabbage vertically and squeeze out excess water. Do the same for the spinach.
• (Please see the photo steps below the recipe for the remaining steps below) Place a bamboo sushi mat (if you have one) or two layers of baking sheets made into a square with the width of the baking sheet on the cutting board.
• One leaf at a time, Chinese cabbage leaves need to be placed horizontally with the inside of the leaves facing up, slightly overlapping each other.
• Starting from the end closest to you, place a Chinese cabbage leaf on the mat/paper.
• Place a second leaf wrong way around so that the root end of the leaf is placed next to the tip of the leaf of the first cabbage leaf. Make sure that two leaves overlap slightly for continuity.
• The 3rd leaf will now be placed in the same direction as the first leaf. Repeat with two more leaves.
• Take half of the boiled spinach leaves and place them horizontally on your end of the Chinese cabbage, leaving a 1cm (3/8") gap.
• Starting from your end of the mat or baking paper, pick up the end of the mat/paper using both hands and start rolling the cabbage slowly using the mat/paper to support. Place the middle fingers and the index fingers onto the vegetables to secure them when rolling.
• Once the mat/paper goes over the rolled part of Chinese cabbage (be this time, Chinese cabbage covered the spinach (see the 3rd photo in the photo steps), move one hand to the outside of mat/paper to support the roll while pulling the mat/paper forward using the other hand.
• When completely rolled, squeeze the roll while the mat/paper is still on the roll so that excess water will be removed while keeping the log shape (excess water will make the soup stock thinner). If you tilt the roll vertically, water drains better.
• Repeat and make one more log. Cut the log into roughly 4cm (1 1/2") disks.
• Mix the Stock Ingredients together in a bowl or a jar.
• Group each ingredient together and place them in a wide shallow pot. I always place prawns and shells in the centre for dramatic effect when cooked.
• Pour the soup stock into the pot and heat over high heat with a lid on. Once it has started boiling, turn it down to medium low heat to simmer for about 5-8 minutes until all ingredients are cooked through.
• Serve immediately.
• Place ingredients on a large plate, grouping each ingredient together, accompanied by a pair of long chopsticks or tongs to pick up the ingredients (particularly seafood and met) and drop them into the pot.
• Add the soup stock into a pot and place it on a portable cook top. Bring it to a boil.
• Let each individual pick the ingredients of their choice and cook in the pot or let someone pick some ingredients and cook them in the pot for the others. You may need to adjust the heat depending on how full/empty the pot is.
• You will need a ladle or a large spoon to pick up delicate ingredients and soup from the pot as well as small bowls for individuals.
• Using individual's chopsticks or a ladle/spoon, take food from the pot into an individual bowl. Add some soup stock with a ladle/spoon to the bowl.
• Add a dash of shichimi togarashi to the bowl, if you are using it.

JAPANESE-STYLE SHELLFISH SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the mussels, shallots and white wine, and steam, covered, until all the mussels open, about five minutes. Strain the mussels, discarding any that remain closed. Remove the mussel meat from the shells, reserving 12 mussels on the half shell for garnish, and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid. There should be about two and one-half cups.
• In a large pot over high heat, combine the fish stock with two cups of mussel broth. Add the saffron, carrots, celery, pasta and mushrooms, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for three minutes.
• Add the monkfish to the broth, return to a boil, and lower the heat to simmer for one minute. Add the shrimp, scallions and mussel meat, and cook for one minute.
• Place two mussels on the half shell in each of six bowls. Ladle equal portions of the soup over the mussels and serve immediately.

YOSENABE (JAPANESE HOT POT)

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients.
• In a large pot (I used this donabe), combine dashi, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and salt. Cover and bring it to a simmer, and then turn off the heat. Set aside.
• Gather all the ingredients. Yosenabe is pretty flexible and you can substitute any of the listed ingredients with whatever you have or want to eat.
• Shrimp: Devein shrimp by following this instruction. Insert the tip of the skewer sideways about ½ inch (1.3 cm) down from the head of the shrimp (whether it's a shell on or off) and pull the skewer tip up towards you. This will lift up the vein and you can pull it off with the skewer or with your hand. If the vein is broken, then insert again a bit lower towards the tail. If you can't find the vein, then don't worry about it.
• Chicken tender: To remove the tendon, firmly grab the end of the tendon (maybe use a paper towel to increase grip) and place the knife on top of the tendon as you see in the image below. Using the knife to hold the chicken in place, pull the end of the tendon as you push the chicken away. Repeat with the rest of the chicken tenders. Then hold your knife diagonally, nearly parallel to the cutting board, and then slice the tender. This cutting method gives it more surface area so that it cooks faster and soaks up flavor quickly. This cutting technique is called sogigiri in Japanese.
• Fish: Cut the fish fillets in half. Place all the seafood ingredients on a platter.
• Napa cabbage: Remove the core, separate the leaves, and rinse them carefully. Then cut them into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
• Cut the tough bottom part of the leaves into smaller strips/pieces.
• Chrysanthemum leaves: Cut them into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces. Negi: Cut it diagonally into ½-inch (1.3 cm) pieces.
• Carrot: Using a vegetable peeler, peel the carrot into thin ribbons. Place all the vegetables on another platter.
• Enoki mushrooms: Discard the bottom and cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces. Shimeji mushrooms: Discard the bottom and separate them.
• Shiitake mushrooms: Discard the bottom. If you like, you can curve the cap of shiitake mushrooms to make them look like a flower by following this instruction.
• Tofu: Cut it into smaller pieces. Place the mushrooms and tofu on another platter.
• Green onion: Cut it into small pieces for garnish.
• Bring the broth to a boil. If you are cooking root vegetables such as daikon, gobo (burdock root), and carrots (if not ribbons), start cooking them while you are heating up the broth. They take a longer time to cook. Once boiling, add various kinds of ingredients to the pot and arrange them by sections. For example, group the napa cabbage in one area, while mushrooms stay in one area and seafood in another. This way, you can choose what you want to eat. Close the lid and cook for 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on leafy greens. Dish them out early if they turn soft and ready to eat.
• Pick up the cooked food and enjoy while they are hot. For yosenabe, the ingredients are cooked in a flavorful broth; therefore, we do not dip the cooked food in a dipping sauce like shabu shabu. We sprinkle chopped green onion, yuzu zest, and/or shichimi togarashi to enjoy.
• Once all the cooked ingredients are served and cleared from the hot pot, add a new batch of ingredients. Cover the lid and start cooking for 10 minutes. Add water if the broth is low in the pot.
• Enjoy and repeat 1-2 more rounds until you finish all the ingredients.
• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

ASIAN SHRIMP SOUP

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. , In a large saucepan, combine 3 cups water, bouillon and salt; bring to a boil. Stir in mushrooms and corn. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender., Combine the cornstarch, teriyaki sauce and remaining water until smooth; stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Reduce heat. Drain spaghetti. Add the spaghetti, lettuce, shrimp and green onion to the soup; heat through.

ASIAN RAMEN SHRIMP SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Set aside seasoning packet from noodles. Add the noodles to boiling water; cook and stir for 3 minutes. , Add the shrimp, onions, carrot, soy sauce and contents of seasoning packet. Cook until heated through, 3-4 minutes longer.