Hearty Skewered Fish Cake Soup
How to Make Skewered Fish Cake Soup at Home: A Deep and Refreshing Broth Recipe
This heartwarming Skewered Fish Cake Soup features a rich broth made from anchovies and kelp, enhanced with soy sauce or tuna extract for a deep umami flavor that makes you want to keep sipping. The chewy fish cakes on skewers are incredibly delicious! Be sure to try making this at home.
Main Ingredients
- 6 Skewered fish cakes
- Plenty of water
- Tuna extract, to taste
- Kuk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce), to taste
- Salt, to taste (for final seasoning adjustment)
For the Rich Broth
- 8-10 Dried anchovies (for broth)
- 1/2 handful Dried shrimp
- 3-4 pieces Dried kelp
- 80g Radish (Korean radish or daikon)
- 1/3 stalk Green onion
- 2 Shiitake mushrooms (including stems)
- 8-10 Dried anchovies (for broth)
- 1/2 handful Dried shrimp
- 3-4 pieces Dried kelp
- 80g Radish (Korean radish or daikon)
- 1/3 stalk Green onion
- 2 Shiitake mushrooms (including stems)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s create the foundation for our flavorful soup: a rich broth. In a pot, add plenty of water along with the dried anchovies, dried shrimp, dried kelp, radish, green onion, and shiitake mushrooms. You can also add other ingredients like dried sand lance (disori), or vegetables that add sweetness, if you like. For a quicker option, you can use broth cubes and a few vegetables.
Step 2
As the broth simmers, you’ll notice foam rising to the surface. Skim this off regularly with a ladle. Removing the foam will result in a cleaner, clearer broth with a more refined flavor.
Step 3
Today, we’re using pre-skewered fish cakes. If they are frozen, simply let them sit at room temperature for a while to thaw. If you don’t have pre-skewered ones, you can cut regular fish cakes into bite-sized pieces and thread them onto your own skewers.
Step 4
Before adding the fish cakes to the soup, it’s a good idea to briefly pour hot water over them and then rinse them gently under cold water. *Rinsing with hot water helps to remove any additives from the fish cakes, and a quick rinse in cold water helps maintain their chewy texture. I always do this step before cooking fish cakes.
Step 5
Fish cakes alone can be a bit plain, so we’ll add some shiitake mushrooms for a touch of elegance and added flavor. (Sadly, only one was left when I prepared this!).
Step 6
Now, let’s season the soup. We’ll use kuk-ganjang and tsuuyu (or tuna extract) for the base seasoning. You can adjust the final taste with salt as needed. Start by adding one tablespoon of kuk-ganjang.
Step 7
Add one tablespoon of tuna extract or tsuuyu. Stir the broth gently, taste it, and add another tablespoon of either kuk-ganjang or tuna extract if needed to reach your desired seasoning level. The balance of deep and refreshing flavors is key.
Step 8
We won’t remove all the broth ingredients. Let’s take out the anchovies, kelp, and some of the dried shrimp for now. The remaining vegetables will stay in the pot to continue infusing flavor into the broth as we add the fish cakes.
Step 9
Add all the prepared skewered fish cakes to the pot and let them simmer for a short while. This allows the fish cakes to absorb the delicious broth.
Step 10
The broth becomes wonderfully flavorful without needing to simmer for too long. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, and your delicious Skewered Fish Cake Soup will be ready. This time is enough for the fish cakes to soak up the broth’s essence.
Step 11
Finally, taste the soup and add salt to your preference to perfect the seasoning. Now you can enjoy your warm and deeply flavorful Skewered Fish Cake Soup!
