Asian Vegetable Soup with Fish Balls

Ingredients

• 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 600 g cod fillet
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 slices whole grain toast
• 150 ml Milk (3.5% fat)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 Eggs
• 0.5 bunch coriander
• 100 g sesame seeds
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 100 g carrots
• 1 stalk leek
• 1 red chili pepper
• 1 piece kombu seaweed
• 30 g bonito flakes
• 80 ml soy sauce
• 100 ml Rapeseed oil

Instructions

1. 1.

   Soak shiitake mushrooms in water for about 3 hours.

2. 2.

   While soaking, grind cod fillet through a meat grinder, peel and finely chop onion, sauté in hot butter until translucent, then let cool. Remove crust from toast and soak in milk, squeeze out excess liquid, then add to fish mixture with onions, salt, pepper and eggs. Wash coriander, shake dry and finely chop, add to mixture and mix well; if needed, stir in a little flour and shape small balls.

3. 3.

   Place sesame seeds on a flat plate.

4. 4.

   Whisk egg whites lightly until frothy, whisk in cornstarch. Coat fish balls first in the egg white-cornstarch mixture, then roll in sesame, cover and refrigerate.

5. 5.

   Remove shiitake mushrooms from water and discard stems. Strain soaking liquid through paper towel and set aside. Peel carrots and slice into very thin rounds. Clean leek, rinse and cut into thin rings.

6. 6.

   Halve chili pepper lengthwise, remove seeds, strip white membranes and dice small.

7. 7.

   Wipe kombu with a damp cloth. Slowly bring 700 ml water to a gentle boil over medium heat in a pot without covering; when it starts boiling, remove kombu. Add bonito flakes to the water, let boil, then strain through a towel once flakes have settled at bottom of pot.

8. 8.

   Add this broth with diced chili, soy sauce, salt, mushrooms and half of the shiitake soaking liquid along with vegetables to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes over low heat; taste and adjust seasoning.

9. 9.

   Heat oil in a wok or deep fryer and fry sesame balls for about 3 minutes, then remove and drain on paper towels.

10. 10.

    Serve hot soup immediately with sesame balls so the sesame does not separate.