Sour and Spicy Kimchi Soup with Soba and Swordfish

Sour and Spicy Kimchi Soup with Soba and Swordfish

Sour and Spicy Kimchi Soup
Beef Broth, Buckwheat Noodles, Swordfish, Seaweed

It’s not the elegant soup I would serve at a dinner party, but rather a rustic soup I absolutely crave on a winter night. This soup is kimchi guk on steroids.

Kimchi guk is a simple Korean soup where chopped napa cabbage kimchi is simmered in beef broth. Sometimes daikon, meat, or tofu are added. It is usually garnished with scallions.

This version with ground beef, buckwheat noodles, seaweed, and swordfish is much more hearty, and served as a meal. The broth is sour, spicy, savory, salty with a hint of sweetness, and really explodes with flavor.

There are a few non-traditional foods that I like to pair with napa cabbage kimchi such as cheddar cheese, mashed potatoes, and BBQ oysters. Swordfish is another, with its mildly sweet flavor and a juicy meaty texture with a good balance of fat, it just goes well with sour and spicy kimchi.

Sour and Spicy Kimchi Soup Recipe

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Hot Spicy Fish Soup (Maeuntang)

korean fish soup
Fresh Local Swordfish over Spicy Fish Soup with Gochujang and Gochugaru
Doenjang Braised Beech Mushrooms, Red Jalapeño, Scallion, Cilantro

This version of Korean Maeuntang, a hot spicy fish soup is bright, fresh, and fiery. Chili paste, chili flakes, and fresh chilies layer on the heat while beech mushrooms add slightly crunchy slightly nutty texture and flavor to the fragrant fish broth. Pan-seared fresh local swordfish sits atop the soup, retaining its crispy exterior. Fresh cilantro and scallion add verdant sparks. The flavor comes from the various forms of red chili, not from a long simmer, so this mouthwatering red-hot meal can be on the table in about 20 minutes…

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hot pot! swordfish, kimchi, soba noodle

 swordfish kimchi hot pot
hot pot! swordfish, kimchi, soba noodles
in a rich beef broth
with cucumber, tomato, scallion, jalapeño
togarashi & cilantro garnish

A super-satisfying one dish meal complex in flavor and texture. Generally a HOT POT is a pot of simmering hot stock for cooking meats and vegetables, which is placed in the center of the dining table. Here, this Korean~Japanese~Californian fusion hot pot meal is composed in individual bowls. Rich beef stock adds depth and pairs surprisingly well with fresh local California swordfish fillets while kimchi adds complexity with its sour, spicy, and umami notes. Farmers Market tomatoes, cucumber, and green jalapeño add bright crisp fresh notes to the pot.

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swordfish belly, hot smoky pineapple glaze

swordfish belly, chile de arbol
pan-fried swordfish belly, hot smoky pineapple glaze
brown rice, temptation melon, cilantro, peanut
chile de arbol garnish

The fishmonger called it “swordfish bacon.” He had the whole fish there, which was locally caught right off the coast here in Southern California. The steaks looked fabulous, but then there was this esoteric belly meat kept off to the side, unsliced, and sold only to those who asked specifically…

While the belly of the swordfish is particularly fatty, it is high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and low in saturated fats. Its melt-in-the-mouth texture and buttery flavor make for a special treat. Due to the richness and high fat content, my serving size here is only about 5 0z. per plate.

Dried chipotle chiles turn the spicy pineapple glaze into an extraordinary sauce. Tangy sweet pineapple juice is reduced to a syrup while becoming infused with the heat and smoke from chipotle peppers. Jalapeño brings a another spicy dimension and green vegetal flavors. Cilantro and scallion are introduced at the very end, adding a lively fresh component to the glaze.

The fish is served with fluffy brown rice, diced temptation melon, cilantro, and peanuts. Temptation melon, also known as orange flesh honeydew, is a cross between honeydew and cantaloupe. The melon flesh has a sweet heady aroma and complex flavor. Finally, the dish is brightened with fresh cilantro leaves while chopped peanuts lend crunch to balance the silky fish texture.

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junk food challenge: pairing 2 fresh fish, with corn nuts?

sauteed dover sole wondra

sautéed fresh dover sole
grape tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes, corn nuts
basil garnish

pan seared swordfish
pan seared fresh local swordfish
cherry tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes, corn nuts
parsley garnish

★★★★★

the junk food challenge

corn nuts
a snack food made of deep fried corn kernels

“Let’s have some fun this month with something a little different – Junk Food!   Take your favorite Junk Food, something you are addicted to, for example chips or fries, and use it in a gourmet dish!   Note it is not a makeover of junk food, you must use the junk food item in your 5 star creation.”

The 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group hosted by Natasha the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! is an outstanding monthly event for sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations.

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