It’s a sign.
I’ve started opening my bedroom curtains because I can bear to look out onto the (finally) snow-less area behind my building. There are patios on which to sit, and cold, sparkling beverages to drink. And as exciting as this all is, winter hasn’t quite let its hooks out of us yet, even in Montreal. In St. John’s it’s still dug in deep. And in Lima, Peru it’s just turning to autumn. Those are my homes (plus Toronto, which is on par with Montreal weather-wise). So wherever you are, you may be in need of some end-of-the-season comfort or some stabilizing soup when the cold creeps back into your bones at the end of an enticingly warm day. Especially when you stubbornly refuse to get off the rapidly cooling patio and need something hot to sustain your sitting.
Stock can be hard. Well, no, it ca be labour-intensive. For the best flavour there are steps and steps of browning and simmering and sieving, and heaven knows if you’ll end up with a truly flavourful broth. All that work for naught? But the sneaky way to make great broth is with seafood. I do it every time I boil shrimp or lobster (or both). So when I use those two crustaceans for my sushi classes I’m quietly excited for the accidental miracle of soul-satisying seafood broth. You don’t do anything fancy. You just cook your seafood in lightly salted water (not the traditional seawater for boiling lobster back home, since you’re going to drink it) – just 8 minutes max for a medium-sized lobster tail or crab claws, probably less, and 30 seconds to 1 minute for sustainable Nordic shrimp. Then scoop out the seafood with a slotted spoon and strain the liquid into a heat-proof bowl, ideally with a cheesecloth to avoid any albumin (the white slimey stuff that comes from the lobster – generally you want to cook the lobster less to avoid creating this, as it sucks moisture from the lobster, but I’m not sure if ti’s possible to completely avoid since you’re boiling the heck out of the poor guy).
And voila! Fish broth in less than 15 minutes. Since the broth is so flavourful, keep the soup recipe simple (I often just drink it as is), but stirring in some miso (not boiling the miso) gives you a ton of healthful gut bacteria in addition to the satisfying and nutritionally dense broth. It’s naturally sweet, the broth, so using vegetables with a comparative sweetness works. Parsnips, in this case, were the perfect addition. Broccoli’s only there because I had it and I wanted some green. Seaweed would be even better, but b careful with the sodium levels. Especially with the miso and the salted water and the salty seaweed.
Soul Satisfying Soup for the End of the Season: Seafood Broth with Parsnip and Broccoli
Serves at least 4
Ingredients:
enough water to cover the seafood, about 8-10 cups
1/2 tsp salt
2 small lobster tails, frozen, optional (or an entire live lobster or crab)
1 lb sustainable Nordic shrimp or spot prawns, frozen or fresh, in shell or peeled (the shells have a ton of flavour but it’s more work to peel them afterwards, and you can buy them frozen, pre-shelled and still have a fine broth)
4 parsnips, peeled and chopped as you wish
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets, bottom of stem peeled and sliced into coins (no need to waste the stem)
1 cup bean sprouts, optional
1 tbsp miso, divided, optional
Bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the lobster if using and bring back to a boil. Set the timer for 7 minutes. Check to see if it’s done (it should be bright red and the flesh should be almost opaque, but not tough). Remove the lobster when done and add the shrimp. Cook until bright pink, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Remove shrimp from broth with slotted spoon. If you don’t have a cheesecloth, remove as much of the white albumin slime as possible before straining. Pour broth through a fine-meshed sieve preferably lined with a cheesecloth. Wipe out pot and return broth to a simmer. Add parsnip pieces and broccoli stem pieces. Simmer 3 minutes. Add broccoli florets and simmer 3-5 minutes longer, until parsnips and broccoli are softened. Pour into four serving bowls (there maybe some leftover. That’s fine for seconds) and top with beansprouts if desired.
Divide the tablespoon of miso among the four bowls, smearing it on the side or mixing it in. I like smearing because you ca taste the miso with every sip this way instead of having its flavour lost in the broth, or not mixing properly. You don’t want to boil it with the broth or it kills the beneficial bacteria. This is also why you add it to the bowls and not to the pot, so if you have leftovers, you won’t kill the miso when you reheat.
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