Salmon head and asparagus soup

Yesterday’s soup was simple. I had a salmon head which I had asked the fish monger to chop into six portions, I had a bunch of baby asparagus, fresh tomatoes, and sweet basil leaves in the garden ready for the picking. I put them all together and the result was light, refreshing and unique. Kid-friendly too because my daughters just love asparagus.

salmon-head-asparagus-soup

The obvious question is whether it’s fish head or nothing for the soup. Well, not really. But the most flavorful part of the fish is the head and bones. You can use any portion of the fish but I do recommend that you NOT use fillets UNLESS you have fish stock lying around.

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

1 salmon (or your favorite fish) head, about 500 grams, chopped into serving size portions
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 onion, finely sliced
3 tomatoes, diced
a bunch of baby asparagus, about 150 grams, cut into thirds
a handful of fresh sweet fresh basil leaves
3 to 4 tbsps. of olive oil
salt or patis (fish sauce)
freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a pot. Add the garlic and onion and cook over medium heat until the onion slices start to go limp. Add the diced tomatoes. Continue cooking until they start to soften and render color.

Add the fish to the pot. Pour in about six cups of water. Season with salt (or patis). Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the asparagus. Simmer for another minute.

Throw in the basil. Simmer for another 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat. Add more salt or patis, if necessary, and season with freshly ground pepper.

Serve hot.

May 2, 2009  Print This Post   
Tagged: , , , , ,

Comments

3 Responses to “Salmon head and asparagus soup”
  1. bayi says:
    May 2, 2009 at 2:47 pm

    Fish head is a delicacy in Malaysia. Initially it was a Chinese dish but now the other races have joined in the culinary adventure. Fish head curry is a very popular dish and it’s not uncommon to see people queueing for this dish during lunch. Go for the type with more flesh to enjoy the dish more. Okra is added into the curry which is thick and aromatic. Some recipes use coconut milk but this can be substituted with yoghurt which is healthier.

    You must try this dish when you are in Penang. It is usually done by the Indian Muslims (known as “Mamak” locally, though the term is sometimes perceived to be derogative). In the Malay language, fish head curry is called “kari kepala ikan”. Make sure you get to taste this exotic dish. A fish head dish with a whole head costs between RM30.00 and RM45.00.

    Reply
  2. Pia says:
    May 3, 2009 at 1:00 am

    I’m sure the soup tasted fantastic. I used fish heads and shrimp heads to make broth also, but kid-friendly with the fish head swimming in the middle of the soup bowl, I’m not sure. My daughter would not have a sip even if I paid her.

    Reply
  3. Scott at Realepicurean says:
    May 3, 2009 at 1:22 am

    I’ve seen dishes with fish heads before – mainly cod – but never tried one. I’m not too squeemish so would give it a go.

    Reply
You may post a relevant comment.
If you want your own pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING A COMMENT

Except for personal use, or as legitimate RSS feeds with link back to this page, NO PART OF THIS ENTRY MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER, whether individually or as part of a collection, without the owner's PRIOR written permission. This blog is a FREE service. Help maintain it by respecting the author's copyright.

Some entries have multiple pages. Most recipes are on page 2; others, on page 3 or 4. Click on the pagination links to view them.

Some entries DO NOT contain recipes.

Sorry, I don't e-mail recipes. However, you may opt to receive a weekly summary of recent Pinoy Cook food articles and recipes by using the link on the left sidebar.

Stay updated!

Feed for RSS readers Weekly Newsletter Get recipe updates via Facebook Get recipe updates via Twitter Get recipe updates via Plurk Get recipe updates via Yahoo! Meme

View the archive

November 2009
S M T W T F S
« Oct    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  
Chicken soup a la picadilloChicken soup a la picadillo
Baked pompano and red cabbageBaked pompano and red cabbage
Mango-banana milkshakeMango-banana milkshake
Salmon salad with mango lemon dressingSalmon salad with mango lemon dressing
Roast salt-and-pepper ducklingRoast salt-and-pepper duckling

Conversations