Cod and Somen (Noodle) in Three Mushroom-Miso Soup

With Yarden Galilee Chardonnay by Golan Heights Winery 2021

This is one of my most popular dishes. I made it for over 40 people at work (with help from our professional chef, Andreas), and it was very well received. My kids also love it and usually finish all the soup and eat everything.

Cod and Somen (Noodle) in Three Mushroom-Miso Soup

Ingredients:

For the Three Mushroom-Miso Soup:

• 300g of enoki mushrooms, stems removed and brushed clean (see how to prepare enoki mushrooms)

• 150g of brown shimeji mushrooms, stems removed, brushed clean

• 200g of oyster mushrooms, brushed clean

• 1-2 pieces of ginger, peeled and sliced

• 2 spring onions. White parts cut into 1-inch chunks; green parts thinly sliced; or thinly sliced diagonally (see how to slice spring onions)

• 6 – 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

• 1 chilli, diagonally sliced (optional)

• White miso paste, 2 – 3 tablespoons (depends on the brand of the miso paste. Some are stronger than others, so make sure you taste it before finalising the soup)

• Light soy sauce, 3-4 tablespoons

• 500ml of water

• 20g of salted butter

• Salt and pepper

For the Fish:

• 4 fish fillets, preferably skin-on, patted dry with kitchen paper (Cod and salmon work best for this recipe)

For the Noodles:

3 bundles of Japanese Somen (noodles)

Methods:

1. Heat a large non-stick flat-base wok or sauté pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and add the ginger, white parts of the spring onions, garlic, and chilli (if using). Stir-fry until they release their aromas

2. Add the miso paste and mix it evenly with the ingredients. Stir-fry quickly to prevent the miso from burning. Add one tablespoon of cold water if it becomes too thick or starts to burn

3. Add the light soy sauce, mix it together, and quickly add the water to the pan. Mix well. Wait until the water boils, then reduce the heat until the soup is only simmering. You should have a light brown soup base

4. Create space in the middle of the pan by pushing the soup base ingredients to the side with a spatula or wok chaan. Carefully slide the fish fillets into the middle of the pan, skin side down

5. Use a tablespoon to carefully pour the soup on top of the fish fillets. The soup should just about cover the fish fillets. If the soup level is too high, the fish fillets may break

6. Simmer/poach the fish for 8-10 minutes until it is just cooked. Carefully remove the fish with a fish spatula. If using salmon fillets, you can gently break the fillets into large flakes resembling rose petals, see photo below

7. Add all the mushrooms and butter to the pan, simmer for 15-20 minutes with the lid on. Taste the soup when it is done. Add some soy sauce or salt to adjust the flavour if needed

8. While the soup is simmering, cook the somen in boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until soft; drain and rinse with cold water, then place in an ice bath immediately. This is to maintain the integrity of the texture of the noodles. Remove the noodles when they are completely cold

9. Plate the noodles in serving bowls, add few drops of sesame oil. (See tips below on how to plate noodles). Place the fish fillets or salmon petals on top of the noodles. Add a small piece of butter on top

10. Ladle the miso soup into the bowl, allowing the butter to slowly melt into the noodles and the soup. Add the mushrooms to the bowl

11. Garnish with sea salt flakes and thinly chopped spring onions, and enjoy!

Tips:

How to Plate Noodles:

• The Folds: You can use a pair of chopsticks or a thin thong to take out the noodles, spread them out, and arrange them tidily and thinly along one side of the chopsticks or one side of the thin thong. Gently lay the curtain of noodles flat onto the plate or bowl, fold it, and lay it flat again to the other side. Fold it 2 or 3 times depending on the amount of noodles you have

• The Volcano: Retrieve the noodles with chopsticks, start rolling the noodles around the chopsticks until they form a cone or ball, then place the noodles on the plate with the tip of the chopsticks pointing downwards. Carefully remove the noodles from the top of the chopsticks

Wine pairing:

This is one of my most popular dishes. I made it for over 40 people at work (with help from our wonderful chef, Andreas), and it was very well received. My kids also love it and usually finish all the soup and eat everything.

I tried two wines for this dish, Jurtschitsch Langenlois Riesling, Kamptal , 2021 (Austria) and Yarden Galilee Chardonnay by Golan Heights Winery 2021. I personally prefer the Golan Height Chardonnay but the Austrian Riesling also does the job.

The Jurtschitsch Langenlois Riesling is fresh and aromatic wine with ripe green apple, white peach flavours and a hint of lime zest. It also contains floral notes of elderflower and jasmine, as well as mineral characteristics of wet slate and crushed minerals. It has high acidity which creates a perfect balance with the ripe and sweet fruity flavours of the wine. Its sweet fruity flavours match well with the miso, umami mushrooms and salty flavour of the dish. The high acidity lightens up the richness from the miso and butter and creates a great balance on the texture.

The Yarden Galilee Chardonnay by Golan Heights Winery is a complex bouquet that combines ripe tropical fruits like pineapple and mango with classic notes of green apple and pear. Subtle nuances of vanilla and toasted oak hint at its barrel aging, while delicate floral undertones and a hint of citrus zest add depth. The ripe tropical fruit flavours match perfectly with rounded buttery flavour of the miso soup. In the meantime, the hint of oak and vanilla flavour add to the complexity from the soy sauce and umami in the soup. It has high acidity which lightens up the richness of the dish as well as acts as a refresher to the lovely fresh and sweet flavour of the fish.