Hi!! I know it’s summer, but sometimes irresistible opportunities just come up. Case in point, I waltzed into the supermarket and found fugu!

Fugu aka blowfish is an adventurous delicacy popular in Japan and parts of southern China. It’s prized for its delicate flesh that resembles silk and collagen rich pouch that’s contains a burst of umami. However, it’s also notorious for being highly toxic and generally requires special training and preparation. I clearly don’t have said training, but don’t worry, no one will die eating this dish. Thanks to captive breeding and pre- preparation, everything will be fine

In China, fugu is usually red braised. While delicious, this method produces an incredibly heavy dish that becomes too much after 3 bites. Not my style. Then, I remembered that a couple of Japanese joints offered fugu hot pot… why not make a broth?

The normal protocol would be to simply simmer the fish with salt, ginger and seaweed, but that wasn’t going to cut it. I employed an age old, if not cruel, technique- the nameless hero. Essentially, smaller fish are “sacrificed” for the sake of elevating broth. I decided to sacrifice a box of whitebait sitting next to the fugu.

Wow! That was a mouthful, let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

•  1 medium sized fugu
• 250g whitebait, washed
• 1 sheet dried kombu
• 2-3L water
• 2tbsp cooking wine
• Ginger, sliced
• salt, to taste

Directions

1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, place the whitefish into the water with ginger, cooking wine and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hour.
2. Soak kombu in warm water for 15-20 minutes, then cut into strips. Place in stock. Continue simmering for 2-3 hours or until the whitebait have melted. Note: The broth can be made ahead of time
3. Wash fugu and rub with salt. Allow to marinate for 10-15 minutes.Add to broth and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
4. Serve and enjoy!

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Fugu probably won’t be lying around most local supermarkets (or Whole Foods), but I hope this recipe inspires everyone to try something new! With that said, have a great week!

• Healthy
• Soups and Appetizers