Skewer Fish Cake Soup with Crab
Clear Skewer Fish Cake Soup with Whole Crab, Served with a Savory Soy Dipping Sauce
We’re making a delightfully flavorful crab and fish cake soup, enriched with the sweetness of daikon radish for a clear, refreshing broth. We’ve added two crabs from the freezer to elevate the taste. Prepare plenty of fish cakes for delicious homemade skewers – perfect for sharing and enjoying heartily. This soup is sure to warm you up from the inside out!
Main Ingredients- Square fish cakes: 20 or more (adjust to your preference)
- Fresh crabs: 2
- Daikon radish: 1 piece (approx. 350g)
- Green onions: 2 stalks
- Whole garlic cloves: 10
- Dried kelp (kombu): 3 sheets (10x10cm)
- Dried anchovies (for broth): 15
- Dried shrimp: 1 handful
- Cheongyang chili peppers (optional): 1-2
- Water: 2.5 liters
- Soup soy sauce (Guk-ganjang): 2 tbsp
- Fish sauce (Chamchi-aek): 2 tbsp
- Cooking wine (Mirin): 2 tbsp
- Salt: 0.5-1 tbsp (for seasoning adjustment)
- Black pepper: a pinch
Dipping Sauce- Green onion: 1/2 stalk (finely chopped)
- Regular soy sauce (Jin-ganjang): 4 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds: 0.5 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (Guk-ganjang): 1 tbsp
- Water: 5 tbsp
- Sugar: 0.5 tbsp
- Green onion: 1/2 stalk (finely chopped)
- Regular soy sauce (Jin-ganjang): 4 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds: 0.5 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (Guk-ganjang): 1 tbsp
- Water: 5 tbsp
- Sugar: 0.5 tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, in a pot with 2.5 liters of water, add 15 dried anchovies, a handful of dried shrimp, and 3 sheets of 10x10cm dried kelp. Let them steep for a while to start forming the broth. While the broth is steeping, you can prepare the other ingredients.
Step 2
Thoroughly wash the daikon radish, then cut one piece (about 350g) into four large chunks.
Step 3
Lightly crush the whole garlic cloves with the side of a knife. Using crushed whole garlic cloves for the broth results in a cleaner and more refined flavor compared to using minced garlic.
Step 4
Wash the 2 green onions. Cut about 1.5 stalks into large, 2-inch pieces for the broth.
Step 5
Finely chop the remaining 0.5 stalk of green onion. This will be used for the dipping sauce.
Step 6
Add the prepared daikon radish chunks, crushed garlic, the large green onion pieces, and 1 whole Cheongyang chili pepper to the steeped broth. Turn the heat to high. Keeping the chili pepper whole prevents the broth from becoming too spicy while adding a clean, refreshing note. If you prefer a spicier broth, you can cut 2 Cheongyang chili peppers into thirds and add them.
Step 7
Once the broth comes to a rolling boil, remove and discard the dried kelp. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 10 minutes to further develop the flavors.
Step 8
While the broth is simmering, prepare the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, combine 4 tbsp regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp soup soy sauce, 5 tbsp water, 0.5 tbsp sugar, 0.5 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, and the finely chopped green onion. Mix well.
Step 9
Now, let’s make the fish cake skewers! You can fold each square fish cake into three lengthwise and thread them onto skewers back and forth, like stitching.
Step 10
Alternatively, fold the fish cake into three layers lengthwise, then accordion-fold it and thread it onto the skewer for a visually appealing and tasty result.
Step 11
Once the fish cake skewers are ready, take out the two pre-cleaned and frozen crabs. You can add them directly to the soup without thawing.
Step 12
Now, remove all the broth ingredients (solids) from the pot except for the daikon radish. Add the crabs and simmer for about 5 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
Step 13
Add 2 tbsp cooking wine, 2 tbsp fish sauce, and 2 tbsp soup soy sauce to enhance the umami and season the soup. After simmering briefly, adjust the taste with salt if needed. It’s best to season slightly on the milder side initially, as the fish cakes will absorb some of the broth and make it saltier.
Step 14
Finally, add all the prepared fish cake skewers to the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes. Finish with a sprinkle of black pepper for a perfectly completed Skewer Fish Cake Soup. ♡
Step 15
This hearty soup is even better when the broth is made ahead of time. You can also enjoy it at the table, kept warm and bubbling in a portable burner.
Step 16
Dipping the fish cake skewers into the green onion-infused soy sauce is an experience that might make you forget you’re at home – it’s that good, reminiscent of street food stalls!
Step 17
The refreshing crunch of the daikon radish, the rich flavor of the crab, and the wonderfully warming broth all come together in this Crab Fish Cake Soup, promising to warm you to your very core. Enjoy making and savoring this delicious dish! 😀
