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Iwashi no tsumire jiru
鰯のつみれ汁 (iwashi no tsumire jiru): soup of ginger-scented sardine dumplings with daikon and spring onion
Along the coasts of Chiba and Kanagawa, where sardines are landed in huge numbers in autumn, cooks chop them by hand into tsumire (fish dumplings) and drop them into a light dashi with daikon and carrot. It is an everyday supper soup, warming and very savoury, eaten with rice and pickles. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: sardines are rich in protein and omega-3 fats, and the soup is low in starch. About 220 kcal and 9 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is pureeing the sardines smooth in a processor, which makes the dumplings rubbery; chop with a knife, leaving a little texture. Chef's tip: add a teaspoon of miso and plenty of ginger to the fish paste; it seasons it and hides any strong fishiness.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dumplings
- 8 fresh sardinesabout 500 g, filleted and skinned
- 1 tbsp fresh gingergrated
- 1 tbsp white miso
- 1 tbsp potato starch or cornflour
- 1 spring onionfinely chopped
For the soup
- 5 cups dashi (kombu stock)
- 7 oz daikoncut into thin half-moons
- ½ carrotcut into thin half-moons
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 spring onionssliced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Check the 8 fresh sardines fillets for any large bones, then chop them with a heavy knife for about 5 minutes until they form a coarse, sticky paste.
8 minStep 2: Mix in 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 1 tbsp white miso, 1 egg white, 1 tbsp potato starch or cornflour and 1 spring onion until the paste holds together.
3 minStep 3: Simmer the 7 oz daikon and ½ carrot in the 5 cups dashi (kombu stock) for 8 minutes until almost tender.
8 minStep 4: Using two wet spoons, drop walnut-sized dumplings into the simmering soup. Cook 4–5 minutes until they float and are firm and opaque right through.
5 minStep 5: Skim off any foam, season with 1 tbsp light soy sauce and ½ tsp salt, and add the 2 spring onions. Serve hot.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does iwashi no tsumire jiru take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of potato starch or cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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