Salmon Fish Head Soup with Tomato, Potato, and Tofu｜番茄薯仔豆腐三文魚頭湯

It has been four years since my previous post, and during this time, the world, particularly Hong Kong, has experienced unimaginable changes. My own life has also taken drastic turns, a tale that I may save for another day.

 

Even though I may have taken a step back from this blog which I once poured my heart and soul into building, my love for cooking and sharing recipes remains unwavering.

 

With the increasing demands of running two start-ups around the clock, my time in the kitchen has significantly diminished. This has led me to fall into the unhealthy cycle of eating poorly. At times, I find myself going back to my blog to find inspiration for a simple and efficient meal prep idea that can see me through the week.

And this, my friends, is precisely the reason why I launched this blog ten years ago.

 

Given my time constraints, tight budget, and desire for healthy homemade meals, efficient and simple cooking is crucial. Lately, I've fallen in love with making a particular soup that is not only nourishing and comforting, but is also remarkably easy to make. This soup serves as a satisfying and complete meal that ticks all the boxes. I make enough to feed a village (enough to last me for up to 5 meals), portioned into containers that conveniently pop straight into the microwave.

While I may currently not have the luxury to indulge in a full-blown food photography session – a process I absolutely relished but which can span days from preparation to post-production – I still wanted to share this recipe not just for my personal keepsake, but also with every one of you who, like me, yearn for a heartwarming and nutritious meal at home.

 

So now, enough talk. Let's dive straight into this incredible soup! While this wasn't a soup I regularly had growing up, it's certainly one that I am very fond of. The distinct flavor and aroma of salmon; the classic combo of potatoes and tomatoes in a broth which forms the foundation of numerous childhood meals. While one can stick to just these three main ingredients, I like to add onion, carrots, and pumpkin to further boost the natural sweetness and nutritional value of the soup, turning it into a wholesome, all-in-one meal.

Ingredients: Servings for 5
1 salmon fish head, split in the middle, gills removed

1/2 inch ginger, sliced
1 brown onion, coarsely sliced
5 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

1700 ml hot water

2 potatoes

1 block firm tofu, cubed

10 black peppercorn

1 teaspoon cooking oil

Optional Add-ins:

Carrots

Pumpkin or butternut squash

Directions...

1. Use paper towels to pat the fish head dry. Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and lightly fry ginger slices until fragrant. 

2. Add fish head, flesh side down, and salt generously. Nestle sliced onions around the fish head, gently stir to coat in oil. Let sizzle undisturbed, then carefully flip the fish head, salt, about 2 minutes on each side.

3.  Add tomato wedges and black peppercorn, pour in the hot water, cover with lid and cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes.
4. Peel and cube the potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin if using. Add to soup and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes or more if you like your potatoes very tender and the pumpkin entirely dissolved. Add tofu and let cook for several more minutes. Enjoy!

This soup is bursting with so much flavor that no additional seasoning is necessary.Savor the tender chunks of salmon, the sweetness from onions, pumpkin, and tomatoes, and the satisfaction of treating yourself well. And, did I mention that there's minimal cleanup required?

Tried this recipe?
Share with me or leave a comment below! Tag #alvinspenthousekitchen.
Find me on Instagram @alvinckl and @alvin.penthousekitchen!

Lemongrass and Turmeric Fish en Papillote | 香茅黃薑紙包魚

附中文食譜

One of those nights when you just want to throw a few things together and make a simple, light but well balanced dinner and catch up on Netflix... fish en papillote is the way to go. As flashy as the name sounds, cooking en papillote - or cooking in a packet - is a classic French technique that is fancy enough for a restaurant yet works wonders at home. All you need is parchment paper or foil to create an enclosed pouch that cooks the food in its own juices inside an oven. With little effort, you can have a meal ready in under twenty minutes. What's more, serve the packet straight from the oven and you've got one less plate to wash!

This fish recipe brings in vibrant flavors of Vietnam. Cooking the fish in a pouch ensures moisture while infusing the flavors of lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and turmeric. Any white fish such as halibut, cod, or flounder will work beautifully. For an easy, well balanced meal-in-one, layer some vegetables such as sliced mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, kale, broccoli, onions, or asparagus underneath the protein. Best served with a side of brown rice or quinoa!

For quick step-by-step instructions in Cantonese for making this dish, check out this video! I recently had the opportunity to work with Bosch at their flagship showroom in Central, Hong Kong - making it my second time to ever speak in front of a camera! A great big thank you to Bosch for this precious opportunity.

What you'll need...
140g Hoki fillet (or any other white fish)
2-3 stalks lemongrass
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1 bird's eye chilli, deseeded and minced
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 small lime, cut into wedges for juice and garnish

Directions...

Prepare the spice mixture: Trim the green ends and the base of the lemongrass stalks and peel away the tough outer layers. Using a pestle or the blunt side of a knife, bruise the stalks to release the flavor then slice into thin rings. In a small bowl, mix together the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, chili, and turmeric. Add a squeeze of lime then, using a pestle, pound the mixture until fragrant and combined.

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Take a sheet of parchment paper roughly 15 inches in length, scatter vegetables (if using) across its width, season with salt and pepper. Lay the fish fillet on top, leaving enough paper overlapping to seal in the fish.

2. Top the fish with the spice mixture and lightly season with salt and pepper. Fold the parchment paper over and roll the edges in tightly into an air-tight parcel. Bake for 13-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

3. Unwrap the parcel and garnish fish with some coriander, mint, and a lime wedge. Enjoy!

《香茅黃薑紙包魚》

今次示範煮充滿越南風味的《香茅黃薑紙包魚》，

這道菜的食材和做法超級簡單，

只需 15 分鐘烹調時間、健康有營、低鹽無油，

容易清潔，洗碗無難度，最適合忙碌但追求健康的您！

材料：
新西蘭鱈魚柳  140 克
香茅  2-3 枝
蒜頭  2 瓣
薑  半 寸
指天椒  1 隻
黃薑粉  1/8 茶匙
青檸  1 隻（切角）

做法：
1. 首先將香茅青色部分及根部約 1 公分切除，脫除乾硬的外葉。在針板上用研磨棒捶打香茅數下至軟身，然後把香茅剁碎。
2. 蒜瓣和薑剁碎、指天椒去籽剁碎。放到碗中跟香茅拌勻。
3. 加入黃薑粉和少量青檬汁，然後用研磨棒舂至完全混合。
4. 預熱焗爐至 180C。魚柳洗淨，用吸水紙印乾。
5. 準備一張約 15 寸長的牛油紙，對摺後攤開。
6. 把魚柳放在摺痕其中一旁，鋪上香料後撒上少量鹽和胡椒。
7. 把牛油紙對摺，將邊緣捲好，成為一個密封的包裹。
7. 將包裹放入焗爐焗 13-15 分鐘。取出後打開，隨意拌上青檸角、芫茜、薄荷葉等即成！

備註：如慾輕鬆炮製出一個完整的健怡餐，可以在焗魚柳時同時放入各種蔬菜，例如菇類、翠玉瓜、甘筍、羽衣甘藍、西蘭花、洋蔥、蘆筍等等。在牛油紙上先鋪放蔬菜並撒上少量鹽和胡椒調味，再放上魚柳。建議拌上糙米或藜麥。

[Follow me on Instagram @alvinckl and @alvin.penthousekitchen and check out my Facebook Fan Page!]

Miso Glazed Cod with Fiddlehead Ferns and Miso Sesame Soba

附中文食譜

Sometimes, all you want is a quick and easy dinner, using simple ingredients and steps and ending up with a healthy, complete meal that not only looks expensive but also tastes wonderful. This Japanese-inspired fish recipe fits the bill. With minimum advance preparation, you can practically have your meal ready in under twenty minutes of active cooking time. And half of those "active" twenty minutes is standing idly watching your fish cook inside the oven.

I was grocery shopping in Tokyo recently and picked up some fresh cod (ぎんだら, Gindara), a buttery white fish that is well-suited for this dish for its high fat content and melt-in-the-mouth silkiness. I then came along some precious fiddlehead ferns that seemingly just popped out of the Avatar film. Harvested early in the season, these crunchy, furly fronds are mild in flavor and take well to boiling, sautéing and a pinch of salt and pepper.

As for the miso, white (shiro) miso are most often used as it is milder with a hint of sweetness; however, I have tried red miso with similarly great results.

Any fatty fish works well for this dish. Try salmon or black cod!

Serve the dish alongside multigrain rice, or get impulsive and toss some buckwheat noodles in a creamy, savory dressing of miso and sesame oil to complement the fish.

I have been making this humble dish at home long before I heard about celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, whose renowned signature creation at Nobu has been replicated far and wide. Here is my simplified version of the recipe. いただきます!

What you'll need...
2 cod fillets, about 1/2 lb or 200g each
100g soba noodles (per person)
Fiddlehead ferns (or other greens of choice)
Black and white sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
Sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

For the miso marinade:
1 heaping tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon shoyu
1 teaspoon sugar

For the soba noodles miso sesame dressing:
1/2 tablespoon miso paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Some warm water to thin the mixture

Directions...

For the Miso Glazed Cod: 

1. Prepare the marinade: whisk miso paste, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar together. Adjust proportions to taste.

2. Pat fish dry with paper towel. In a container, coat the fillets with marinade and keep refrigerated for one hour up to overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Place fish skin-side up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, gently brush off excess marinade to prevent burning. Bake or broil for 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Garnish with toasted sesame and scallions.

For the Soba and the Miso Sesame Dressing: 

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, submerge the noodles and cook through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix miso paste and sesame oil and dilute the mixture with some warm water. 

2. When soba is cooked, drain and toss in the dressing while still hot until the strands are well coated.

For the Fiddlehead Ferns:

If boiling: Bring a pot of salted water to boil, boil the greens until barely tender, about 6 minutes. 
Prepare a cold water bath. When the ferns are cooked, dunk the ferns in cold water to stop the cooking.

If sautéing: boil the ferns, drain, and sauté briefly with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy this quick, easy, and tasty meal!

《味噌醬燒鱈魚柳》/《麻香味噌蕎麥麵》

鱈魚柳 2 件 （各約200克） 
蕎麥麵 100 克 （一人份量計）
蕨菜  （菜類可隨喜好）
黑白芝麻  少量
蔥花  少量

鱈魚醃料：
白味噌  1 大湯匙
清酒  1 湯匙
味醂  1 湯匙
日本豉油  1 茶匙
白糖  1 茶匙 

麻香味噌拌麵醬：
味噌  1/2 湯匙
麻油  1 茶匙
溫水 適量，稀釋用

《味噌醬燒鱈魚柳》
1. 先將醃料拌勻。鱈魚柳洗淨抹乾後加入醃料放在雪櫃醃一小時或以上。
2. 預熱焗爐至 200C / 400F。
3. 醃好的魚柳放在鋪了烘培紙的焗盤上。
4. 輕輕拭去多餘的醃料，然後放入已預熱焗爐中，視乎魚柳厚度焗約 8-12 分鐘。
5. 烤好了上碟再撒上芝麻及蔥花即成。

《麻香味噌蕎麥麵》
1. 味噌和麻油拌勻加入少量溫水稀釋。
2. 滾水煮蕎麥麵約 5 分鐘至軟硬適中，瀝水後同醬汁拌勻即成。

《清炒蕨菜》
1. 蕨菜可用加了鹽的沸水浸燙後過凉上碟，或瀝乾後再落油清炒。 

[Write to me under comments! Follow me on Instagram @alvinckl and check out my Facebook Fan Page!]

Grilled Swordfish with Mango Pineapple Passionfruit Salsa

For the last couple of weeks, Hong Kong has gone under a shroud of gloom that summoned artic precautions both in and outdoors. With my penthouse smothered in a dense, dreary fog that made it difficult to tell day from night, food photoshoots at home came to a complete halt. As the cold front finally lifted, revealing once again breezy, crisp mornings, the Penthouse Kitchen is brisk to get back on track with something sunnier than ever. Hold off on the down jackets and long johns, 'cuz we are going tropical this time!

My pantry recently overflowed with produce I lugged home from Bangkok and Singapore. Mangoes, chilies, red onions, and limes (all of which cost a fraction of what we will pay in Hong Kong) unite with the pineapple and passionfruit that I have at home, and it occurs to me that I have everything needed to create a vibrant tropical salsa that could brighten up even the gloomiest of days.

Mango Pineapple Passionfruit Salsa - sweet, refreshing, with a kick of fire!

This cool, sweet, fresh salsa, highlighted by a tang of citrus and emblazoned with a kick of heat, pairs exceptionally well with hot seafood as it provides delicious contrast to the rich flavors of the ocean. Passionfruit pulp adds an interesting crunch to the salsa. Pair this refreshing salsa with firm, meaty grilled swordfish - also known as "steak of the sea" - and you could almost picture a lazily swinging hammock and hear the splashing surf on a warm Caribbean beach.

To prepare...
2 swordfish steaks
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa:
2 ripe mangoes
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 passionfruit, flesh scooped (optional)
1 very small red onion, minced
1 long red chili, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 
1 lime, zested and juiced

 1. Slice off the two fleshy cheeks on either sides of the mangoes, cutting as close to the pit as possible. Score flesh into a 1/4-inch dice. Scrape fesh from mango skin with a knife and let drop into a medium bowl.

2. Combine mango with pineapple, passionfruit, red onion, chili, cilantro, lime zest and juice. mix gently and set aside.

3. Preheat grill. Rub or spray surface of fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, flipping once, until barely just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer swordfish to serving plates, and top with mango salsa. Enjoy!!

Note: Try this salsa with grilled chicken, or toss in a salad with avocado and butter lettuce!

[Any thoughts or comments? I want to hear from you!

Also check out my Facebook Fan Page and Like!]

It's a trip to the tropics with this simple, colorful combo of fruit & surf!

Baked Salmon with Garlic, Lemon, and Parsley, on a Bed of Beet Greens

 

My favorite recipe for a stunning piece of Atlantic Salmon - it really can't get any simpler. 

 
Drizzle the salmon with a garlicky lemon-herb dressing, wrap in foil, bake in the oven for under 15 mins and serve on a bed of greens - and the result is a deliciously moist salmon dish packed with flavor where each ingredient speaks for itself.

The upside? Healthy, delicious; most importantly, there is little to prepare, nearly nothing to wash, and it all can be done in under 20 minutes. 

Mix together olive oil, a couple cloves of minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, several squeezes of lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Pour the dressing liberally over the salmon, then wrap into a parcel with aluminium foil, and bake till cooked and moist in a preheated oven at 180 degree Celcius for 13-15 mins, depending on the thickness of your salmon.  

As for the vegetables, I came across a rarity in Hong Kong's supermarkets - organic Beet Greens. Deeply magenta in the stalks with crunchy, forest green leaves, these beautiful greens are unfortunately often misunderstood and all too often destined for the bin. Vegetables come in all colors of the rainbow spectrum, carrying with them not only a multitude of flavors, but also a wide array of nutrients. Different colors indicate different nutrient profiles, so getting a little of each color in our diet every day maximizes the nutritional benefits.

Beet greens are packed with vitamins and minerals (A, C, K and fiber, iron and potassium), and they are as versatile for cooking as they are aesthetically pleasing. They are great for stir-fry, stews, and add a nice touch to quiches and fritatas. 

Here I choose to steam the greens for a simple, low-calorie side, highlighting its earthy flavor while preserving its vibrant colors. Wash and prepare while the salmon is in the oven, then arrange on plate like a bed. Serve along with Baked Salmon with Garlic, Lemon, and Parsley; finish off with more lemon zest - and you are set for a fuss-free, quick, and nutrition-packed meal.

[Any comments or feedback? Please share with me!]