BOULLAIBAISE @ TKT

I am not big on fusion anything as I am worried about my dismal knowlege in mixing flavors, which could well result in murdering a dish. With that as an opener I did play around with this simple soup at a recent dinner party and it was well received, so I call it Boullaibaise @ TKT ie Test Kitchen @ Tang.

Basically it is a symphony of the freshest possible catch, poached in a home made fish stock, and served in a broth of diluted bonito concentrate (in any Japanese section of a supermarket) over fresh orba leaves. I had a large tiger prawn, an equally large Hokkaido scallop, plus a couple of pieces of snapper and squid, on a bed of Little Neck Clams. To garnish I used julienne of Japanese leek marinated in rice wine vinegar and mirin, plus lumpfish roe or ikura for color effect. I also sprinkled smoked bacon chips to counter the flavor. There are 2 key notes here; the fresh seafood must be lightly poached, to avoid overcooking, to retain maximum freshness and secondly, the broth must be screaming hot, at maximum boiling point when it is ladled over the ingredients in order to release the uniqueness of the orba leaves. The tango between the orba and bonito flavors is magic to the taste bud. Do try this very simple, but gratifying 'comfort recipe' at home. I have yet to serve this to a Japanese pal, I like to think he might approve.