Miso soup with prawn, scallop and samphire
This is one of the simplest and quickest meals you will ever make. And one of the most delicious. To make it work, though, you must get absolutely fresh tiger prawns and plump, large scallops. Don’t be tempted to scrimp here, this is such a pure tasting dish and as there are so few ingredients there is nowhere to hide.
I don’t think you can beat a really good prawn. I prefer them to lobster. Keep the shells and heads in the freezer to use for bisque or stock. If you’re feeling hungry, a small bowl of jasmine rice on the side should satisfy you.
I often will have a cup of miso in the morning, instead of tea or coffee. I feel purified and revitalised when I drink it. Again, buy a good paste, I like to use Clearspring’s unpasteurised barley miso, it’s organic and has nothing nasty in it. You can keep miso in a sealed jar in the fridge almost indefinitely, so it makes a great staple for when you’re stuck. You can add some dried mushrooms to it or some fresh vegetables and you have a nutritious dish in a few minutes.
I eat this more than an hour ago, and I still have flavours coming back to me. Like the best of things, this simple dish has left me wanting to come back for more.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
2 squares of dried kombu seaweed
2 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp yuzu seasoning (lemon juice will do if you don’t have any)
2 large tiger prawns
2 large scallops, coral attached
A small handful of samphire
1l water
2 tsp black lumpfish roe (or caviar if you’re rich)
Method
Soak the kombu in boiling water for about 20 minutes.
Sear the scallop on both sides in some hot brown butter, then set aside.
Bring the water back up to the boil and add the prawns. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the samphire and yuzu. Stir in the miso paste and make sure it blends in well.
Peel the prawns, leaving the tails on if you like. Cut the seaweed in two and place at the bottom of a warmed shallow bowl. Add the scallops and samphire.
Add a teaspoon of roe on top of the scallop then pour over the hot miso and serve immediately.
The Modern Husband 
One Response to “Miso soup with prawn, scallop and samphire”
Very elegant dish!