Halibut in a Miso Broth

Ingredients

Halibut fillets (same number as there are diners)
Shitake, either dried or fresh, half a cup per person
Scallions for serving 
Shiro miso (white miso paste that is most commonly available of all the miso), to taste
Konbu and bonito flakes or dashi sachet 
Cooked wild rice, two tablespoons per person
A neutral oil, I recommend Zero Acre
Salt and Pepper 
Greens such as broccoli leaves and shiso for decoration

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F. If you have dried shitake mushrooms rinse them first and then place them in a large bowl with boiling water. I used about half a cup of dried mushroom per person, but I really like mushrooms. After you have successfully rehydrated them, squeeze out the excess water and remove the stems and discard. Save the water for the broth. Thinly slice the shitake. If you were using fresh, still remove the stalks, then slice.

Pat dry your fish. Rub it in a teaspoon of oil. Season well with salt and pepper and place on a sheet pan. Toss the shitake in as little oil as you can and arrange on a separate sheet in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd the mushrooms or they will steam. Sprinkle with salt. Place both in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the fish is opaque inside and the shitake have crispy edges. Alternatively use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the fish. The FDA recommends a minimum temp of 145 F for fish.

Meanwhile bring 1.5 cups of water per serving to a boil, or add in your shitake water and dilute to appropriate concentration. Add in your konbu, which is a thick dried seaweed leaf. You can readily find konbu in most Asian markets. Look for pieces that are almost black. Add a table spoon or two of dried bonito flakes, which are shavings of a dried fish. Once the konbu has softened remove the seaweed and fish out the bonito. Pun intended. You can alternatively buy dashi sachets that resemble tea bags and follow the instructions on the box. Reduce your soup base to low and add in your miso paste one table spoon at a time, and stir in until dissolved. (You can stir the miso in a separate dish with hot water and add it into the pot, if you prefer.) Do not boil miso as this will kill all the beneficial bacteria in the fermented paste. Taste the broth, and continue to add the paste until your desired salinity is achieved.

Now add two table spoons of wild rice to your bowls. Top with halibut. Pour enough miso to cover the fish half way. Top the miso with crispy shitake and chopped scallion. Enjoy! 

For a plant based version omit bonito and swap in firm tofu steaks for fish.