To quote the slogan of a highly successful creative venture, “We do what we must because we can.” The name of the soup sounds more like the title of a beer from the good people at Magic Hat Brewing Company, but the taste is more like a very fishy vegetable soup. Once again, necessity is the mother of deliciousness.

Step right up and see the monster of all monsters!

Featuring:

• kombu
• bamboo
• celery, carrots, mushrooms
• scallions, white onion
• daikon radish
• egg

The stock is once again made from dashi powder and hungarian paprika. The daikon was getting soft from neglect in the refrigerator, so I decided it was time to cook something with it. Unfortunately flaccid vegetables are, shall we say, severely limiting in terms of what you can successfully make. This composition turned out wonderful, albeit freakishly populated with an assortment of ingredients. Daikon is similar to turnip, and absorbs the flavors around it while contributing a slight sourness. The eggs are scrambled and poured slowly towards the very end. Let the soup come down from a boil before you add them, which will help preserve the long strands of egg.

My cousin turned me on to white onions after he visited Mexico. They possess an abundance of flavor, far better for soup than the sweet vidalia onions that so many people tend to rely on. “Allium, for all occasions!” Remember, fresh vegetables take longer to cook than old, dingy ones. Add them in from longest to shortest for uniform tenderness.