Seafood Noodle Soup (Hu tieu Do Bien)

I created this recipe to be a close adaptation of a popular dish sold in Vietnam called "hu tieu Saigon" or” hu tieu tom thit". The difference is the broth, which I prepare using chicken and kombu broth instead of pork bones for a healthier choice. Cooking should always be fun and creative; therefore, I am always finding a way to create a recipe that is much easier for beginner cooks, such as me. I am very pleased with this recipe, and so should you!

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
4 cups kombu broth*
1/4 cup dried shrimp
2 oz dried squid (the white one sold at most Korean markets)
Two 8 oz salmon or tuna (your choice)
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb. mussels, scallops or crabs
1/2 lb. fish paste, homemade or store-bought
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp salt
Poaching liquid:
3 cloves garlic, sliced
White onions, cut into wedges
1 tsp whole black pepper
1 cup good white wine
1 cup water
1 tsp salt

Serve with:
2 lbs. rice noodles (banh pho tuoi) or yellow egg noodles (mi tuoi)
Bok choy, Enoki mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms (your choice of mushrooms)
White onions, thinly sliced
Green onions and cilantro, chopped
Crispy-fried shallots (recipe follows)

Directions:
Combine dried shrimp, squid, and chicken broth in a soup pot and bring to simmer. Let the broth simmers for 20 minutes to enhance the flavor of both shrimp and squid. Do not let the broth go to boil. Drain the broth and save the dried shrimp if you want to add in to the serving bowl later. Add the kombu stock to the chicken stock and return both of the stocks to the soup pot. Bring the broth to a boil and let simmer. Season with salt and fish sauce, and the broth is ready to serve. Add all of the mushrooms into the broth (just 5 minutes before serving time).
Meanwhile, in a deep skillet, combine the poaching liquid ingredients and bring to boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and let the poaching liquid simmer for 5 minutes. Gently add fish into the skillet and let poach for 6 minutes. Remove fish and add mussels and shrimp. Poach for 3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and the mussels are cooked.

To serve:
Bring 3 quarts of water to boil in a pot. Divide the noodles for each serving in the strainer and dip the strainer in the boiling water for 2 seconds, if using fresh noodles. Shake off the excess water and place the noodles into a serving bowl. Drop some of the bok choy into the strainer and dip into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Divide the vegetables, fish, and shrimp and slice fried fish cake and mussels for each serving and place them on top of the noodles. Top with white onions, green onions, and cilantro. Ladle the broth and some mushrooms over the soup bowl. Sprinkle with crispy-fried shallots.

To make crispy-fried shallots:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
Heat the oil in a small saucepan until hot. Add the shallots and fry over low heat until crispy and brown (about 6 to 7 minutes). Use a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve the oil for another use or recipe. The crispy-fried shallots can be stored up to 1 month in a covered jar it room temperature.

To make Kombu broth:
Clean a 5" x 5" kombu or kelp with wet paper towel. In a soup pot, add 5 cups of water and soak kombu for 30 minutes. Place the soup pot with the soaked kombu and slowly bring to boil. Turn off the heat and remove the kombu.