Totally got up at 6.25 and did a workout before work.

I know.

But from how impressed I am with the fact that this happened, I fear it may not be a regular undertaking. SO. SMUG.

Tiny porridge for breakfast and carrot soup for lunch yesterday. Last night I made a sort of dashi/pho mash-up, involving noodles. So far, so good.

It’s sort of a fish pho, I guess. Closest I can find. Sorry Asia for whazzing many a culture together into a noodle broth…

Mackerel Dashi / Pho Recipe – made up, tastes tasty

ingredients:

smoked mackerel fillets (I used the soy and honey flavoured ones from Waitrose)

Fish stock (just whack your bones in a pot whenever you eat a whole fish, with whatever veg you have – carrot ends, onion, leek, fennel – some black peppercorns and maybe a little piece of star anise. DO NOT BOIL IT or it’ll be gross. Alternatively, buy some dashi or fish stock).

Veg – I used carrot, leek, spring onion, radish

1/2 red chilli

1 kaffir lime leaf

tiny bit of lemongrass (1/6 stem?)

soy sauce

rice wine vinegar

handful coriander

noodles

Method:

So it sounds like loads of ingredients, but when you have them all in stock it’s not much faff at all. Cook your noodles (undercook them, so boil until just biteable but really al dente) then drain and add your fish stock. Chop up your leeks and carrots very fine, and add to the stock with your finely shredded kaffir lime leaf and finely chopped lemongrass.

(Keep some veg crisp – if you use radishes and spring onions, just chuck them in a couple of mins before the end.)

Add finely sliced chilli, 1 tbsp of soy sauce (use 1/2 a tbsp then add more if you need – I did. Depends on the saltiness of your stock) 1-2 tsp of rice wine vinegar (and even a dash of fish sauce (nam pla) if your broth isn’t fishy enough.

Cook until the veg and noodles are both cooked (again, don’t boil your stock!) Chuck a handful of coriander in and serve, piling your mackerel fillet pieces on top. You’ll need chopsticks and a spoon. It’s pretty slurpy.

Sorry, no pictures. So here’s a kaleidoscopic mackerel:

Enjoy chaps x