Sanpeijiru (Japanese Salmon Soup)

500 g salmon scraps, approx
3 Salted Salmon, homemade or store bought
1 piece kombu (dried kelp)
4 cups water
20 cm daikon radish
1 carrot
4 spring onions
2 potatoes
4 tbsp saké
1 tsp SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut salmon scraps into 5-8 cm pieces. Cut the salted salmon filets in half.
When water is boiling, blanch all the salmon scraps and salted salmon fillets for 30 seconds. This will help get rid of fishy smell and remove some of saltiness.
Drain and rinse each salmon piece with water and get rid of the fat, protein, (white stuff) and sometimes scales. It’s important to get rid of the smelly oil.
Put all the salmon in a large pot and add 4 cups water. Add Kombu and cover with the lid. Slowly bring it to boil so that kombu has enough time to release its umami.
Meanwhile peel and cut daikon radish in quarters lengthwise then slice thinly.
Peel and slice carrot into thin rounds. (or halves or quarters, depends on the size)
Cut the negi (or spring onions) into 1 cm pieces diagonally. All the veggies except for the potatoes are ready to go.
When the soup is almost boiling, discard the kombu. Kombu gets slimy and release bitter taste in boiling water, so for Japanese cooking we discard Kombu right before boiling. Using a fine mesh sieve, scoop foam, fat, and any scum you see floating on the surface of the soup. This is very important process to achieve a nice clean flavour. Some people cook vegetables first and then add salmon, but I prefer cooking salmon first so it’s easier to clean the soup before adding vegetables.
Once the soup is clean, add the vegetables. Place the lid and continue to cook until vegetables are almost tender. (80% done)
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and remove the potato eyes (sprouts) if there are any. Cut the potato into bite size cubes (I cut each potato into 8 pieces) and soak in water to remove starch.
When daikon is semi translucent and tender, (no more raw hard part) add the potatoes, which take about 15 minutes to become tender. (depends on the size)
With the fine mesh sieve, scoop more fat and foam if there are any.
Add saké and SIDS SALT & PEPPER. Add more salt if necessary. Saltiness depends on the salmon, so you should taste the soup before seasoning. Serve hot and enjoy.
To Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container or in a pot and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.