Noriental Fish Ball Soup

THIS SOUP COMBINES SCANDINAVIAN FISH BALLS WITH AN 'ORIENTAL' BASE. A bit unusual but decidedly delicious. Canned fish balls made from cod (or haddock) and potatoes are widely available in grocery stores in the Upper Midwest and in western Washington and Oregon (generally following Scandinavian settlement patterns in the USA). Look for brands like King Oscar and Husmor (both from Norway) and Abba (Sweden). You may also find fish balls in stores featuring Oriental foods.

Fish sauce. Fish sauce is widely available as a condiment, commonly made from anchovies. A little bit goes a long way.

Total time about 30 minutes. Serves 4.

SHOPPING LIST:
	Clam juice Dry white wine or sake Fish sauce Celery Scallion Ginger Canned fish balls Rice noodles Shiitake mushrooms
1	In a saucepan or pot, bring to boil and simmer, covered, until celery is near-tender (about 7-10 minutes)	4 cups (32 oz) water 4-8 oz clam juice 3-4 tablespoons dry white wine or sake 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 celery rib, cut in 1/4" pieces on the diagonal 1 scallion, cut in 1/4" pieces on the diagonal (both white and some green parts) 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2	Stir in and cook gently 4-6 minutes until noodles are done	1 8-oz can fish balls, drained (cut into smaller pieces if desired) 2-3 oz thin rice noodles 5-6 shiitake mushrooms, cut to bite-size
Garnish servings with fresh chives