6 Servings

1½ pounds firm-fleshed fish fillets, such as cod, sea bass, halibut, or red snapper, skin removed

6 slices fresh ginger, smashed with the flat side of a knife

3 tablespoons rice wine or sake

2 large fennel bulbs, (about 1½ lbs.), stalks and root base trimmed, leaving   bulb with 1/8 inch of stem

1½ teaspoons olive or canola oil

3 tablespoons chopped garlic (about 8 cloves)

½ cup scallions, white and green parts (about 3-4)

6 cups good quality store-bought chicken stock, preferably low-sodium

½ cup rice wine or sake

½  pound somen, angel hair, or other thin noodles

2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¾ cup Thai holy basil or sweet basil leaves, chopped or finely shredded

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the fish into chunks, about 1½ inches square. Place the fish in one bowl. Add the ginger and rice wine and toss lightly to coat. Cut each fennel bulb in half lengthwise. With the cut side down, cut each half into slices about ¼-inch thick.

2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, add the noodles, and cook until near tender or al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse under warm, running water.

3. Heat the oil in a large soup pot until hot over high heat, about 20 seconds. Add the garlic and scallions and stir-fry over high heat until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chicken stock and rice wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the fennel, and partially cover the pot. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fennel is almost tender. Discard the ginger slices from the fish and add the fish chunks with the marinade to the pot. Cover and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until the fish pieces flake when prodded with a knife. Divide the noodles among the serving bowls.

4. Add the fish sauce, black pepper, lemon juice and fresh basil, and stir gently to marry the flavors. Taste for seasoning, adding more fish sauce if it needs salt. Ladle the soup over the noodles and serve.

Variation: Substitute striped bass, tilapia, haddock, shrimp or scallops for the cod, cooking the fish until it is flaky, and the shrimp and scallops until they are firm and completely cooked.

Ginger is a spice that we’ve all come to know and love and fortunately, fresh ginger is now available in the produce section of all mainstream supermarkets. (NOT the case, when I first started writing about Chinese cooking about 40 years ago). It has been used by the Chinese and Indians for its hot, vibrant flavour and curative properties to warm the body dispelling chills, aiding digestion, and potent aphrodisiac for centuries.
When looking for ginger:

· Choose fat, smooth knobs that are not withered and are fresh-looking. The more withered and mature ginger is, the more fibrous (difficult to cut) and pungent it will be.
· If you use ginger, infrequently, store it on a counter in a pot of sand or soil. It will keep indefinitely. Otherwise, keep it in a cool, dry place, where you store your garlic.

Ginger is widely known for its therapeutic properties.
Key Benefits:
· Ginger reduces all symptoms associated with motion sickness including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating and is even more effective than Dramamine.

· Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds which explains why it provides reductions in pain levels and improvements in their when people suffering from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis consume ginger regularly.

· Ginger can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flus. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent that may help fight off infections.

· Chewing on a fresh piece of ginger relieves a sore throat, and hoarseness.