Creamy Fish Soup (奶白鱼汤 Nai Bai Yu Tang)
This creamy fish soup is a yummy and nutritious soup that everyone can enjoy. It’s especially creamy. Those that love the flavor of fish will really enjoy it.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 medium or 2 small whole fish
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 1-inch long ginger
- 1 or 2 green onions
- Hot water
- Half container of medium or soft tofu (about 8 oz or 225 g)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- 1
Clean the fish. Most stores will have gutted the fish or even descaled the fish. If not, remove the guts and liver, making sure no blood or thin membranes remain inside. Remove the gills. Leave the head and tail if possible since they will add a nice flavor to the fish soup. Removing the fins is completely optional.
- 2
De-scale the fish. Using kitchen scissors, the back of a chef’s knife, or a butter knife, gently scrape the fish from tail to head. Make sure not to miss the small white scales around the collar. Scales will tend to fly around as you scrape, so do it in a place where you can easily clean up.
- 3
Wash the fish under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
- 4
Lay the fish on a cutting board and sprinkle kosher salt all over the body and inside the fish. For a medium fish, cut two slits on each side and sprinkle salt in the slit as well. Leave the fish marinating in the salt for at least 15 minutes on the kitchen counter.
- 5
Cut the ginger into slices and green onions in long pieces. Slice the tofu into 1-inch long rectangular pieces.
- 6
Heat a wok, Dutch oven, or deep sauce pan under high heat. When the pot is hot, add the 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl the oil around. After 10 seconds, add the ginger and green onion pieces, tossing for a few seconds.
- 7
Add the fish into the pan to lightly fry, maintaining a high heat. Leave the fish in the pan for about 2-3 minutes. During this time, do not move or turn the fish around. Then flip the fish to fry the other side. During worry if the skin does not stay intact during frying and flipping.
- 8
When both sides are golden or lightly browned, add hot water. You will hear a sizzling sound while pouring the hot water. The fish should be mostly immersed in the liquid. Add the tofu pieces, then close the lid.
- 9
When the liquid starts boiling, lower the heat to medium-high but still maintain boiling for about 5 minutes. Then lower the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cover the lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes.
- 10
Turn off the heat and add the 1 teaspoon of table salt. Add more salt to taste.
- 11
Pour a few pieces of tofu, soup, and a few fish pieces (if you do not mind picking out the bones) in a deep bowl to serve.