Creamy white quick fish stock which is extremely delicious and can be finished within 10 minutes.
Caution first, this soup contains relatively larger amount of fat even it tastes like no oil added. So not a very healthy choice for the first two seasons around the year. But we need this in cool autumn and winter days. One of the best way of using this fish stock is to make a hot pot party or cook a noodle soup.
In China, most people believe that white soups contain more nutrition because it seems like thicker and can warm our body up especially in winter better than clear stock. This absolutely is a misunderstanding. Milky white stock usually made from ingredients with a certain amount of fat, including fish and pork bones, actually contains a larger amount of oil comparing than clear stock. But it is extremely delicious especially fish stock as a soup base for other dishes.
Even it is not healthy than smoothie and other clear vegetable stock, it is quite helpful in winter days when we need some fat to resist cold. The best news is fish stock can be quite simple and cheap. Only fish frames (head, tail and bones), water and a small amount of oil and other seasonings can give us an extremely yummy soup base. You can save the fish fillet for other dishes.
Theories behind
Ingredient first: white stock usually is made with pork bones, fish bones but never lean meat and fat meat because the right amount of fat is the first key factor for creamy stock. Protein is also required in addition to fat as an emulgator. Frying the fish bones and head firstly can bring more oil and accelerate the dissolution of protein.
In order to make the water wrapping the oil more evenly, stronger boiling movement is needed just like high speed mixing in mayonnaise. So keep use high fire during the process.
Tips
- Sautee the fish frames firstly. And then break the fish frames into pieces. This will speed up the process.
- Add boiling hot water and the soup turns into white immediately.
- Use middle or high fire to keep the soup boiling.
Add oil and ginger slices and heat for a while. Then place fish frames in and Sautee until slightly browned. Next break the fish frames into small pieces.
Add hot boiling water. Add white peppercorn, cover the lid and continue cooking 10 to 15 minutes.
Use a fine strainer to remove any small bones and get stock.
Fish stock which can be finished within 20 minutes
- 250 g fish or fish frames
- 2 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil
- 1 thumb ginger , smashed
- 1.5 L water
- 2 servings rice noodle , pre-soaked in warm water until softened
- 100 g mixed mushrooms , choose your favorite type
- 3 slices of cucumber
- 3 slices of tomato
- 2 pan-fired crispy tofu
- 1 small bunch of bean sprouts
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp. ground white peppercorns
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
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Add oil and ginger slices and heat for a while. Then place fish in and sauté until slightly browned. Remove extra oil. Place smashed ginger in. Start to break the fish into small pieces.
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Add hot boiling water. Cover the lid and continue cooking 5 minutes.
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Use a fine strainer to remove any small bones and get stock. Here we get creamy fish stock.
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Place tomato, cucumber, mixed mushrooms, pan-fried tofu and bean sprouts. Load with 700ml of fish stock. Bring the content to a boiling.
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Add soaked rice noodles in, season with salt, pepper and light soy sauce. Continue heating for 1 minute. Serve hot!
can you use any type of fish? like tilapia?
Yes, but fatter ones work better. Tilapia can work for sure.
When I can, I buy a whole fish such as grouper and always have the fishmonger doing the fillet save the head for me (if you leave it behind they resell it to restaurants). When I get home I remove the cheeks and then freeze the head to make soup. The head is fairly large-would I just size up the recipe for more than 250g fish frames or, because it’s fish heads I would be using, would more than 250g of fish frames be okay or make it too strong/fishy tasting if done with a whole head and everything else as written? Any advice appreciated.
Susan,
Fish head is quite ok to make soup. But if you want the flavor to be more stronger, I still suggest adding around 50g fish meat.