Salted Fish Bone Soup with Silken Tofu

15.8.2012

A strong whiff of salted fish wafting through the air

SALTED FISH BONE SOUP WITH SILKEN TOFU (makes 6 servings)

4 salted fish bone, rinsed
2 boxes of silken tofu, soaked in salted water
10 stalks of spring onions (white parts), flattened
2-3 inch ginger, flattened 
4 large cloves garlic, flattened
2.75l - 3l water / fish stock
1-2 tsp chicken powder
1 tsp sugar
flat leaf parsley 
3 tbsp oil


For the pork 

150g -200g pork loin, finely sliced  
1-2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
1-2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp water 
1 tbsp oil


Method 

Marinate pork with light soy sauce, salt and sugar. Mix well, stir in cornstarch. Add water to loosen the pork strips. Set aside until required.

Bring 2l of water / stock to the boil in a large ceramic pot.

In a medium-sized pan, heat oil over medium high and sauté ginger for 3-5 minutes before adding garlic and spring onion whites. Subsequently add salted fish bones. Fry them until they are slightly golden and pour them into the water / stock. Be careful not to over-fry the salted fish bones otherwise there will be nothing you can do to disguise the smoky burnt taste in the soup.

In the same pan, heat some oil. Stir-fry pork strips until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with 500ml water. Pour into the boiling pot water / stock as well.Add sugar and chicken powder.

Boil the soup for about 20-25 minutes over high heat and 30-35 minutes on low heat until all the flavors are amalgamated. Carefully drop in the silken tofu and stir gently. Simmer for another 5 minutes. The tofu will have absorbed some of the flavours so taste the soup before adding an additional 250ml hot water / stock.

Turn off the flame and let the pot sit unopened for a few minutes. 

Garnish the soup with chopped spring onions and parsley. Serve with a bowl of piping hot white rice.