How to make Fish Ball Soup

Homemade Fish Ball Soup. Prepare your very own Fish Ball Soup. The authentic way to make them is to use Tengiri or Parang for the Fish Ball. If you care for Tangchai, add this too, washing it first.

Recipe for Fish Ball Soup

Ingredients for Fish Ball Soup:

• 600g fish – Tengiri (Mackerel) or Parang (Wolf-herring)
• 2oz sohoon – cut into 1 1/2″ strips and soaked in cold water
• 4 cloves garlic – finely minced
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 4 cups stock from chicken bones
• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishing:

• 3oz lettuce, shredded
• 2 dspn local green celery and spring onions – finely chopped
• 2 bundles coriander leaves
• 2 dspn tangchai (pickled radish)
• 1 dspn sliced red chillies
• 2 dspn fried sliced shallots

Method:

How to make the Fish Balls:

1. Remove fish flesh from skin and bones, scraping it off with a spoon in thin layers.
2. Chop fish a little on a wooden board or pass through mincer, then pound using pestle and mortar, adding water in which 1 tsp of salt has been dissolved.
3. Add enough water to give the fish a soft consistency that is handable.
4. Add pepper and salt to taste and a little of chopped celery and spring onions. (If you like a crispness in the fish balls, add a dessertspoon oil while pounding and reduce the salted water)
5. Mix well with fingers, scoop up pounded fish and throw the lump into the mortar several times to get it smooth.
6. Form little balls oiling your fingers slightly to prevent fish sticking to them, and drop them in a bowl of salted cold water. Put aside till required.

For Variety:

1. Mix 300g fish and 300g prawns for the pounded mixture; or use 300g fish for fish balls and 600g prawns for prawn balls.
2. Add pounded mixture chopped bokgi, which is used in chapchai (optional).

How to make the Fish Ball Soup:

1. Put oil in deep pan and when hot fry the garlic till golden brown,
2. Add stock which has been strained and salt and pepper to taste.
3. When boiling, add the fish balls and allow to simmer gently till fish balls are properly cooked.
4. Add the sohoon and serve at once.

To serve:

1. Put shredded lettuce into dish and pour over it the fish ball soup.
2. Garnish top with chopped celery, spring onions, coriander leaves, fried onions and sliced chillies.
3. If you care for tangchai add this too.