The chinese like to prepare Snakehead fish soup for those who go through surgery of any kind.
Snakehead fish or commonly known as 生鱼 in Chinese and "Ikan Haruan" in Malay. Snakehead fish contains a high content of essential amino acids and a good amount of fatty acids which can directly improve tissue growth and helps in wound healing process.
Snakehead is a fish with little to no fishy flavour. It's meat is very flexible and is delicious prepared in many different ways. You’ll find that it has a firm and flaky texture.
Bought a snakehead fish size about 600-700g, fillet the meat for making porridge while the head, tail and bones goes into making this nutritious soup. Soup is milky white, sweet and flavorful with danggui and chinese wine taste.
Ingredients : (serves 2-3)
Snakehead fish bones, head & tail
500ml Water
3 pcs Red Dates (pitted & cut into smaller pieces)
1-2 pcs Dang Gui Herb
1 tsp Goji Berries (rinsed)
1 tbsp Ginger (julienned)
2 tbsp Cooking Oil
Seasoning:
1 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt or as preferred
1 tsp Light Soya Sauce
1 tbsp Hua Tiao Chinese Wine
Method:
1. In a small pot, boil water, red dates and danggui for 10-12 mins. This step is to allow the red dates and danggui flavour to release more flavor. Set aside.
2. Add some oil into wok. Lightly pan fry the fish bones, head & tail parts till slightly golden on all sides. The purpose to pan fry is to prevent fish meat falling out / break apart during boiling process.
3. Pushing the bones to a side, saute julienned ginger in the same wok till aromatic.
4. Pour in the red dates & danggui water that you boil just now into the fish bones. The water must be hot in order to obtain a milky white soup. (Means not advise to preboiled the red dates water ahead & set aside till cool down)
5. Add in all seasoning and goji berries and let it boil for 10 mins.
6. Dish up & serve hot.
Happy Cooking.