Milkfish Belly Soup (虱目魚肚湯 (Sat-ba̍k-hî tōo thng))
Overview
Milkfish belly soup is a clear fish soup from Tainan in southern Taiwan, eaten above all for breakfast. The belly of the milkfish, the fattiest and only boneless part of a fish that is otherwise full of fine bones, is cut into a whole piece and poached briefly in a light broth made from the fish's bones. The broth is seasoned with plenty of shredded ginger, salt and a few drops of rice wine, and finished with chopped celery, fried shallots and white pepper. The belly is soft and rich, and the broth is light and clean. In Tainan it is eaten with a bowl of braised pork rice or fish congee, and fish skin or fish balls are often added.
History
Milkfish has been farmed in ponds along the coast of southwestern Taiwan for centuries, and the farming is said to have been brought from Indonesia in the seventeenth century under Dutch rule. The fish is closely linked to Tainan and its Anping district, where it is also called Anping fish, and early morning shops that open before dawn serve milkfish soup to fishermen, workers and visitors.
Main ingredients
Milkfish belly, ginger, celery, fried shallots, white pepper, rice wine. The soup is built on clear ginger fish broth and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Fish and seafood soups · Rice soups · More soups from Taiwan
Recipe
Method
- 115 min
Simmer the fish bones with half the ginger in 1.2 l water for 15 minutes, then strain.
- 2
Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer and season with salt and rice wine.
- 34 min
Add the milkfish bellies and poach for 3 to 4 minutes until just cooked.
- 4
Add the rest of the ginger.
- 5
Serve in bowls topped with celery, fried shallots and white pepper.
- ✓
Serve. About 25 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
