Chinese Fish Maw Soup

Fish Maw is a Chinese ingredient that is beneficial for the human body. My husband grew up eating fish maw as his uncle was a fish maw producer in the past and they get free supplies of it throughout the year. Unfortunately for me, the uncle has stopped doing this business and so I must buy the fish maw. This soup is listed as one of my hubby and son’s favourites.

Ingredients

Fish Maw - 3 pieces about 20cm long each

Chicken - Half

Chinese mushrooms (rehydrated in water) – 8 pieces

Chinese cabbage (大白菜) – half

Carrots – 2 pieces

Dried scallops – 2 pieces

Dried oysters – 3 pieces

Chicken breast – 1 piece

2.3 litres of water

Portion for 4 adults

Instructions

(1)    Soak the fish maw in water and squeeze out the oil when softened. Cut into 4cm pieces.

(2)    Chop the chicken into big pieces.

(3)    Remove the stem of the mushrooms that have been soaked in water previously.

(4)    Cut the Chinese cabbage into large pieces (10cm)

(5)    Cut the carrot into 5cm pieces.

(6)    Wash the dried scallops and oysters in water and set them aside for use later.

(7)    Cut the chicken breast into strips.

(8)    Use hot boiling water to scald the chicken. Make sure the skin has turn white and the water is not bloody. Drain the chicken and use cool water to rinse through the chicken.

(9)    Place the chicken from step (8), along with the dried scallops and oysters into a soup pot. Use high heat to boil the soup. Once the soup starts boiling, turn the flame down to medium heat and continue boiling. Continue boiling for the next hour. If you have more time, use small heat and boil for 2 hours.

(10) Add the carrots into the boiling soup and continue for 1 hour.

(11) Add white cabbage and mushrooms. Continue boiling for 40 minutes.  

(12) Add salt and soy sauce to soup. Taste and adjust to your family’s taste.

(13) Remove the chicken pieces from the soup. Discard.

(14) Add the chicken breast and fish maw to soup.

(15) Boil for another 30 minutes or until the fish maw becomes transparent. Remember not to over-boil as some poor quality fish maw will dis-integrate into gluey stuff.

(16) Serve the soup with hot white rice.