Crackling cream of fish soup ~ Yü Yung Pai Nai Keng

Recipe Categories : | Chinese | All Soups | Seafood Soups | Cod | Sole | All Seafood |

Ingredients :

• ¼ lb piece white fish ( cod, bass or sole)
• 2½ cups superior broth ( see recipe)
• ¼ tomato
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1¼ cups milk
• 1 tspn msg (optional)
• 1½ tspn chicken fat
• 1 tspn sesame oil
• 1 cup dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked, drained and diced
• ¼ cup green peas
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 1 tspn salt
• vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 2 oz bread cut into ¼" pieces

Preparation and Cooking Instructions

1. Poach the fish in a quarter of the broth for 10 minutes. Drain, reserve the broth and discard the skin and bones of the fish. Mince the flesh to a fine paste. Scald the tomato in boiling water, peel, halve, remove the seeds and chop the flesh. Blend the cornstarch with the milk and add the msg. Mix the chicken fat with the sesame oil.
2. Bring all the broth to the boil in a pan. Add the fish, tomato, mushrooms, peas, wine and salt. When it re-boils, simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and the chicken fat mixture. Stir until slightly thickened.
3. Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C), or until a day-old cube of bread turns golden in a minute. Deep-fry the bread cubes until golden. Place the 'red-hot' croûtons from the pan in a heated tureen. Bring it quickly to the table and pour over the soup.