Fish-Head Beehoon Soup Recipe

Fish-Head Beehoon Soup Recipe

(Singaporean Yu Tow Mai Fun Recipe)

500 g (1 lb) thick beehoon (dried rice vermicelli)

1 threadfin fish head, about 1.5 kg (3 lb), chopped into pieces

2-3 tablespoons oil or lard

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

8-10 slices ginger

8 cups of fresh or canned unsalted chicken stock

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

pepper

300 g (approximately 9 oz) chye sim (Chinese flowering cabbage)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cups low fat milk or soy milk

Marinade:

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon rice wine

Garnishes:

Crisp pork lardons

Coriander (cilantro) leaves

Pickled green chili

Method:

Bring a kettle to the boil and soak dried beehoon in boiling water until it softens.  Drain.  Place noodles in bowls.  Rub salt into chopped fish head to get rid of the fishiness.  Wash off salt and marinate fish with rice wine, salt and pepper for about 15 minutes.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pot.  Brown fish head pieces.  Remove fish from pan, drain and fry garlic and ginger, adding more oil if needed, until fragrant, but not browned.  Add stock.  Season with rice wine, soy sauce, pepper, salt and sugar.  Bring soup to the boil.  Scald chye sim in the soup and remove.  Add the milk and stir until it comes to the boil to prevent curdling.  Return fish to the pot.  Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Top noodles with fish pieces and green vegetables in a big serving bowl.  Pour over hot soup and serve garnished with crisp pork lardons, fresh coriander leaves, and pickled green chili on the side.