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Chayote and pork slice soup (milky prawn version)
“The pot Ah Ma keeps for her night owls.”
Ingredientsone pot, serves 4
Method
The prawn version of the pan-fry then hard-boil technique that turns a broth milky white: pan-fry the prawns with their heads on until fragrant, then pour in boiling water and keep it at a hard boil to bring the milky colour out (never use cold water). The pork slices go in last. For the simplified plain pork version, bring the water to the boil, add the ginger and chayote for 15 minutes and put the pork slices in at the end.
- Core the chayote and cut it into chunks; slice the pork collar butt and marinate it lightly.
- Pan-fry the prawns with their heads on together with the ginger slices until fragrant.
- Pour in 1200 ml of boiling water and keep it at a hard boil to bring out the milky white colour.
- Add the chayote and dried scallops and boil for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Put the pork slices in for the last few minutes, season with salt and it is ready.
Who it suits
- easing dryness in autumn and winter
- cough with a lot of phlegm
- most constitutions (chayote is neutral in nature)
Who should take care
- People with a seafood allergy should use the plain pork slice version instead
Soup stories
Chayote, also called 佛手瓜, rose in Hong Kong markets on the strength of being cheap and needing no work. The milky prawn version carries the fish soup technique of pan-frying first and then hard-boiling over to prawns, and the oil in the prawn heads is what makes the broth emulsify.
From the same family
Lo Fo Tong is cultural food-heritage reference, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, talk to your doctor or registered practitioner before changing what is in the pot.