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Fish head soup with ligusticum, angelica dahurica and gastrodia

Name: Fish head soup with ligusticum, angelica dahurica and gastrodia
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cantonese
Ingredients: Fish head 1; Sichuan lovage rhizome 12 g (3 mace); Dahurian angelica root 12 g (3 mace); Gastrodia tuber 20 g (5 mace); Lean pork 300 g; Red jujube date 4; Fresh ginger 3 slices

川芎白芷天麻魚頭湯

dispels coldrelaxes sinews and jointsWinterAll year slow-boiled · 2 hours

“Simmered the whole day, nothing held back.”

Ingredientsone pot, serves 4

街市Fish head· a large bighead carp head; pan-fry until fragrant first1

百子櫃Sichuan lovage rhizome12 g (3 mace)

百子櫃Dahurian angelica root12 g (3 mace)

百子櫃Gastrodia tuber20 g (5 mace)

街市Lean pork300 g

百子櫃Red jujube date4

街市Fresh ginger3 slices

Method

Pan-fry the fish head with the ginger slices until fragrant to take off the fishy edge before boiling it.

Rinse the 川芎 (Sichuan lovage), 白芷 (Dahurian angelica) and 天麻 (gastrodia) and soak them until soft.
Clean and wash the fish head, then pan-fry both sides with the ginger slices until fragrant.
Blanch the lean pork (汆水, a quick boil that draws out the blood and scum).
Bring 2.5 litres of water to the boil and add all the ingredients along with the red dates.
Boil hard for 10 minutes, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.
Season with salt and it is ready.

Who it suits

head wind and headaches
too much mental work

Who should take care

Pregnant women should be cautious with Sichuan lovage
Those who run hot and dry should drink only a little

Soup stories

The office worker's brain soup. Fish head paired with wind-dispelling herbs, traditionally taken to clear head wind and settle a headache, is an old Cantonese combination.

From the same family

Double-boiled fish head with gastrodia, ligusticum and angelica dahurica

Goji leaf, pig liver and lean pork soup

Lettuce and dace fish-ball soup (sang choi yu yuk)

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.