老火湯LO FO TONG

All soups › Family classics

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

生菜鯪魚球湯（生菜魚肉）
All year quick-boiled · 18 minutes Not yet surveyed (we say so honestly)

“Just off the stove — drink it while it is hot.”

Ingredients

街市Mud carp· mix in sugar, salt, chicken powder, white pepper, chopped spring onion and cornflour water, then stir in one direction for 10 minutes until it turns springy; market fish stalls sell ready-made dace pasteabout 300 g of 鯪魚滑 dace paste
街市Chinese lettuce· 唐生菜 Chinese lettuce, shredded1 head
百子櫃Superior stock· or plain water1 to 1.5 litres

Method

Once the stock boils, turn it down to a bare simmer. Scoop the dace paste into the soup one ball at a time with a spoon, and they are done as soon as they float. Put the shredded lettuce in the bottom of the bowl, or add it to the pot in the last 30 seconds.

  1. Season the dace paste, mix in the chopped spring onion, then stir in one direction for 10 minutes until it turns springy (起膠, the point where the paste goes bouncy).
  2. Bring the stock or water to the boil, then turn it down and keep it at a bare simmer.
  3. Scoop the dace into balls with a spoon, drop them into the soup one at a time and poach them until they float.
  4. Put the shredded lettuce in the bottom of the bowl, or add it to the pot for the last 30 seconds.
  5. Finish with white pepper and sesame oil.

Who it suits

  • the whole family
  • a light high-protein dinner, with the lettuce barely blanched so it stays crisp (the source makes no strong Chinese medicine claims)

Who should take care

  • If you scrape the dace flesh yourself, watch for bones

Soup stories

A street food classic. 生菜魚肉 was ladled out bowl by bowl, steaming hot in winter, at 大牌檔 open-air food stalls and snack shops, and it moved across into the home repertoire of quick-boiled soups. Buy ready-made dace paste from a market fish stall and dinner is on the table in fifteen minutes.

From the same family

Double-boiled fish head with gastrodia, ligusticum and angelica dahuricaNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)
天麻川芎白芷燉魚頭
calms the spiritAll yearAutumnWinter
街市Fish head (bighead carp)· 1 large fish head百子櫃Gastrodia tuber· 12 g百子櫃Sichuan lovage rhizome· 9 to 12 g百子櫃Dahurian angelica root· 12 to 15 g街市Fresh ginger· 3 slices

“Simmered the whole day — nothing held back.”

Fish head soup with ligusticum, angelica dahurica and gastrodiaNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)
川芎白芷天麻魚頭湯
dispels coldrelaxes sinews and jointsWinterAll year
街市Fish head (bighead carp)· 1百子櫃Sichuan lovage rhizome· 12 g (3 mace)百子櫃Dahurian angelica root· 12 g (3 mace)百子櫃Gastrodia tuber· 20 g (5 mace)街市Lean pork· 300 g百子櫃Red jujube date· 4… +1

“Simmered the whole day — nothing held back.”

Goji leaf, pig liver and lean pork soupNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)
枸杞葉豬膶瘦肉湯（枸杞菜湯）
soothes the liverbrightens the eyesnourishes bloodSpringSummerAll year
街市Goji leaves· 1 to 2 bunches街市Pig liver· about 150 to 200 g街市Lean pork· about 150 g百子櫃Goji berry / wolfberry· 1 tablespoon街市Fresh ginger· 2 slices百子櫃Rice wine (cooking wine)· a splash (少許)

“Heaty? Then this is the pot.”

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.