Yellowcress (marsh cress) and snakehead fish soup

Ingredientsone pot, serves 4

Method

Pan-fry the snakehead fish with the ginger slices until lightly golden before boiling it.

1. Soak and wash the 塘葛菜 (yellowcress) clean of grit, or use watercress instead.
2. Clean and dress the snakehead fish, pat it dry and pan-fry it with the ginger slices until both sides are lightly golden.
3. Blanch the lean pork (汆水, a quick boil that draws out the blood and scum); soak the aged tangerine peel until soft and scrape off the pith.
4. Bring 2.5 litres of water to the boil and add all the ingredients.
5. Boil hard for 10 minutes, turn the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, then season with salt and it is ready.

Who it suits

• damp heat
• skin sores and boils
• wound healing after surgery (the folk 埋口 tradition of closing a wound)

Who should take care

• Those who are weak and cold should take care

Soup stories

Snakehead is the fish that folk tradition credits with closing wounds, 埋口, and drinking snakehead soup after surgery is a Hong Kong custom. Yellowcress grew wild in the rice paddies and carries the flavour of the old countryside.

From the same family

Winter melon, dried shrimp and glass noodle soupAngled loofah, cloud ear fungus and pork slice soupWinter melon tureen soup with night fragrant flowers

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.