As the Lunar New Year approaches, we invited chef Yong WANG from one-MICHELIN-starred Jin Sha at MICHELIN-listed hotel Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake to share his recipe for "Old Shanghainese Style Fish Maw Borscht Soup." This simple yet flavorful dish adds a touch of Shanghai style to your festive feast, requiring minimal culinary skills.
Enjoy the rich and sweet flavor of traditional Shanghai Borscht Soup with the tender and chewy fish maw. The vibrant and delightful broth combines the warmth of tradition with the sophistication and grandeur of the New Year celebration. It's appetizing and not too overpowering. Give it a try and let your culinary skills blossom on the dining table!
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Chef Yong Wang also shared how to soak dry fish maw at home:
There are two methods for preparing fish maw: oil soaking and water soaking. For home use, water soaking is preferred.
1. Steam the dried fish maw in a steamer over water for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. After steaming, soak the fish maw in cold water overnight for 24 hours.
3. Steam again for 15 to 20 minutes until the fish maw is soft and can be easily squeezed with your hand, then soak in ice water for over 24 hours.
Usually, steaming twice is sufficient, but if some are still too firm, continue steaming until properly softened.
Traditional Shanghai Fish Maw Borscht Soup
Ingredients
fish maw 40g
beef brisket 20g
Chinese sausage 10g
potato 10g
cabbage 10g
celery 10g
onion 10g
diced tomatoes 50g
Seasonings
Tomato paste
Butter
Crushed black pepper
White sugar
Chicken powder
Salt
Cream cheese
Steps
1. Cut the soaked fish maw into 40g chunks. Dice beef brisket, potato, cabbage, celery, and onion. Slice Chinese sausage diagonally and set aside.
2. Blanch the beef brisket in cold water with cooking wine, rinse, and then boil in a casserole with water for about 40 minutes.
3. In another pot, melt half of the butter, sauté onions and celery until fragrant, then pour into the beef brisket soup. In the same pot, melt the remaining butter, stir-fry diced tomatoes until juicy, add tomato paste, and pour into the beef brisket soup. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, along with crushed black pepper, white sugar, chicken powder, and salt. Cook until the ingredients are tender. Add a bit of cream cheese for a rich broth. Strain the broth, and set aside the beef brisket, cabbage, potato chunks, and Chinese sausage.
5. Blanch the soaked fish maw, then add it, along with the beef brisket, cabbage, potato, and Chinese sausage, to the boiling soup.
6. Transfer the cooked beef brisket, cabbage, and potato to a soup bowl, arrange fish maw and Chinese sausage on top, pour in the broth, and sprinkle with a bit of crushed black pepper.
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