Fresh Chinese Yam and Mud Carp Soup

Why people make this soup

The secret to a great fish soup — as Nourilo always emphasises — is starting with the freshest fish you can find. Mud carp (niu qiu yu) has a somewhat rougher texture than some other fish, but it is low in fat and very high in calcium, making it an excellent choice for pregnant women who want to support their baby’s bone development without the mercury risk of large ocean fish. Combined with the earthy sweetness of fresh Chinese yam and carrot, this soup is warm, easy to digest, and deeply nourishing through the colder months.

Method

1. Clean and gut the mud carp, then cut into large pieces.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan over medium heat. Pan-fry the fish pieces until lightly golden on both sides — this reduces fishiness and enriches the broth.
3. Peel the fresh Chinese yam and carrot; cut both into chunks.
4. Pit the red dates.
5. Transfer the pan-fried fish to a pot along with all other ingredients. Add 2.1 L of water.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour until reduced to 0.9–1.2 L.
7. Drink the broth and eat the ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

The quality of the fish makes all the difference in this soup. A very fresh mud carp — ideally live, but at minimum freshly iced from a trusted fishmonger or Asian grocer — will produce a clear, sweet, completely odourless broth. If the fish smells before cooking, the soup will taste unpleasant no matter what you do. A little extra ginger and a splash of cooking wine during the frying step can also help neutralise any lingering fishiness. Nourilo notes that with ocean pollution a growing concern, pregnant women and young children are best served by fresh small sea fish or freshwater fish for nutritional soups, and should generally avoid the large predatory species listed above.