As with all soups, the key to this comforting Cantonese-style soup is using good quality stock and fresh seafood. Blue-eye is a great option because its firm texture holds well in the hot stock. More delicate fish such as snapper tend to cook too quickly and can become dry. Other good options would be coral trout, red emperor, bar cod, bass groper or pearl perch. You could also add freshly opened mussels, other Asian herbs and other vegetables such as snowpeas or beansprouts.
250g small whole squid
16 uncooked medium-sized prawns, about 550g
1 x 450g packet fresh Hokkien noodles
1 bunch bok choy
6 cups Chinese fish stock (see recipe)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp julienned ginger
1 tsp white sugar
200g firm white-fleshed fish fillets cut on the diagonal into 1cm slices
60g fresh oyster mushrooms, stems discarded and caps finely sliced
2 tsp sesame oil
½ cup julienned spring onion
¼ cup coriander sprigs
1. First clean and score the squid. Cut scored squid into 1.5cm strips and set aside.
2. Peel, de-vein and butterfly prawns, leaving tails intact.
3. Place noodles in a colander and rinse well under hot running water, then drain.
4. Remove cores from bok choy, cut crossways into four, then wash thoroughly and drain.
5. Bring stock to the boil in a large, heaved-based pot. Add soy sauce, ginger and sugar and stir to combine. Reduce heat, add prawns and fish and simmer gently for 1 minute. Add reserved squid, drained noodles and mushrooms and simmer for one minute. Toss in bok choy and cook for a further minute or until fish is just cooked through. Stir in sesame oil and remove pot from stove.
6. Divide soup among four bowls and garnish with spring onion and coriander.
How to clean and score squid and calamari
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