Sea coconut, fig and pork shin soup with pea shoots
Pork shin simmered with sea coconut and dried figs into a clear, gently sweet soup made for dry Bailu days, with a plate of simply stir-fried pea shoots.
- 2 hr 15 min
- Serves 3
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yin-deficient people are short of fluids, with a dry mouth, throat and skin and hot palms, and Bailu's deepening autumn dryness drains yin further. Sea coconut moistens the lungs and eases coughs, figs moisten the lungs and bowels, and pork shin nourishes yin. This clear, clean-tasting soup soothes the throat, and with simply stir-fried pea shoots it makes a light, moistening dinner.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 120 min- 1Rinse the sea coconut and figs and soak in water for 10 minutes; halve the figs. Soak the tangerine peel until soft and scrape off the pith.
- 2Put the whole pork shin in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and blanch for 5 minutes, then rinse.
- 3Bring the water to the boil, add all the soup ingredients, boil hard for 20 minutes, then simmer over a low heat for 1½ hours and season with salt.
- 4Heat the oil, fry the chopped garlic until fragrant, then stir-fry the pea shoots over a high heat until just wilted. Season with a pinch of salt and serve with the soup.
Cautions
- Sea coconut and figs are cool and moistening, so add a couple of slices of ginger if your digestion is weak or you get loose stools.
Chef's tips
- Choose dried sea coconut slices for a clearer soup; simmer the pork shin whole so it holds together, then slice it to eat with soy sauce.
The TCM view
Sea coconut is sweet and cool, entering the lungs, nourishing yin, moistening the lungs and easing coughs. Figs are sweet and neutral, entering the lungs, spleen and large intestine, generating fluids, settling the stomach and moistening the bowels — the Bencao Gangmu notes they ease sore throats. Pork is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin and moistening dryness; candied dates moisten the lungs; pea shoots settle the middle.
