Fish slice and fresh Chinese yam ho fun soup
A milky fish-bone broth simmered with fresh Chinese yam, tender grass carp slices, goji berries and ginger, ladled over silky ho fun — a warming, gently restoring bowl.
- 45 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-deficient people tire easily, get breathless and have middling appetites, and as Hanlu's mornings and evenings cool, a weak digestion needs gentle warmth. Fresh Chinese yam, in season now, strengthens the spleen and lungs; grass carp warms the stomach, ginger warms the middle and goji berries nourish the liver and kidneys. Light and easy to digest, it's a warming lunch that won't sit heavily.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min- 1Slice the fish thinly on the diagonal and mix with a little salt, the cornflour and oil; leave for 10 minutes. Wearing gloves, peel the yam, cut into half-moon slices and keep in water so it doesn't discolour.
- 2Heat a little oil, fry the fish bones on both sides until fragrant, then add the water and 2 slices of ginger and boil hard for 15 minutes until the broth turns milky; strain.
- 3Shred the remaining ginger and add to the broth with the yam; simmer over a medium heat for 8 minutes until the yam is cooked through. Blanch the ho fun in boiling water for 10 seconds and lift into bowls.
- 4Add the goji berries and fish to the soup, bring back to the boil until the fish turns white, then turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper, pour over the noodles and scatter with coriander.
Cautions
- The sap of fresh Chinese yam can make skin itch, so wear gloves when peeling it.
Chef's tips
- Slice the fish thinly on the diagonal for a silky texture; once it's in, turn off the heat as soon as the soup returns to the boil and let the residual heat finish it so it stays tender.
The TCM view
Chinese yam is sweet and neutral, entering the spleen, lungs and kidneys, strengthening the spleen, generating fluids and supporting the lungs and kidneys — the Shennong Bencao Jing says it 'tonifies the middle, boosts strength and builds flesh'. Grass carp is sweet and warm, warming the stomach and harmonising the middle; ginger warms and settles the stomach; goji berries nourish the liver and kidneys; rice noodles settle the stomach.
