Dace fish ball and winter melon soup with rice vermicelli
Minced dace beaten with tangerine peel and coriander until springy, squeezed into fish balls and simmered with winter melon and rice vermicelli — clear, sweet and bouncy.
- 40 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Medium
Why it suits you: Special, allergy-prone constitutions react easily, and Minor Heat's muggy heat is prime time for itchy skin and eczema flares, so meals should be light and steer clear of trigger foods. Dace strengthens the spleen, boosts qi and drains water, and winter melon clears heat and damp. Homemade fish balls mean no additives, and a clear noodle soup is easy to digest and naturally sweet.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min- 1Soak the tangerine peel, scrape off the white pith and dice finely. Mix the fish with the peel, half the coriander, a pinch of salt, the pepper and cornflour, stirring in one direction until sticky, then slap it against the bowl a dozen times.
- 2Soak the vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes until soft, then drain.
- 3Bring the water and ginger to the boil, add the winter melon and simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes until half translucent.
- 4With wet hands, squeeze the fish paste into small balls and drop them into the soup. Simmer for 4–5 minutes until they float and are cooked through.
- 5Add the vermicelli and simmer for 1 minute, season with salt and scatter with spring onion and the remaining coriander.
Cautions
- Avoid if you are allergic to fish; during an eczema flare keep the soup plain and skip any chilli.
Chef's tips
- Fishmongers sell ready-beaten dace paste — just add the peel and slap it a little more at home. Wet your hands with cold water so the paste doesn't stick.
The TCM view
Dace is sweet and neutral, strengthening the spleen, boosting qi and promoting urination; as a mild freshwater fish it is not usually counted as a trigger food. Winter melon is sweet, bland and slightly cold, clearing heat, draining damp and easing restlessness. Tangerine peel regulates qi and dries damp, ginger warms the middle to temper the melon's coolness and coriander whets the appetite. Light and spleen-strengthening, it suits a special constitution in summer.
