This is one of the legacy dishes I inherited from my mum-in-law. She was not fond of cooking but this dish she cooked it well because she married a Foochow and lived among the Foochows in Ayer Tawar for more than 70 years. I cook this Foochow Spicy Sour Fish Maw Soup (Koh Lu) in memory of her as she passed away in July 2020.

Recipe by Mama Ding

Total Time | 40 mins

Prep Time | 20 mins

Cook Time | 20 mins

Servings : 2 - 4

Ingredients

1 large piece fish maw (about 50 g/1.7 oz) , cut and soaked to soften
2 tbsp minced or sliced meat
1/2 cup bamboo shoots (fresh or canned), sliced thinly
1 small carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked till soft and sliced thinly
1 piece black fungus, soaked till soft and sliced thinly
500 ml (2 cup) chicken stock
1 tbsp ginger juice
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 fresh red chilli, remove seeds and sliced thinly
1 stalk spring onion, chopped
2 tbsp tomato sauce
4 tbsp garlic chilli sauce
2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water)
salt and white pepper powder to taste
For the Garnish ~
1 stalk Chines parsley, chopped (optional)

Method

01 Heat oil in a wok/pan. When the oil is hot, saute the garlic until lightly browned.

Add the minced meat and saute for 3 mins. Add the carrots, mushrooms, black fungus and soaked fish maw.

Saute for 2 mins. Add the bamboo shoots and stir fry for 1 min.

02 Add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil

Add the tomato sauce, garlic chilli sauce, lemon juice/vinegar, sugar, salt and white pepper powder.

Stir well and bring to the boil again.

Turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 mins.

03 Add the beaten egg and stir well.

Add the cornstarch slurry and bring to the boil again.

Lastly, add the chopped chillies and spring onions.

04 Dish out and serve hot. Garnish with Chinese parsley, if desired.

Notes

Adjust the sweet, sour and spicy taste according to your preference by adjusting the sugar, vinegar, garlic chilli sauce or sliced red chillies.

My mother-in-law insists the garlic chilli sauce should be Rabbit brand. If you can’t find any, just use any garlic chilli sauce from Kampung Koh.

Sea cucumber may be added to this dish. Slice and add in at step 01, when adding the fish maw.

Can add 2 - 3 tbsp Foochow red rice wine just before serving, if preferred.

If you would like to see photos of the ingredients, go to the Pantry section.