Grass Carp Fish

Ingredient Name:

Grass Carp Fish or White Amur

Traditional Chinese Name:

鯉魚 (wan yú)

Fish are considered cooling in nature.

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How do I prepare it?

When you purchase the fish at the fish vendor (or already prepackaged), see if you can get them to cut up into smaller pieces.  I typically request quartered heads, meaning, right down the middle in half and then half again.  This will allow the frying to be easier and it fits better into soup pots.

For all types of fish in soup, I will always clean, scrub (in running water) and pat dry with paper towels.  I also try to pick up as much blood as possible.  And then, I will also always pan-fry in oil, ginger, and fresh scallions.  This will help eliminate the fishy taste and smell and allow all the ingredients to come through.

Any benefits?

• Fish are a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which act as a natural blood thinner and anti-inflammatory
• They are also a good source of protein without the high saturated fats
• If you use more of the bones, such as the head or tail, they have a good amount of collagen

Tips for using fish!

•  Pan-fry in ginger and oil (add scallions if you’d like) the first before you add it to the soup.  This will make it more fragrant and eliminate the fishy smell and taste.
• Keep a soup bag handy!!  For smaller fish, you can use a soup bag to keep all the bones, meat, and skin together as the fish melt into the soup.
• Salt fish very lightly if you’d like.  I usually don’t salt at all!  It turned out amazing and people can add salt afterwards as they like. 

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