Fish Soup Risotto

Chinese

Fish

Mains

Rice

Cook Time:

Servings:

2-3 Pax

This fish soup risotto combines the familiar flavours of creamy Chinese-style fish soup with the rich, velvety texture of risotto rice – creating a dish that feels both comforting and familiar.

Made with a homemade fish stock using fried fish bones, ginger and aromatics, the broth develops a naturally creamy texture without any dairy. Paired with al dente risotto rice and tender poached fish slices, every spoonful is packed with savoury sweetness and comforting depth!

Tips:

Fry the fish bones well to develop a deeper, more flavourful stock.
Add the stock gradually while cooking the risotto to achieve that creamy consistency.
Keep the rice slightly al dente for the best texture.
You can substitute snakehead fish with grouper, snapper or batang fish slices.

Steps

1

For the fish stock: Ensure your fish are well cleaned and free from scales, innards, and blood on the inside. Heat a large wok or non-stick pot with 5 tbsp of cooking oil, and saute ginger slices till fragrant and golden brown.

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2

Add fish pieces and fry in oil till golden brown. Don’t mash the fish up, but don’t worry if it breaks apart because all of it will be simply used to make your stock. Once your fish pieces are golden brown and have crispy edges, add hua tiao wine, coriander leaf, and spring onions.

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3

Add 2 litres of hot water to the fish, then add fish sauce, light soy sauce and dashi powder. Bring to a rolling boil, and simmer for 30-35 min covered. The stock will begin to get milky from the emulsification of gelatin and fat from the fish skin, bones and meat. Stir occasionally.

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4

At the 35 minute mark, strain your stock twice through a fine sieve, discarding everything except the fish stock. Keep this hot as you begin your risotto steps.

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5

For the risotto: In a large saute pan, cook finely diced onion in olive oil and butter over medium heat, for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute for a further 2 minutes.

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6

Add risotto rice and stir fry for 3 minutes, stirring well. Deglaze the pan with hua tiao cooking wine, before adding fish stock in, one ladle at a time. Let the risotto rice absorb liquid before adding more stock, and stir occasionally. Once the risotto begins to thicken and is coated in a thick, starchy sauce, season with white pepper and soy sauce if desired and remove from heat.

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7

For the fish meat: Whilst your risotto is cooking, combine water, salt and cornstarch with the sliced fish meat, coat gently and let sit for 5 minutes. Poach these fish slices in the hot fish stock for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to overcook them.

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8

For your garnish: In a small pot, shallow fry julienned ginger in 2cm of cooking oil till golden brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel, before adding to the risotto.

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