I have not found a group to go with me to Chynnis, my currently favorite Chinese Restaurant at SSTwo Mall again because every weekend I’m either doing a class, or my friends are away and getting a few people together seems quite difficult.
And I certainly cannot go there just for a bowl of soup!!!
So I had to resort to my own devices for some nice soup hence my Chynnis Inspired Fish Maw Soup. This is not Chynnis the Restaurants Soup, it is my own interpretation of what I ate and I think it is pretty close in flavor and all, but most importantly it was simply delicious and it was what I needed that day.
So here goes:
Dried Scallops 10 to 15 pieces – rinsed
Black Shitake Mushrooms 4 or 5 – Soaked and stem removed
Silken Tofu 1 piece – to be sliced
Ginger 2 or 3 slices
Homemade Chicken Stock 5 cups
Fish Maw roughly 200 gm or more (I forgot to weigh it)
Chinese Rice Wine 1 1/2 cups – use more if you like
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Method:
1. Boil stock, dried scallops, ginger and mushrooms till scallops are torn apart and mushroom is soft enough. You may use more mushrooms if you like, but then the flavor could be too strong. This boiling should take at least an hour. Simmer on low flame. Season to taste.
2. Add in Wine. You may add more or less depending on the strength of the taste, I like it stronger.
3. Simmer for about 30 minutes, and then add in fish maw. Do not over boil the fish maw. 25 minutes tops (Singapore’s Kitchen Goddess – Teoh Seok Hean told me so through sms when I was boiling the soup)
4. Season to taste again if necessary.
5. Lastly add in the tofu and do not stir as the tofu will break up. Serve hot.
