Teochew Fish Porridge
Teochew fish porridge you buy at a hawker centre is fish soup with cooked rice added. The rice has very little flavour. This recipe cooks raw rice in dried shrimp stock. The rice is infused with lots of umami flavour before fish is added. Julienned dried squid and 冬菜 are mixed through at the end to increase the umami kick further.
Video
Ingredients
- 20 g dried prawns
- 10 g dried squid body
- 200 g white fish fillet
- 120 g long-grain jasmine rice
- 800-900 ml boiling water
- 1 tsp light soya sauce
- 1 tsp Tianjin/Tientsin pickled cabbage (天津冬菜)
- 1 tbsp spring onions cut 3-4 mm thick
- 1 tbsp fried garlic or fried shallots
- ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse dried prawns. soak 10 minutes or longer in just enough water to cover20 g dried prawns
- Discard quill from dried squid. Cut crosswise about 3 cm long with scissors. Cut lengthwise into thin strips about 1 mm thick. Rinse. Soak in just enough water to cover till soft, about 20 minutes10 g dried squid body
- Rinse fish fillet. Slice bite-size 3-4 mm thick. Mix evenly with 1 tsp light soya sauce. Sprinkle with ½ tsp cornflour or tapioca starch. Mix thoroughly.200 g white fish fillet
- Put kettle on. Wash rice till water runs clear. Add dried prawns, along with soaking liquid, and 750 ml boiling water. Bring to a boil. Stir thoroughly to prevent rice from sticking. Keep rice boiling rapidly for 10 minutes, checking and stirring from time to time to make sure rice doesn't boil over.120 g long-grain jasmine rice, 800-900 ml boiling water
- Top up with boiling water if necessary, depending on how thin you like your porridge. Continue boiling rapidly till rice is just soft but surface is still smooth without any sign of turning mushy, another 5 minutes or so.
- Season porridge with 1 tsp light soya sauce and 天津冬菜. Add fish and stir through gently, over high heat. Turn off heat once porridge returns to a gentle simmer. Add dried squid, along with soaking liquid, and stir through. Remove pot from stove.1 tsp light soya sauce, 1 tsp Tianjin/Tientsin pickled cabbage
- Quickly taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Immediately transfer porridge to serving bowls to prevent fish from overcooking. Sprinkle with spring onions, fried garlic and ground white pepper. Serve immediately.1 tbsp fried garlic or fried shallots, 1 tbsp spring onions cut 3-4 mm thick, ground white pepper to taste
Notes
Fish porridge is best eaten with a light soya sauce dip, with lime juice and thinly sliced bird's eye chillies added. The savoury, tangy dip brings out the sweetness of the fish.