Mrs. Song’s Fish Soup

Mrs. Song’s Fish Soup

　　    Legend has it that during the Northern Song Dynasty, a woman named Song Wusao from Bianliang fled south with the royal court to Lin’an (present-day Hangzhou). She and her younger brother-in-law made a living fishing by West Lake. One day, her brother-in-law came down with a bad cold. Mrs. Song cooked him a bowl of fish soup flavored with pepper, ginger, wine, vinegar, and other seasonings. After drinking this delicious and appetizing soup, his illness soon improved. On one occasion, Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, tasted her fish soup and was highly impressed, giving it high praise. From then on, the dish became known as "Mrs. Song’s Fish Soup," and her restaurant enjoyed even greater business success. In cooking, a mandarin fish is first steamed as the main ingredient, then deboned, and finally combined with ham strips, diced mushrooms, bamboo shoots, chicken broth, and other seasonings. The finished dish has an attractive color, tender and smooth texture, and a flavor reminiscent of crab soup—hence it is also called "Crab Soup Imitation." (Hangzhou)

　　“Mrs. Song’s Fish Soup” is a famous dish from the Southern Song Dynasty, with a history of over 800 years. The soup is glossy in color, tender and smooth, and tastes like crab meat, making it a well-known traditional Hangzhou delicacy. Ingredients: Main ingredient: 1 mandarin fish (about 600 grams). Garnish: 10 grams cooked ham, 25 grams cooked bamboo shoots, 25 grams soaked mushrooms, 3 egg yolks. Seasoning: 25 grams scallion segments, 5 grams ginger chunks (lightly smashed), 1 gram ginger shreds, 1 gram ground white pepper, 30 grams Shaoxing wine, 25 grams soy sauce, 2.5 grams salt, 25 grams vinegar, 3 grams MSG, 250 grams clear broth, 30 grams wet starch, 50 grams cooked lard. Cooking process: (1) Clean the mandarin fish, remove the head, cut it along the spine into two fillets, remove the backbone and internal organs. Place the fish flesh skin-side down in a bowl, add 10 grams of scallion segments, ginger chunks, 15 grams of Shaoxing wine, and 1 gram of salt. Let it marinate briefly, then steam over high heat for 6 minutes. Remove and discard the scallion and ginger. Strain the juice into a bowl. Flake the fish meat, removing any skin or bones, and return it to the strained juice. (2) Dice the cooked ham, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms into 1.5 cm strips. Beat the egg yolks and set aside. (3) Heat a wok over high heat, add 15 grams of cooked lard, stir-fry 15 grams of scallion segments until fragrant, pour in the clear broth and bring to a boil. Discard the scallion, add 15 grams of Shaoxing wine, bamboo shoot strips, and mushroom strips. Once boiling again, add the fish pieces along with the original juice, soy sauce, 1.5 grams of salt, and MSG. Bring to a boil, thicken with wet starch, then pour in the beaten egg yolks and stir well. When the soup comes to a boil again, add the vinegar and drizzle with 35 grams of hot cooked lard. Serve in a bowl, garnished with cooked ham strips, ginger shreds, and ground white pepper.