Fish Maw Soup

Fish maw in our household is cooked with long cabbage in a quality clear broth. We like to add lots of other ingredients to flavour the soup, i.e. prawn balls, fish balls & meat balls. On the eve of Chinese New Year, it is customary to serve this soup.

Fish maw is essentially the bladder of a fish, which controls its buoyancy. It is considered a delicacy as it is rather expensive.

In the olden days, it is usually sold dry. Nowadays, however, a deep-fried pre-packed variety is available at the grocer's.

This Chinese New Year, Mom bought the dried variety at RM280.00 per kg. She laid the fish maw to sun and then deep-fried them in oil and kept them in a cool place.

Today is not Chinese New Year eve yet, but Mom thinks she'll cook me the soup anyway. Well, she thinks I need the nutrition. Lol. From what I read, fish maw is generally nourishing and helps to improve blood circulation.

Whenever she wants to cook some, the deep-fried fish maw is soaked to soften it. Then, Mom likes to remove the excess grease by simmering the fish maw in a pot of water. Drain and then squeeze them dry.

Softened pieces of fish maw

It looks spongy, and is pliant

Mom then cuts the fish maw into bite-sized pieces.

Ready-to-cook fish maw squares

Mom boils the soup using pork ribs and the Chinese long cabbage. She then adds in the fish maw, her home-made prawn & meat balls and let it simmer for a while.

Fish Maw Soup for lunch

The soup is really robust, and the fish maw springy and chewy. Yum. I had a few helpings. ;p