Fish Bee Hoon Soup

One of my favourite Singapore street food is Fish Head Bee Hoon soup. It's nearly impossible to buy meaty fish head in Brisbane but we were able to get some fresh fish breast and pectoral fins from the farmers' market. There is a reasonable amount of meat and large bones which to me would be a perfect substitute.The fish is fried to golden brown. I then removed the fish meat before putting the fish bones back into the pot, added some water & simmered to make the delicious fish stock for the Fish Bee Hoon soup. The soup is robust, super tasty and slightly tangy and combines well with the slippery soft bee hoon (thin rice noodles). Slurp! Love it!

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/Qmf91HS8784?si=7R07drQNjOdATv__

INGREDIENTS (for 2 servings)

• 150 gm bee hoon (thin rice noodles) - soaked in boiling water till soft.

• 4 or 5 fish breasts and pectoral fins - marinade with salt, black pepper for 15 mins.

• Soup ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp oil

  • 2 inch ginger (sliced)

  • 2 x 2 inch thick slices of salted mustard (thinly sliced)

  • 1 litre of fish stock

  • 1 tomato (cut into wedges)

  • 1 stalk of bok choy (cut into bite size chunks)

• Seasoning:

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon soya sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon white pepper

• Garnish

  • Fried onion

  • fresh chilli slices

METHOD

1. Prepare the fish stock:

• Fry the fish in 1 tablespoon of oil till golden brown.

• Remove the fish to a plate. Using a spoon, remove the fish meat from the bone and set the fish meat aside.

• Place all the bones back into the pot and add 1 litre of water. Bring the stock to a fast boil, then lower the heat to simmer for at least 15 mins.

• Strain the fish stock through a sieve and discard the bones.

2. Prepare the soup:

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil and add ginger slices. Fry till fragrant.

• Add salted mustard and fry for a couple of mins.

• Add fish stock and bring to the boil.

• Add tomato and bok choy.

• Add the seasoning and adjust to your taste. The soup should be quite salty as the plain bee hoon will absorb some of the saltiness.

3. To serve:

• Place the cooked bee hoon in serving bowls.

• Ladle a generous amount of tomato, book choy and soup in each bowl.

• Top with the fried fish meat.

• Garnish with fried onion and chilli slices and serve immediately.