Cooking: Crucian Carp and Tofu Soup

Crucian carp and tofu soup is a pretty simple and quite nutritious… dish? Or soup? Whatever you call it, it goes down well with rice.

The method isn’t complicated either, and the ingredient list is short:

• Crucian carp (the small kind is fine, don’t get a big one; one small or two small depending on how many people are eating)
• Tofu (however much you want, usually one small block is enough)
• Cilantro (a small bunch)
• White pepper
• Salt
• Scallion (one stalk)
• Oil
• Ginger

First, kill and clean the fish. You can leave this to the shop, they’re more professional at it than you. But note: when killing and cleaning, wash it again to make sure the inside is clean, especially the black membrane inside the belly — get that off for sure. After that you can cut the fish into sections, or if it’s small, leave it whole.

Cut the tofu into blocks, pluck the leaves off the cilantro. Slice the ginger. For the scallion you can cut it into sections or tie it in a knot…

Then heat the pot, add a little cold oil, and put in the sliced ginger. Fry the ginger in the oil until fragrant, then put the fish in to pan-fry. Not too long — just until the sides of the fish are slightly golden. This step is to get rid of the fishy smell.

After frying a bit and it’s golden, add water to the pot. The water should cover the fish, a little higher actually. Add the scallion (knotted or cut into sections, either works), turn to medium-high heat and start simmering.

Wait about 15 minutes or so. When the fish soup starts boiling and the broth is a bit cloudy white, add the cut tofu and turn down to medium-low heat to keep simmering.

After another 15 minutes or so, it’s time to season.

Add salt and white pepper. If you really want, a little MSG is fine too. Stir, and it’s ready to serve.

Oh right, don’t forget the cilantro after it’s out of the pot.

And there you have a “crucian carp and tofu soup” that supposedly boosts your bust.

Of course, I think that bust-boosting claim is a scam. Don’t ask me how I know.