• Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
My Women Stuff
  • About Me »
    • Contact Me
      • For PR
  • Budget Beauty »
    • Save & Splurge
  • Makeup »
    • Eyes »
      • Brow pencil
      • Mascara
      • Eyeshadow
      • Eyeliner
    • Face »
      • BB Cream
      • Blush
      • Bronzer
      • CC Cream
      • Concealer
      • Foundation »
        • Cream Foundation
        • Liquid Foundation
        • Cushion Foundation
      • Highlighter
      • Loose Powder
    • Lips »
      • Lip Gloss
      • Lipstick
      • Lipbalm
    • Makeup Brushes
  • Skincare »
    • Cleanser »
      • Cleansing Balm
      • Cleansing Cream
      • Cleansing Gel
      • Cleansing Milk
      • Cleansing Oil
      • Cleansing Water
      • Makeup Remover
    • Mask
    • Moisturiser
    • Scrubs
    • Serum »
      • Vitamin C
      • Retinol
    • Sunscreen
    • Toner/Lotion
    • Treatment »
      • Acne
      • Anti-Aging
      • Brightening/Whitening
      • Hydrating
    • Bath & Body »
      • Body Lotion
      • Body oil
      • Hair
      • Shower Gel
    • Facial Oils
  • Tips »
    • Tips & Discussions
    • Blogging Tips
  • Lifestyle »
    • Cooking at Chez PB
    • Beauty Services »
      • Hair Salon
      • Facial
      • Spa
    • Fashion »
      • Bags
      • Jewellery
      • Shoes
    • Home
  • Brands
  • Product Reviews
    • Beauty hor d’oeuvres
  • Blog
Home » Food & Lifestyle » Eat at Chez PB : Simple Asian Fish Soup with Pan-fried Fish

Eat at Chez PB : Simple Asian Fish Soup with Pan-fried Fish

July 7, 2017 Paris B 16 Comments

If you’re on my Instagram, you’d be most familiar with my love for food and my #EatatChezPB hashtag. I’m a foodie, always seeking out new and interesting places to eat, but I also cook. In recent times, I’ve decided to incorporate a little more of that interest, because that’s who I am. Hence, “Eat at Chez PB” – “Eat at PB’s house”. No, that’s not quite a literal invitation LOL!

A few years ago, I used to marry these two interests in a weekly food segment. I dropped it for various reasons, time being chief among them. But I’ve decided to bring it back in a slightly more irregular fashion with a focus on food I cook, not food I eat. Eat at Chez PB is my domestic side that potters about the kitchen, and spends hours eyeing kitchen gadgets and cookware, dreaming more of that perfect kitchen, than the perfect beauty room.

I cook, but I’m no Masterchef. I chiefly do simple dishes and meals, often for 1-2 persons, but scalable to feed more if desired. MWS is a beauty blog, but I’m sure you realise by now that it has more aspects to it than mere beauty. Eat at Chez PB reflects that.

fish soup recipe
  • Save

By way of a disclaimer, I may not necessarily focus on “healthy food”. I like cooking food as they are meant to be eaten, so if it is deep-fried, it will be. If it calls for butter, I use butter. I subscribe to the Nigella Lawson style of cooking – rich flavours, no skimping on ingredients. I make no apologies for it 🙂

I also operate off a guesstimate method of cooking, as a lot of cooking depends on your personal tastes and preferences. I again, make no apologies for this. Often, using more or less of any ingredient doesn’t really matter – this isn’t baking, which is an exact science. It’s cooking – cook from your heart, and to your taste, not someone else’s.

To kick off, here’s a fairly simple dish I have modified over time to make it very easy, and importantly, tasty. This is a version of clear Asian style Fish Soup that you can have on its own, or with rice or noodles as you wish.

Those who are familiar may wonder if this is a variation of Fish Head Noodles (Yu Tau Mai) a local popular hawker favourite. It is, but not quite although you can use this as a base to turn it into your variation of Fish Head Noodles. The flavours in fish head noodles tend to be stronger, while this is a milder, clearer version.

I prefer to pan-fry the fish separately instead of cooking it in the soup, as I’m not a fan of the fishy taste that accompanies soups like that, and the texture of the fish afterwards. Also, this seasoning I use to pan-fry the fish will, I promise you, kill that fishy taste and smell associated with eating fish, especially if it’s a stronger tasting, oilier fish. I also prefer using boneless chunks of meat, because it’s just easier to eat, and the seasoning penetrates each small piece better than a large slice of fish.

I suggest using a white fish, which has a milder taste and sweeter flavour. Examples from our local fish market are garoupa/grouper (kerapu) or snapper (ikan merah or jenahak). But oilier fish like mackerel (tenggiri or batang fish) work as well. I wouldn’t use salmon (I’m not a fan of it unless in sashimi) or cod simply because it’s too expensive locally. So work with what you have available locally. I actually came up with this seasoning to mask the fishiness of oilier fish, especially after they’ve been kept in the freezer a little while.

asian fish soup
  • Save

What you will get, is a fairly clear tasting soup from the dried anchovy (ikan bilis) stock, with a hint of sourness from the fresh tomatoes, and sweetness from the cabbage. You may opt to use other vegetables instead, and the flavour will adjust accordingly. I suggest cabbage or Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage), as it will sweeten the soup further, and you can cook it a while. Green leafy vegetables will wilt very quickly but may be added by blanching it quickly in the stock.

Serve it over noodles or rice, for a simple one dish, one bowl meal you can eat in front of the telly, if you so wish, or to enjoy with family at the dining table on a cool, rainy evening. If using, add a dash of Shaoxing wine before serving for better aroma and flavour, or even brandy, if you like that kick 😉

So here is my recipe for Asian Fish Soup with Pan-fried Fish 🙂

asian fish soup
  • Save
Print
Asian Fish Soup with Pan-fried Fish
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

A simple version of a clear Asian fish soup with pan-fried fish, that you can have on its own or with rice or noodles. 

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: asian fish soup, fish soup, noodle soup
Servings: 1 person
Author: Paris B
Ingredients
  • 1 slice Fish with firm white flesh e.g. snapper, grouper You can use mackarel but the flavour of the fish will be stronger
  • 1 inch ginger - sliced
  • 1-2 tomatoes
  • 3-4 leaves cabbage or Chinese (Napa) cabbage cut into smaller pieces
  • dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
  • 1 large bowl water
  • Chinese parsley (cilantro) if desired
  • Oil to pan-fry fish
Seasoning for fish
  • Soy Sauce
  • White pepper
  • Sesame Oil Use just a few drops
  • Chinese Shaoxing wine Optional
  • Tapioca flour / Cornflour
Instructions
  1. Place the dried anchovies in a stock bag, and sliced ginger into a pot of water and put to boil. This forms your stock. You will need to boil it for about 15-20 minutes. 

  2. Prepare your fish. If your fish comes with bone in remove the meat from the bones. Place bones in stock for added flavour. 

  3. Season the fish meat with the seasoning mix to your preference. The Chinese wine is optional, but if you can use it, it really helps to mask the fishy taste if you're sensitive. Use only very little sesame oil as it can be overpowering. Leave aside for about 10 minutes.

  4. Heat oil in a pan and pan-fry fish until brown on both sides. Remove and drain and set aside. 

  5. After about 15-20 minutes of boiling the stock, remove the dried anchovies and any fish bones you have in it. Add the tomatoes, cut into segments and cabbage and boil until soft. If using Chinese parsley/Cilantro, add the cut stalks and leaves at this stage. Add a dash of soy sauce (or salt) and pepper to taste. 

  6. If having with noodles, cook the noodles separately and ladle the hot soup over, place fish on top. If having with rice, you can do the same and have rice in soup, or serve it separately. 

I know I promised a few of you on Instagram that I would share this recipe, so it is my first in my Eat at Chez PB series. I will continue to experiment, and to cook and will share more simple recipes when I can. But you can always find me experimenting over on Instagram at @parisbmws or #eatatchezpb. Some will make it here, some won’t. It depends on how successful they are LOL! 😀

Do you make a fish soup like this or a variation of it? Any suggested modifications that work?

If you try this, I’d love to hear what you think, so please let me know! 🙂

Paris B

Was this helpful? Tell your friends!

4 Shares
  • Facebook 4
  • Twitter
16 Insightful comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

YOU MAY FIND THESE THESE POSTS HELPFUL TOO!

About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

PREVIOUS POST: Your Say: Has NARS Cosmetics’ decision to sell in China affected your perception of the brand?
NEXT POST: The Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Gel Touch Foundation is like a cushion foundation but isn’t

16 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. Shasha Marican says

    July 7, 2017 at 10:36 am

    This is awesome!!! I have been making this noodle soup based on the recipe you shared years ago over instagram and it’s a hit everytime.
    And I totally agree with the Nigella Lawson’s style of cooking too.
    Not all of us have the Masterchef ability but hey, we are not in competition with anybody right. Just be yourself and do keep on sharing ok.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      July 16, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      Happy to know you’ve been enjoying this too Shasha 😀 I remember sharing it on Instagram a few years ago, and glad it’s served you well 😀 I will share more to come. Masterchef is nice to aspire to, but the WORK! I could never do that in my kitchen – who’s going to clean it up? 😀

      Reply
  2. Ishi says

    July 7, 2017 at 4:05 pm

    I like the Chinese milky fish soup. It was weird putting milk in the soup, but the result was well worth it.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      July 16, 2017 at 3:05 pm

      I usually ask for it to be omitted from my soup actually LOL! I don’t like the taste of it in my soup. I’m told that the original method is to boil fish bones till the soup becomes milky (as it will) but it’s a lot of work. Have you tried making it at home? I made a more robust fish noodles soup for the family the other day, and it was quite a success!

      Reply
      • Ishi says

        July 26, 2017 at 9:33 pm

        I actually tried making the milky fish soup at home using a vietnamese recipe I found online. It needs to be eaten fresh and while still hot. It has a unique flavour which I am not averse to, but might not make it to my weekly menu. Still, an interesting flavour, gives me another option when I feel like having soup. I can imagine the many hours the original method would take. In this day and age, everything needs to be now now now. So let’s add milk LOL.

        Reply
        • Paris B says

          August 9, 2017 at 9:16 am

          Haha as long as it looks right eh? 😀 I do find the milk adds a bit of robustness to the soup. The clear version is lighter. Matter of preference really and that’s what I love about cooking – there’s no right or wrong, just what’s right or wrong for your taste buds 😀

          Reply
  3. Beauty Bee says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:44 pm

    Ive never tried cooking a fish soup let alone an Asian fish soup (really different to the European soups Im used to – Polish people love a good hearty soup) so I will have to give it a go because it just looks so darn delicious!

    I do have a question though – where can I get a stock bag? Can I improvise somehow?

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      July 16, 2017 at 3:07 pm

      Haha yes Western soups tend to be hearty, while Asian soups tend to be clear and light. Depends on what you like 😀 I buy my stock bags from Daiso (they sell them in 50 bags or so in a pack) or you can use the bags they use for loose green tea as well, also sold at Daiso 😀 Or you can tie the dried anchovies in a bit of muslin cloth (or just boil them, and then strain the soup after) 😀

      Reply
  4. ML Chan says

    July 11, 2017 at 9:12 am

    Yes! The recipe looks pretty simple and I might actually give this a go. Am many things… but a domestic goddess, I am definitely not ><

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      July 16, 2017 at 3:22 pm

      Haha we can’t all do everything! And you’re good at what you can do 😉 The hardest thing about this will be frying the fish. The rest is a cinch!

      Reply
  5. Efrain says

    July 21, 2017 at 3:54 am

    When I return home I will try it, right now I’m living in a Chinese influenced area so I’ve tried more “oriental” dishes. It’s interesting that you use tomatoes and leave them like that most soups in Mexico have tomatoes but they’re blended so you get a red soup. I’d have never thought of doing the fish apart but it looks delicious and my main doubt is: why you don’t cook the noodles in the same stock?

    Reply
    • Efrain says

      July 21, 2017 at 3:56 am

      Also I agree with your cuisine style if it has to be fried it’ll be fried, the biggest variations I do in recipes is to avoid dairy because of my sister and maybe reduce the amount of sugar but if I don’t get a tasty food when doing some changes I’ll prefer the original version.

      Reply
      • Paris B says

        July 21, 2017 at 10:37 am

        Same here – cooking is so unique because it is done purely to our own tastes. My salt tolerance is low, so my foods can sometimes come across as undersalted, because I don’t use a lot of salt in my cooking. I do use soy sauce which I think adds a little more flavour. But I always say there’s no right or wrong way to cooking (there is when you bake, but not really, when you cook) so just enjoy yourself! And I think it’s great that more people are cooking at home these days. Nothing beats making your own food 😀 Well, except for the damn clean up LOL!

        Reply
    • Paris B says

      July 21, 2017 at 10:26 am

      Oh do you enjoy oriental food? I think it’s great that you’re expanding your taste palate 😀 I have been wanting to explore more Mexican food, but locally, we don’t have many good Mexican restaurants and those that exist are really expensive. But I’m still trying, and I had some really good fish tacos a few months ago. I’ve only had tacos twice in my life so far! Enjoy them tremendously and I really want to try making them, except it probably won’t be very authentic since I’m not sure of the authentic taste! LOL!

      But yes, in Chinese cooking, you don’t get a lot of chunky soups. Most of the time, our soups are not a main meal but are part of a meal. Think of our soups more like consomme, although I often eat them as a main meal on its own. I don’t cook the noodles in the soup, because it makes the soup thicker and more cloudy than I like. The starch washes off into the soup and makes it so. But you can. When I’m lazy, I just throw everything into one pot. It’s faster. But when I have the time, I do them separately because it is just more elegant that way 😀

      Reply
      • Efrain says

        July 22, 2017 at 3:43 am

        I shouldn’t be proud of this but actually when I bake I follow instructions but at the same time I do things by instinct and add more flour, sugar, etc. I’ve had some fails but most of my experiments have been good and tasty.

        But yes cooking is super personal and if you like it, it’s ok; in fact watching some shows I feel they’re too snobs, yesterday I saw Masterchef Junior and they criticise a boy who used sriracha in his lobster dish. I understand that for many it can be a sin, like for example me complaining about hard shell tacos but at the end I think we need to see if it was tasty. It’s complicated because food is a representation of culture so it can be a sensitive subject, same situation when we compare it with art.

        I’m living with a Chinese descendant family in the south of Mexico, the grand is 3rd generation Chinese from her grandfather so they don’t have a lot of Chinese influence but when cooking they use soy sauce, ginger, noodles (rice and wheat), rice and sriracha so yes it’s different from home but at the same time it isn’t completely Chinese.

        I’ll look for Mexican recipes that you can do without many specific condiments, because I understand that they aren’t easily available; I think that it was only recent years that you could find rice noodles in some supermarkets.

        Reply
        • Paris B says

          August 3, 2017 at 11:42 am

          If we all followed recipes to the letter, it’d be so boring! And there’d be no innovation. I don’t see anything wrong with adding sriracha to lobster! They should come and eat our chilli crabs/lobster – crustaceans smothered in a spicy chilli sauce LOL! I bought a bottle of taco seasoning recently off iherb. Now I just have to figure out what to do with it! LOL!

          Reply

Comment Policy:At MWS we love reading your comments. However, if you are new to leaving comments you may benefit from reading the comment policy first.

What's your view? Share it! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My Women Stuff by Paris B

Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. What you shouldn't expect is a page filled with unnecessary narcissistic photos. MWS is a blog for those who love to read, because we love to write! Read More about MWS and Paris B

Subscribe for weekly updates of all published content

BEAUTY & LIFE TIPS

tom ford blush, charlotte tilbury bronzer

Has your makeup preferences changed post-pandemic? I’m rekindling my enjoyment for wearing makeup

beagle looking at a biscuit with 2023 on the bottom

2023 – Be Focused, Be Disciplined and Be Kind

2022 recap

Looking back to see if there was more laughter than tears this past year

I tell stories on Instagram @parisbmws

For my anti-aging skincare routine, I’ve worked For my anti-aging skincare routine, I’ve worked out my 3 pillars - the foundation of my skincare routine. Read on the blog mywomenstuff.com It isn’t about what product I use. It’s what in it 😉

#parisbmws #skincareblogger #skincareblog #antiagingskincare #over40blogger #over40skincare
Done with your vote? Not sure what to do the rest Done with your vote? Not sure what to do the rest of the day? Go read my post about #sundayriley A+ High Dose Retinoid Serum 😜 mywomenstuff.com

#parisbmws #sundayrileyretinoidserum #sundayrileyaplus #retinoidserum #retinol #sephora #sephoramy #sundayrileymalaysia #antiaging #antiagingskincare
The best thing I’ve bought in recent times! Chec The best thing I’ve bought in recent times! Check out the #uniqlo Mini Round Shoulder Bag! mywomenstuff.com 😍

#uniqlomalaysia #parisbmws #uniqloroundminishoulderbag #uniqlodumplingbag #uniqlolifewear
Had more than a few people ask me about this @mura Had more than a few people ask me about this @muradskincaremy Vitamin C product so that’s what I wrote about this week! Go to mywomenstuff.com for your weekend read 😊

#parisbmws #muradskincare #muradvitaminc #vitamincserum #murad #muradmalaysia #muradskincaremy
Just got a new preloved bag? Want to clean your le Just got a new preloved bag? Want to clean your leather bags at home? Here’s how I do it! 😊 check the blog mywomenstuff.com 

#parisbmws #vintagebags #leathercleaner #vintagefashion #vintagelouisvuitton
Chatting about preloved designer bags and where I Chatting about preloved designer bags and where I go for the deals on the blog mywomenstuff.com ☺️

#prelovedmalaysia #prelovedbranded #prelovedluxury #prelovedluxurybags #vintagelouisvuitton #vintagedesigner #vintagebags #parisbmws
Join over 10500 followers on Instagram

ABOUT ME · CONTACT ME · DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT · PRIVACY · ARCHIVES

© Copyright MY WOMEN STUFF 2007 - 2022 · All Rights Reserved