Bowl Zoushan Fish Chowder
(click to enlarge)

Fish Chowder Zhoushan


China, Zhoushan   -   Jin tang fan qietu duo shao yu
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 7 cups
***
1-3/4 hrs
Prep		 This is a simple fish soup - but a fish soup to rave about! Zhoushan is a cluster of many islands off the coast of Ningbo, so seafood is a big thing there. The way potatoes and tomatoes are used in this dish suggests a European influence.

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Fish Fillets (1)
-- Marinade
Salt
Rice Wine (2)
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Potatoes (3)
Tomatoes
Ginger Root
Scallions
Oil
Rice Wine (2)
The Fish Stock
Salt
Pepper
-- Garnish
Scallion Greens  

Do-Ahead   (1-3/4 hr, - 45 min work)
  1. Clean FISH and fillet. Use heads, bones, and fins to make the fish stock needed by this recipe. If you will not use the fillets within 8 hours, freeze on a tray in a single layer. For details of making stock, see our recipe Making Fish Stock - or see Note-4.
Prep   -  (20 min)
  1. Cut FISH FILLETS into medium bite size pieces. Place in a bowl with Marinade items and tumble to coat well. Set aside.
  2. Slice POTATOES about 1/4 inch thick and cut large slices into bite size pieces.
  3. Scald TOMATOES 1 minute in boiling water. Peel and cut into chunks about 3/4 inches.
  4. Peel GINGER and slice about 1/8 inch thick. Cut slices into strips about 1/4 inch wide.
  5. Cut SCALLION WHITES from the GREENS. Reserve the Greens for Garnish. Lightly crush the Whites to loosen them.
Run   -   (40 min)
  1. In a wok or spacious sauté pan, heat oil. Stir in Ginger and Scallion Whites until aromatic.
  2. Stir in 2 T Rice Wine and let it sizzle for a moment, then stir in Fish Stock and Potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer until Potatoes are tender.
  3. When the Potatoes have had 10 minutes cooking, stir in the Tomatoes (If stirred in at the same time as the Potatoes, their acid will harden the Potatoes).
  4. When the Potatoes are tender, fish out about 1/3 of them and mash them. Return them to the pot and bring back to a simmer.
  5. Stir in Fish and turn the flame up high until up to a simmer. Turn the heat down and give them 2 minutes simmer time, or however long it takes to cook them through. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
  6. Serve hot garnished with chopped Scallion Greens.
NOTES:

  1. Fish Fillets:

      You want a fish that stays reasonably firm with wet cooking. I always test with Tilapia fillets, which are marginal, but work well enough. For guests I'd almost always use Golden Pompano or Japanese Amberjack (both can be used skin-on if you like). If you buy whole fish, you can use them to make the stock needed for this recipe (you'll need a little more than 2-1/2 pounds of whole fish). For details see our Varieties of Fish page (very large page).
  2. Rice Wine:   Use a good, drinkable Chinese rice wine, not that horrid salted "cooking" version. If you don't have this, use a Dry Sherry. Sake is made from rice but is not considered a good substitute, it's beer, not wine. For details see our Chinese Rice Wine page.

  3. Potatoes:

      White Rose or similar work well in recipes of this sort. Avoid Klondike Gold type potatoes - they quickly turn to mush with long cooking or reheating. For details see our Potatoes page.

  4. Fish Stock:

      If you have fillets but no stock, you can use bottled Clam Juice. You could also make a stock using some dried fish, often done in Asia, or you could use a couple tablespoons of Thai Fish Sauce - but skip the salt if you do that.

  5. Comments:

      I have restepped the pattern recipe for practicality in my kitchen. It was already restepped from the original Chinese restaurant method which cooked a whole fish - but I kept the ingredients as in the pattern recipe.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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