Fish Lips Soup (Sup Bibir Ikan)

Do you know that you can make something out of fish lips? Well, I didn't until my mom started to make this delicious heart-warming soup several years ago. I just have to have this dish over and over again. It's good to have it in winter months, or any day of the year! but it's best when you share its goodness with your loved ones.

Here's the cast of the characters:


The main ingredient is off course the dried fish lips as you can see at the left corner in a bowl. It's sad that I can only find this in Indonesia, not in Singapore, not in US. So I treasure my fish lips stock very much. Oh yeah, I miss the onion in the picture.


First thing first..After chopping the garlic, onion, shiitake mushroom, chicken, and pork, boil two cups of water, put a slice of ginger or two inside. Once the ginger-infused water is boiled, put in the dried fish lips. Stir gently for about 5 minutes, drained it, set aside to use later.


This is what it looks like afterward...Looks like jellyfish tentacles. It has a distinct smell that characterized the soup.


Heat a deep pan, put 1 tbs oil and 1 tbs sesame oil. Once the oil mixture is hot, stir fry the garlic, ginger and onion until fragrant and soft.


The mushroom goes next. My Mom said you need to stir fry the mushroom first, and never dump un-stir fried mushroom into the soup--there would be unpleasant earthy smell afterward. So the stir frying is to cleanse any unnecessary odor and add some flavor to the dish.


Then once the mushroom is pretty much cooked, put in the diced pork and chicken. I have to have this two combination, since both of them add robust flavor to the broth. I usually use pork tenderloin and dark chicken meat for this dish. Then, altogether, pour in 2 tbs of soy sauce, 1 tbs of oyster sauce, salt and pepper to taste. I also add 1 tsp of honey to balance the taste. It works every time. Honey is a staple in my house. Next, the napa cabbage is in.


Leave the pan closed for fifteen minutes or so, until the meat is cooked, the veggie turns soft but not mushy, and the broth starts to come out.


Add about 500 cc of water or chicken broth (until the meat and all are nicely covered) and a drizzle of sesame oil wouldn't harm too :) Cover the pan again and let it boils.


Hmm, it looks good and smells good too. But wait, don't forget the beaten egg and to taste it. Add salt or soy sauce if necessary, and the vinegar if you like. My husband loves sour and tangy dishes, so in my family the vinegar is in.


I don't take the picture of the egg, but here's how to make it. Crack and pour an egg into a bowl. Beat it until it's a little bit frothy, then using a fork, pour the mixture little by little into the boiling soup and stir the hot soup with the fork.


The end result is lace-y texture on top of the soup, and it enhances the taste and the appearance altogether. Then, mix 1 tbs of tapioca flour with water, dissolve it, and gradually pour into the hot soup. Stir the soup gently as you pour the flour mixture. Lower the heat and keep it hot for five more minutes. Then...


Voila! A warm bowl of soup is ready for your enjoyment...Beware, it's hot...and it's addictive :)


FISH LIPS SOUP ala ME

Ingredients:
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 medium-size onion thinly sliced
4 dried shiitake mushroom; soaked in water overnight in the fridge; thinly sliced
1/2 lb pork tenderloin, finely diced
1/2 lb dark chicken meat, finely diced (you can use chicken bones for the broth too)
2,5 cm of ginger, divide into three
5 leaves of big napa cabbage sliced thinly
a handful of dried fish lips, quickly boiled in ginger-infused water until soft
500-750 ml of chicken broth or water
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs chicken oil
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1 egg, beaten
1 tbs of vinegar (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Methods:
Heat the chicken oil and sesame oil, stir fry the garlic and onion until fragrant and soft. Throw in the mushroom and cook them for about 5 minutes.

Put in the chicken and pork, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, salt and pepper. Stir all the ingredients until the seasonings are well blended. Close the pan and leave it for 5 minutes. Then thrown in the napa cabbage, stir and blend around. Close the pan again and leave it for a good 15 minutes.

Pour in 500-750 of water or chicken broth, let it boils for about 30 minutes. Once boils, then the fish lips can be put in. Gently stir the soup. Add the beaten egg gradually while stirring the soup. Please taste and add salt/soy sauce if necessary.

Thicken the soup with a mixture of 1 tbs of tapioca flour and water.