How to Soak and Rehydrate Fish Maw? A Complete Guide to Common Ways of Eating the "Ginseng of the Sea"

Fish maw, also known as fish belly, is the dried product of the swim bladders of various fish, famous for being rich in gelatin. It contains abundant protein, gelatin and other nutrients. As a food therapy it nourishes yin, strengthens the kidneys and cultivates essence, helps people quickly eliminate fatigue, and helps surgical patients' wounds heal. So how do you soak and rehydrate fish maw? What are the common ways to eat fish maw?

I. How to soak and rehydrate fish maw?

Fish maw is actually the dried product of fish swim bladders, also called fish belly or fish gelatin. Since ancient times it has been one of China's four great tonics; the "belly" in the commonly said "abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin and fish belly" refers to fish maw. Fish maw is rich in gelatin and protein and has the effects of nourishing yin, strengthening the kidneys, nourishing the stomach, beautifying the face and promoting wound healing.

Generally the fish maw you buy is dried, and it must be soaked before cooking. You can use a clean, fairly large container, soak the fish maw in cold water overnight first, then put the fish maw into water with scallion and ginger and boil for about 20 minutes, take it out, wash it and soak it in cold water for later use, then stew and cook it.

There are two methods for rehydrating fish maw: the oil method and the water method. Thick fish belly can use either method, while thin fish belly is easily mushy when rehydrated in water, so the oil method is better.

1. Oil method

Put the wok on the fire, add oil, and when the oil is 30 percent hot, put in the fish belly and wait until it softens, cut it open and put it back in the oil wok, press it down with a ladle, and fry it over low heat. When the fish belly bubbles, turn it over and fry; if the oil temperature rises, you can take the wok off the heat; after the oil temperature drops, put it back on the fire, and repeatedly remove it from the heat. The length of frying time can be determined by the quality of the fish belly. Thick ones need a slightly longer frying time, thin ones a shorter frying time. Do not fry over high heat, to prevent the outside from scorching while the inside is not cooked through.

The standard for fish belly being thoroughly fried: the oil in the wok no longer bubbles, and the fish belly breaks with a tap, with a spongy cross-section. Put the fried fish belly in a basin, press it down with something first, then pour in boiling water to let it soak and soften, then take it out and squeeze out the water.

2. Water method

How long to soak depends on the thickness of the fish maw; thick ones soak longer, thin ones soak for a shorter time. Generally speaking, the soaking time is 5 to 10 hours. Because fish maw carries a little oiliness and a fishy smell, after soaking it still needs to be blanched. That is, pour water into a pot, add ginger slices, bring the water to a boil and then turn to low heat, put in the soaked fish maw, blanch for about half a minute, take it out, rinse with water, squeeze dry, and put it in clean water to soak for later use.

After soaking in water, the fish maw becomes very large; after soaking in hot water, the fish maw becomes very soft; and after cooking, the fish maw shrinks even more. These phenomena are normal. Because the fish maw absorbs enough water when soaking, it becomes larger, and during cooking the water flows out, so it becomes smaller and thinner. To keep the enlarged shape, you would need to add alkaline water (this is why quick-frozen fish maw in supermarkets is so thick), but that is not healthy.

II. Common ways to eat fish maw

The best way to eat fish maw is to stew it on its own and eat it on its own. Generally speaking, children and the elderly are suited to rice porridge with fish maw. Young people are suited to the simplest rock sugar fish maw, or pairing it with some fruit and plant protein drinks. Recent research has found that eating pineapple together with fish maw has the effect of promoting protein breakdown and absorption. Common ways to eat fish maw include fish maw and Chinese yam yuan-tonifying soup, red date stewed fish maw, and milk and lily stewed fish maw.

1. Fish maw and Chinese yam yuan-tonifying soup

The ingredients needed are fish maw, Chinese yam, Polygonatum odoratum, candied dates, coix seed, pork ribs and salt. Chop the pork ribs into small pieces, blanch them in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, then pour the water away. Rinse again with clean water and set aside. Soak the fish maw in cold water for 20 minutes in advance; you can put a few slices of ginger in the water to remove the fishy smell. Take out the other ingredients from the soup packet, soak each for 5 minutes, and wash them clean, then put them together with the pork ribs and fish maw into a soup pot, and add an appropriate amount of clean water. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer for two hours, add an appropriate amount of salt to season, and it is ready.

2. Milk and lily stewed fish maw

Soak the fish maw in alternating cold and warm water for more than 20 hours, blanch it briefly in boiling water, then wash it again (this is "blanching"), or put it in a wok with a little oil and stir-fry briefly over low heat, then wash it clean with water; soak the lily, first put the fish maw and lily into a stewing jar, add 250 ml of cold boiled water (about one bowl), stew for about two and a half hours, then add milk and rock sugar and stew briefly, and it is ready.

3. Abalone sauce flower shiitake mushrooms with fish maw

Soak the flower shiitake mushrooms in warm water, remove the stems, wash them and drain the water, put them into a stewing jar, add stock, seasonings, chicken oil, ginger slices and scallion strips, and steam over high heat for 1 hour for later use. Soak the fish maw in warm water until soft, cook it, and cut it into pieces for later use. Then wash the broccoli and blanch it in seasoned broth until cooked, and arrange it in the center of the plate. Keep the prepared fish maw and flower shiitake mushrooms intact and arrange them around the broccoli, then pour over abalone sauce thickener and it is ready.