Soups for the season

Recipe | Crucian carp and arrowroot soup

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6):

2 to 3 small crucian carp

1 arrowroot tuber, about

1 kg 1 small piece aged citrus peel (chen pi)

2-3 slices ginger

100g red adzuki beans

Method:

1. Clean the carp and dry them with kitchen paper. Heat up a frying pan and add a little oil and the ginger slices. Brown the fish on both sides.

2. Scrub the arrowroot and peel off the tough skin. Chop into large chunks.

3. Rinse the red beans and drain.

4. Place the fried fish into a large three-liter soup pot, together with the rest of the ingredients. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients completely.

4. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam from the top of the soup.

5. After 10 minutes, bring the soup down to a simmer and cook for two hours, but not more.

Chef's notes:

Crucian carp are among the cheapest fish on the market, mainly because they are full of bones. However, they are ideal for this soup because they are such a good source of calcium. The arrowroot has very calming properties and cooks to a starchy tenderness. The red adzuki beans have traditionally been used as a blood booster in Chinese traditional medicine.