By Alina @ TLY
This clear, gently sweet soup simmers soaked fish maw with sweet corn and pork ribs for about 90 minutes, letting the corn's natural sweetness shape a light broth around the fish maw's silky, gelatinous texture. It's a comforting, family-style soup that works equally well as a starter or a light main course.
Key takeaways
- Fish maw needs to be soaked overnight and blanched with ginger and scallion before it goes into the soup.
- Pork ribs are blanched first to remove impurities, then simmered about 90 minutes for a clear broth.
- Fresh sweet corn, cut into rounds, is added partway through so it stays sweet without turning mushy.
- Season lightly with salt at the end — the corn provides most of the soup's natural sweetness.
- Ginger is a genuine cooking aromatic here, used to clean the pork and fish maw, not a substitute for ginseng in sweet nest recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 piece dried fish maw (about 40-50 g), soaked overnight and blanched with ginger and scallion
- 1 lb (450 g) pork ribs, cut into pieces
- 2 ears fresh sweet corn, cut into 1.5-inch rounds
- 2-3 slices fresh ginger
- 8 cups (2 liters) water
- Salt, to taste
Step-by-Step
1. Soak and blanch the fish maw
Soak the dried fish maw overnight in cold water until soft and pliable. Blanch it briefly in simmering water with a few slices of ginger and a stalk of scallion, then set aside.
2. Blanch the pork ribs
Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and blanch the pork ribs for 2-3 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse.
3. Simmer the soup base
Combine the blanched pork ribs, ginger slices, and 8 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, for about 60 minutes.
4. Add corn and fish maw
Add the sweet corn rounds and simmer for another 20-30 minutes, until the corn is tender. Add the soaked, blanched fish maw for the final 10 minutes so it heats through without breaking apart.
5. Season and serve
Season lightly with salt to taste. Ladle into bowls, making sure each bowl gets a piece of corn, some pork rib, and a portion of fish maw.
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Soak fish maw | Overnight |
| Blanch fish maw and pork ribs | 5-10 minutes total |
| Simmer pork rib broth | About 60 minutes |
| Simmer with corn, then fish maw | About 30-40 minutes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to soak the fish maw the night before?
Yes, dried fish maw needs a long soak — overnight in cold water — to become soft and pliable before it goes into the soup.
Why blanch the fish maw with ginger and scallion?
This step clears any remaining fishy smell after soaking, so the fish maw tastes clean in the finished soup.
Can I use canned or frozen corn instead of fresh?
Fresh corn on the cob gives the best sweetness and texture, but frozen corn kernels can work in a pinch; reduce their simmer time to about 10 minutes.
Why is ginger used here when bird's nest recipes use ginseng?
Ginger is a genuine savory cooking aromatic in broths like this one, used to clean pork and seafood. It's different from sweet bird's nest recipes, where ginseng is the traditional pairing and ginger isn't used.
Shop Ten Lei Yen's Seafood collection, including Fish Maw, Tube Cut and Fish Maw, Flat Cut. Related reading: Double-Boiled Fish Maw and Chicken Soup and How to Choose Good Fish Maw.
