Dad's Winter Melon Seafood Soup, Perfected Over 61 Years
Why this recipe
Most winter melon seafood soup recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 60+ years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 308.2K views, 5.9K likes on YouTube.
Growing up in China, my parents didn’t have much, but what they did have was lots and lots of winter melon and a bunch of stories to go with it.
Winter melon was what they ate when there wasn't much else to eat. It was really cheap, abundant, and easy to grow back in China. It's also an incredibly versatile fruit (yes, it's a fruit) that can go in stir fries, stews, soups, and etc.
Through thick and thin
In Chinese cuisine, there are (at least) two words for soup: tōng 湯 and gāng 羹
- gāng 羹 is the word for "thick" soup, or soup that's thicker in consistency. Generally, gāng 羹 is thickened with things like cornstarch, eggs or egg whites, and etc.
- tōng 湯 is more of a general term for soup, but in comparison with gāng 羹, it's closer to the consistency of water.
Winter melon soup comes in both varieties of thick and thin, and the one we're covering today is of the thick variety.
Health benefits of Winter Melon Soup
Also known as ash gourd or wax gourd (Benincasa hispida), because certain varieties turn white, it's come to be called Winter Melon as a metaphor to snow.
It’s also been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. In Ayurveda, it’s believed to be a great source of prana, or life energy, and in Traditional Chinese Medicine, dūng gwā is believed to help flush the body of toxins, and to bring balance to an excess of yiht hei (熱氣), or internal heat.
One of the key concepts in Traditional Chinese Philosophy and Medicine is harmony between Yin and Yang, or yām yèuhng (陰陽) in Cantonese.
- On the one hand, yin or yām 陰, represents a cooling energy, femininity, and the moon among many other things.
- On the other hand, Yang or yèuhng 陽, represents heat, masculinity, and the sun. Winter melon is believed to help restore a balance of Yin energy.
In recent years, modern research has started to validate some of these beliefs. Winter melon is high in antioxidants, and studies show that eating it may help prevent ulcers and reduce inflammation, which is believed to be the root cause of many diseases.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare winter melon
Assuming you were starting with a whole entire winter melon, we'd:
- wipe the white hairs/dust off with a paper towel
- slice the melon to the weight/quantity you'll be using
- remove the core / seeds
With our slice of winter melon (1.5 lb), we'll:
- peel the skin
- wash the winter melon
- dice it into about 1 cm cubes
Chop seafood & chives
We'll be dicing our fish fillets (3 oz) (we used tilapia), shrimp (3 oz) (deveined, de-shelled), crab or imitation crab (4 oz), and yellow chives (1 oz). These are all cut into about 1 cm pieces.
Yellow chives are more tender, sweet, and lighter in taste than the more commonly known green chive. If you can’t get yellow chives, green chives work fine as well.
Start boiling, create marinades & thickeners
Set the stove on high heat and start boiling water (4 cup) and chicken broth (7 oz).
We'll marinate our fish and shrimp each with cornstarch (2 tsp), water (0.50 tbsp), and white pepper (0.50 tsp) (these amounts are per bowl.)
Then, create a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch (5 tbsp) and water (4 tbsp).
We'll also separate egg whites. To separate the egg whites from the yolks, my dad cracks the eggs, opens them from the top, and then carefully pours the yolk into the other side of the egg shell.
Add a splash of water (about 1/2 tsp) to the bowl to help the eggs separate and "flower" in the soup more easily, and mix well.
Cook the soup
Once the pot has come to a boil, we'll add our winter melon to the pot, stir, and cover. Let the winter melon cook for 5-7 minutes. Once it comes to a boil again, we can proceed to thicken our soup.
To thicken our soup, re-stir the cornstarch slurry to dissolve any remaining cornstarch, and slowly pour it into the pot, stirring constantly as we pour. My dad took about 30-45 seconds to pour the cornstarch in. If we pour it in all at once, it'll turn into a clump.
Sometimes, my dad doesn't use all of the cornstarch, just until desired thickness. It's up to you :)
Then, we'll add our fish, shrimp, and crab. Stir, cover and let the seafood cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Slowly pour in the eggs over the course of 20-30 seconds, constantly stirring to help the egg flower into soft whisks and strands.
Next, we’ll add more flavor to the soup with salt. (1 tsp) My dad says you can add whatever amount you like. We’ll also add some white pepper (0.50 tsp) to taste, as well as olive oil (0.50 tsp) and sesame oil (1 tsp).
Taste, plate, garnish
Almost there! Like a true chef, my dad always tastes his dish in case he needs to adjust the flavor at all.
Then, we'll pour our soup into a bowl / bowls, and garnish with our yellow chives.
Next, call your loved ones over - time to eat!
Pairs well with
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We started Made With Lau to celebrate Cantonese culture and honor the legacy of our wonderful parents, Jenny and Chung Sun Lau.
Our hope is that these recipes and stories help you spread the joy, love, and nostalgia that I felt growing up.
