Pressure Cooker Fish Soup Recipe

This is a modern British recipe for a classic soup of fish pieces in a fish-stock base made from fish trimmings that's been adapted to be cooked quickly in a pressure cooker.

Fish soup is one of those basic soups that everyone should make and should know how to make. The flavour base for this fish soup also makes an excellent fish stock base for other dishes, and it's cooked quickly in a pressure cooker!

Pressure Cooker Fish Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 carrot, scraped and sliced

1 celery stick

1 tsp mixed dried herbs

2 tbsp lemon juice

600ml (2 1/2 cups) water

fish trimmings (eg bones, skin, heads ect) for the stock

175g (6 oz) cod, haddock or coalfish (coley) fillet

1 onion, chopped

150ml (3/5 cup) dry white wine

2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped

salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp parsley or chervil, chopped

Method

Combine the carrot, celery, herbs, lemon juice and water in your pressure cooker. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then add the fish trimmings. Secure the lid on your pressure cooker then bring to full pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and set under a running cold water tap to reduce the pressure quickly. Remove the lid from the pressure cooker then strain the liquid and return to the pressure cooker along with the fish, onion and wine.

Seal the pressure cooker once more, bring back to full pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Once again, take off the heat and set under a running cold water tap to reduce the pressure quickly. Remove the fish then flake it back into the pressure cooker. Add the tomatoes and parsley (or chervil) then bring to a boil.

Adjust the seasoning to taste then pour into a warmed soup tureen and serve immediately.

For hundreds more classic soup recipes, see the Celtnet Soup Recipes page with over 1000 recipes for different soups from across the globe.

UPDATE! My Big Book of Soup recipes has just been published for Amazon Kindle!

This is the largest eBook of soup recipes ever assembled. With over 1000 soup recipes divided into all the classic soup types.

In addition you get a chapter on the history of soups, with example historic recipes from the stone age right up to the 1880s. Indeed, in the historic chapter there are soup recipes from the stone age, medieval period, Tudor period, Stuart Period, Georgian period and Victorian period, over 160 authentic historic soups covering the entire history of soup making in Europe.

You also get chapters on African soups and Oriental soups, covering the soups of the entire continent of Africa as well as east and southeast Asia (Indian soups are dealt with in a chapter on Curried soups.

There are also chapters on the classic soups, like cream soups, chowders, vegetarian soups, vegetable soups, meat soups, fish and seafood soups, chicken soups, winter warmers and spring soups. In addition you get chapters on more unusual soups like fruit soups and chilled soups. The book is also dotted with recipes for wild food based soups, which are easily accessible from the index.

Every classic and traditional soup type is dealt with in this ebook! Get you copy today and help this blog and the Celtnet Recipes website keep going.

Fennel and Walnut Soup Recipe

This is a classic English soup, marrying the aniseed flavour of fennel with the meatier flavour of walnuts. Originally this was a Victorian soup made with green (ie unripe) walnuts, but here the recipe has been updated to make it a little more contemporary.

Don't be off-put by the slightly strange combination of ingredients, this soup works really well and is very easy to make. It's an excellent soup for a dinner party and I have made it several times as a starter for our main Christmas lunch.

Fennel and Walnut Soup Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

olive oil, for frying
1 bulb of fennel, chopped
1 head of celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
75g (3 oz) walnuts, crushed
1.2l (5 cups) vegetable stock or bean stock
45ml (3 tbsp) Pernod
140ml (3/5 cup) single cream
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
parsley, to garnish

Method:

Heat a little olive oil in a pan, add the fennel, celery and onion and fry for about 6 minutes over low heat, or until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the walnuts and the stock then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside to cool slightly then pour into a food processor or a blender and process until smooth.

Wash the pan and return the soup to it. Allow to heat through gently then stir in the Pernod and single cream and adjust the seasonings to taste.

Heat through once more (do not boil) then turn into a warmed soup tureen and serve garnished with torn sprigs of curly parsley.

Serve immediately.

UPDATE! My Big Book of Soup recipes has just been published for Amazon Kindle!

This is the largest eBook of soup recipes ever assembled. With over 1000 soup recipes divided into all the classic soup types.

In addition you get a chapter on the history of soups, with example historic recipes from the stone age right up to the 1880s. Indeed, in the historic chapter there are soup recipes from the stone age, medieval period, Tudor period, Stuart Period, Georgian period and Victorian period, over 160 authentic historic soups covering the entire history of soup making in Europe.

You also get chapters on African soups and Oriental soups, covering the soups of the entire continent of Africa as well as east and southeast Asia (Indian soups are dealt with in a chapter on Curried soups.

There are also chapters on the classic soups, like cream soups, chowders, vegetarian soups, vegetable soups, meat soups, fish and seafood soups, chicken soups, winter warmers and spring soups. In addition you get chapters on more unusual soups like fruit soups and chilled soups. The book is also dotted with recipes for wild food based soups, which are easily accessible from the index.

Every classic and traditional soup type is dealt with in this ebook! Get you copy today and help this blog and the Celtnet Recipes website keep going.

Quick and Easy Lentil Soup Recipe

I love lentils and cook with them frequently. I copied the recipe that forms the base of this one from a book many years ago. I can't remember the book any more, and the truth is that the recipe has gone through many iterations over the intervening years. I have added North African flavours and pared the recipe down so that you can now (if you are quick) go from preparation to eating this warming vegetarian soup in as little as 30 minutes!

This warming dish, served with crusty bread makes an ideal winter lunchtime treat. To make it even more North African in flavour why not try adding some spice (ras el hanout or harira would be my choices)?

Quick and Easy Lentil Soup Recipe

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients:

225g (8 oz) split red lentils

25g (1 oz) butter (or margarine)

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely diced

2 carrots, scraped and finely diced

finely-grated zest of 1 lemon

1.2l (5 cups) light vegetable stock

salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Pick over the lentils then rinse thoroughly and set aside to drain.

Heat your butter or margarine in a saucepan, add the onion and fry gently for about 3 minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Add the diced celery and carrots cover the pan and sweat the vegetables gently for about 8 minutes, or until just tender.

Stir in the lentils then add the lemon zest and stock. Adjust the seasonings to taste, bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 18 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly then pour into a food processor or blender and process (you may need to do this in batches). For this soup, it is best to leave it a little chunky so that you have some texture.

Return to the pan, allow to heat through then ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve.

Pressure Cooker Corn and Bacon Chowder Recipe

This is a classic New England style thick milk-based soup that's been adapted to be cooked quickly in a pressure cooker.

Though chowders are intimately associated with New England, and many believe them to be an American dish they probably originated in Cornwall, where milk-based soups thickened with potatoes and a flour and butter roux are still made today (even Scottish cullen skink is a dish of the chowder type). Whatever it's origin, a chowder is a classic warming soup and this bacon, sweetcorn and chicken stock version is quick to make and ideal for warming you up on a cold winter's day.

Pressure Cooker Corn and Bacon Chowder Recipe

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients:

25g (1 oz) butter
1 large onion, chopped
125g bacon, rinds removed and meat chopped
1 large potato, diced
227g (8 oz) packet of frozen sweetcorn
600ml (2 1/2 cups) chicken stock
600ml (2 1/2 cups) milk
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
75g Cheddar cheese, grated
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

Method:

Melt the butter in the base of your pressure cooker. Add the onion and the bacon and fry gently for about 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent but not coloured.

Now add the potato, sweetcorn, stock and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Secure the lid on the pressure cooker, bring to full pressure on high heat then stabilize the pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Take off the heat and allow the pressure to reduce naturally at room temperature before opening the cooker.

Stir in the milk, chopped parsley and grated Cheddar cheese at this point. Heat gently (do not boil) until the cheese has melted then adjust the seasonings to taste.

Turn the soup into a warmed tureen, sprinkle over the chopped parsley to garnish and serve.

Pressure Cooker Dutch Pea Soup Recipe

As you might guess, I'm still working on my soup recipes and editing my collection of over 1000 into a book. I still need to do the index for the book, which I hope to finish this weekend, so the book will be live by the middle of next week.

As a result I've been editing and working on a whole range of soup recipes from across the world. I've also been doing a little experimenting and creating soup recipes for the crockpot, microwave and pressure cooker. The recipe given here is the result of some of that experimentation.

It's a classic Dutch split pea soup that's been adapted to be cooked quickly in a pressure cooker.

Pressure Cooker Dutch Pea Soup

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients:

175g (6 oz) dried split peas
25g (1 oz) butter
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1.2l (5 cups) chicken stock
1 pork knuckle
1 tsp sugar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
2 Frankfurter sausages, thinly sliced
chopped fresh mint, to garnish

Method:

Pick over the peas, place in a heat-proof bowl, cover with water and set aside to stand for 45 minutes. After this time drain the peas and set aside.

Melt the butter in the base of your pressure cooker, add the onion and fry gently until translucent (about 5 minutes). Now add the celery, stock and the pork knuckle along with the sugar then season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Seal the pressure cooker and bring to full pressure. Cook for 20 minutes then take off the heat. Place the cooker under a running cold tap to reduce the pressure quickly then open the cooker, take out the pork knuckle and trim off any meat (chop this finely and set aside).

Process the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth then return to the pressure cooker, add the chopped pork meat, mint and Frankfurters. Cook, uncovered, just to re-heat then adjust the seasonings to taste.

Pour the soup into a warmed tureen, garnish with chopped mint and serve immediately.

For hundreds more classic soup recipes, see the Celtnet Soup Recipes page with over 1000 recipes for different soups from across the globe.

For a whole range of recipes adapted to be cooked in the pressure cooker, see the Celtnet Pressure Cooker recipes page.

UPDATE! My Big Book of Soup recipes has just been published for Amazon Kindle!

This is the largest eBook of soup recipes ever assembled. With over 1000 soup recipes divided into all the classic soup types. If you liked this recipe, then this precise soup, plus over 1200 others are available in the eBook.

In addition you get a chapter on the history of soups, with example historic recipes from the stone age right up to the 1880s. Indeed, in the historic chapter there are soup recipes from the stone age, medieval period, Tudor period, Stuart Period, Georgian period and Victorian period, over 160 authentic historic soups covering the entire history of soup making in Europe.

You also get chapters on African soups and Oriental soups, covering the soups of the entire continent of Africa as well as east and southeast Asia (Indian soups are dealt with in a chapter on Curried soups.

There are also chapters on the classic soups, like cream soups, chowders, vegetarian soups, vegetable soups, meat soups, fish and seafood soups, chicken soups, winter warmers and spring soups. In addition you get chapters on more unusual soups like fruit soups and chilled soups. The book is also dotted with recipes for wild food based soups, which are easily accessible from the index.

Every classic and traditional soup type is dealt with in this ebook! Get you copy today and help this blog and the Celtnet Recipes website keep going.

Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

I have one final Chinese recipe to add to the collection today. This time it's for a classic vegetarian curry of mixed vegetables in a lightly spiced coconut milk base.

This dish can be served as both an accompaniment and a vegetarian dish in it's own right. I like my curries with a bit of heat, and though this recipe only calls for a single chilli, if you would like to dial the heat back a little for your own taste, simply remove the seeds and membranes from the chilli before chopping (the heat is actually in the membranes that hold the seeds, not in the seeds themselves).

Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2.5cm (1 in) length of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp ground cumin seeds
1kg (2 1/4 lbs) mixed vegetables (eg cauliflower florets, courgettes [zucchini], potatoes, carrots, green beans and broccoli sliced into chunks)
200ml (4/5 cup) coconut cream or coconut milk
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), to taste
freshly-cooked rice, to serve

Method:

Combine the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies in a food processor and process until the mixture is almost smooth.

Heat the oil in a large wok over medium-low heat. Add the onion paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Now add the turmeric, coriander and cumin ad cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. At this point add the vegetables and stir to coat in the spice paste.

Stir in the coconut cream then cover the wok and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper then turn into a serving bowl, garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves and serve accompanied by plain rice.

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)

Accompaniments:

Perfect Steamed Rice

Egg Fried Rice

Desserts

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce Recipe

In my posting of all the recipes needed to make a complete Chinese meal last week, I missed out one important recipe, that for a fish dish. So today I am adding a classic Chinese river fish dish for fish that's deep fried and served topped with smoking hot oil and chilli mix. Though the original recipe was for river fish, this works equally well for firm-fleshed sea fish like sea bass and bream.

Enjoy...

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce Recipe

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients:

1 whole freshwater fish (eg trout, carp, tilapia), about 400g (15 oz), gutted and scaled
1 tbps (heaped) plain flour
pinch of salt
100ml (2/5 cup) water
groundnut oil for deep frying
For the Sauce:
1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
100ml (2/5 cup) groundnut oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp chilli bean sauce
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp white rice vinegar
1 tsp spring onions, finely chopped

Method:

Clean and dry the fish thoroughly then mix together the salt and water to form a light batter. Dip the fish in the batter to coat evenly.

Heat sufficient oil in a wok to immerse the fish (or use a deep fryer). Bring the oil to about 180ºC (360ºF) [when a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds when immersed in the oil]. Deep fry the fish until the skin is crisp and golden brown then drain and set aside to keep warm.

For the sauce, add the dried chilli flakes in a heatproof dish. Add 1 tbsp groundnut oil to a small saucepan and when smoking pour over the chilli flakes then set aside.

In a pre-heated wok, add the remaining 95ml oil and use to stir-fry the garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in the chilli bean sauce then add the oil and the chilli flake mixture. Season with the pepper, sugar and rice vinegar.

Turn off the heat and stir in the spring onions. Pour over the fish and serve immediately.

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)

Accompaniments:

Perfect Steamed Rice

Egg Fried Rice

Desserts

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit

Potato and Mixed Fish Soup Recipe

I have been stuck in the snow these past few days, hence no posts. But today I've had a chance to connect and today's recipe is for a classic fish and potato soup. Excellent for using up some of those freezer stores and great for warming you up!

Potato and Mixed Fish Soup Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
450g (1 lb) small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 bunch of spring onions, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
225ml (1 cup) dry white wine
600ml (2 1/2 cups) fish stock
225g (1/2 lb) white fish fillet, skinned and cubed
225g (1/2 lb) smoked cod fillet, skinned and cubed
2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, de-seeded and chopped
100g (3 1/2 oz) cooked and peeled prawns (shrimp)
150ml (3/5 cup) double cream
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, finely shredded

Method:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. When hot add the halved new potatoes, sliced spring onions and bell pepper along with the garlic. Fry the mixture gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Now add the white wine and the fish stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook gently for about 12 minutes. Stir in the cubed fish and the tomato pieces. Bring back to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes more, or until the fish is done through.

Now stir in the prawns and the cream. Cook for about 2 minutes then add the basil and cook for 1 minute more.

Divide the soup between four warmed bowls and serve.

For a healthier version, natural yoghurt can be substituted for the cream.


For hundreds more classic soup recipes, see the Celtnet Soup Recipes page with over 1000 recipes for different soups from across the globe.

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles Recipe

To me, no Chinese meal is complete without a noodle dish of one kind or another. As a result, as part of my challenge to provide the recipes for a complete Chinese meal in this blog in 1 day, I am now giving a recipe for a classic pork and noodle dish.

This recipe is for a sour and spicy pork dish served with Hokkien noodles. Hokkien noodles come from the Fujian province of China and are typically round egg noodles that are usually of medium thickness. Often packaged and sold in refrigerated packages in ethnic food shops and health food stores, Hokkien noodles are favorite options for inclusion in stir fried dishes as well as in several varieties of soups and entrees seasoned with mixtures of meats, fish, and vegetables. In Singapore particularly they are often fried and served with prawns (shrimp). 

The recipe presented here, however, is a classic Chinese one.

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles Recipe

Ingredients:

60g (2 oz) dried Chinese wood ear mushrooms
100g (3 1/2 oz) baby corn, halved lengthways
2 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp tamarind paste
4 tbsp boiling water
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp groundnut oil
1 large garlic clove, very finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (or to taste)
350g (12 oz) pork fillet, thinly sliced
4 spring onions, thickly sliced at a bias (ie diagonally)
1 green bell pepper, cored, de-seeded and sliced into strips
250g (9 oz) fresh Hokkien noodles (or any medium-thick noodles, cooked)
fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped, to garnish

Method:

Wash and pick over the wood ear mushrooms (also known as cloud ear mushrooms), place in a bowl, cover with boiling water then set aside to soak for 20 minutes. After this time, drain the mushrooms, trim off and discard the stems then slice the caps.

In the meantime, bring a large pan of lightly-salted water to a boil. Add the baby corn and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain the corn and refresh under cold, running, water to prevent any further cooking then set aside.

Combine the honey and tamarind paste in a small bowl then stir in the boiling water until smooth. Now add the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar then put the mixture aside.

Heat a wok over high heat. When hot add 1 tbsp of the oil and heat until its surface starts to shimmer. Add the garlic, ginger and red chilli flakes and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the pork pieces and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes.

Now add the remaining oil to the wok then stir in the spring onions, bell pepper, sliced mushroom caps and blanched baby corn. Pour over the tamarind mixture and toss to coat all the ingredients. Continue stir-frying for 2 minutes, or until the pork is thoroughly cooked through and the vegetables are tender but still firm to the bite.

Add the noodles and use a pair of forks to mix them with the other ingredients. Cover the wok and allow to heat through for a few minutes.

Sprinkle over the coriander (cilantro leaves). Serve straight from the wok.

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)

Accompaniments:

Perfect Steamed Rice

Egg Fried Rice

Desserts

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit

Szechuan Fried Aubergine Recipe

Continuing with today's aim of leaving this blog's visitors with a complete set of recipes for a Chinese meal by the end of the day, here's a recipe for a spicy vegetarian dish from Szechuan in China.

This is a classic dish of fried aubergines (eggplants) that can be served as a main vegetarian meal in its own right, or which can also be served as a vegetarian or vegetable accompaniment to a main meal.

I readily admit that I really like Szechuan dishes, though this is not nearly as spicy as most (but I do include tips for spicing it up further if you like at the end of the recipe.

Szechuan Fried Aubergine Recipe

Serves :4

Ingredients:

groundnut oil for frying
4 aubergines (eggplants), halved lengthways and cut diagonally into 5cm (2 in) pieces
1 tbsp chilli bean sauce
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp chicken stock
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce
3 spring onions, finely chopped

Method:

Heat your wok and when hot add the oil. When the oil is almost smoking add the aubergine pieces and stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper then set aside to keep warm.

Clean the wok, return to the heat and add 2 tbs oil. Stir in the chilli sauce and stir-fry rapidly then add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for about 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add the stock, sugar and soy sauce. Stir to combine then toss in the aubergine pieces, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.

Finally, add the spring onions, stir to combine then turn into a warmed bowl and serve.

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)

Accompaniments:

Perfect Steamed Rice

Egg Fried Rice

Desserts

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit

Perfect Steamed Rice Recipe

As I am providing all the necessary recipes for a complete Chinese meal today, you simply cannot do that without the classic accompaniment of steamed rice. Now, steamed rice is pretty easy, but I am surprised at the number of emails I have received asking how to make it.

With that in mind, here is my recipe for getting perfect steamed rice every time. This is a combination of  two methods I was shown by Malay-Chinese and Indian friends many years ago. Since I was shown those basic recipes I have played around and produced my own synthesis, which I am publishing here for the first time.

What's good about this recipe is that it really does work each and every time. Follow the instructions below and you will have perfect, fluffy, rice to accompany any Asian or Indian meal (or any African meal for that matter).

Perfect Steamed Rice Recipe

Serves: 4

Rice is the base of much of Asian and African cookery and there are a number of ways to prepare it. However, if you have a Chinese dish or a sauce-based dish, there is not much better than a bowl of perfectly fluffy steamed rice. By following this recipe you will get rice that is perfect each and every time. And it's easy!

Ingredients:

250ml (1 cup) long-grain rice (Thai Jasmine rice is good)
375ml (1 1/2 cups) water

Method:

Rice is very starchy and if you do not remove the excess starch, you will end-up with a sticky mess. So the first step is to thoroughly wash the rice.

Place the rice in a deep bowl. Set this under your tap in the sink and fill the bowl with cold water until almost full. Now use your fingers to gently swish the rice in the bowl. The water will turn murky as the starch is leached from the grains. At this point, gently pour the water out. Repeat this process until the water is almost clear (typically you will need 4 or 5 washes).

When you reach this stage, fill the bowl up one final time. This time, leave the rice undisturbed in the bowl for 30 minutes. This allows the rice to absorb some of the water so that the rice grain swells, giving a fuller grain. At the end of the soaking stage the grain will be a milky white colour.

Drain the rice, then transfer to a heavy-based pan with a flat bottom (I typically use a cast iron casserole or Dutch oven). You must use a heavy pan for this, or your rice will burn; the pot must also have a tight-fitting lid. Now add the water to the rice (only a 1.5 times the water to the volume of rice).

Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat as low as it will go, cover the pan with a sheet of kitchen foil and a tight-fitting lid (to ensure that the steam stays inside) and cook gently for about 18 minutes (do not, under any circumstances open the lid).

After the 18 minutes is up, turn off the heat (do not take off the lid!) and allow the pot to rest for 10 minutes more. This ensures that the rice grains have time to steam evenly.

Now remove the lid and fluff the rice grains with a fork. Turn into a warmed dish and serve with your desired selection of main dishes.

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)

Accompaniments:

Perfect Steamed Rice

Egg Fried Rice

Desserts

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit

Spicy Szechuan Pork Recipe

The forecast here is for lots of snow over the next few days, so I have been stocking up the larder. For various reasons, it will be hard for me to get connected for a while, so today quite a few recipes are going to be posted. I'm hoping to get everything together so that the recipes for a complete Chinese meal will be available here. I will link together the soup, starters and main course dishes for easier navigation.

The first recipe is one of my favourites, a spicy Szechuan-style dish of pork belly.

Spicy Szechuan Pork Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

280g (10 oz) pork belly
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 tbsp chilli bean sauce
1 tbsp fermented black beans
1 tsp sweet red bean paste (optional)
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark soy sauce
pinch of ground white pepper

Method:

Also known as doubanjiang or chili bean paste, chilli bean sauce is a fiery blend of fermented soybeans, broad beans, red chillies, salt and spices. If you cannot get it, substitute a blend of sambal olek (for the heat) and a little fish sauce (for the fermented saltiness).

Rinse the fermented black beans thoroughly, drain then turn into a bowl and mash lightly before setting aside.

Bring a pan of water to a boil then add the pork slices, reduce to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes skimming the surface free of fat from time to time.

Take off the heat and set aside to cool then remove the pork from the broth and slice the meat thinly.

Pre-heat your wok and when hot add the oil. Hat the oil until almost smoking then add the pork slices and stir-fry until they begin to shrink. At this point stir in the chilli bean sauce, ensuring that it coats the pork. Now add the black beans and the red bean paste (if using).

Finally add the bell pepper and toss to combine before adding the sugar, soy sauce and white pepper. Stir fry for 2 minutes then turn into a warmed bowl and serve.

Personally I like this dish quite spicy and as a variation you can add 1 small green chilli, finely chopped and 1/4 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed.

This is only one recipe that goes into making a complete Chinese meal, you can find the other recipes on this blog using the links below:

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)

Accompaniments:

Perfect Steamed Rice

Egg Fried Rice

Desserts

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit

Wild Rice Soup Recipe

This is winter and I am still working on my book of soups. I'm currently working on the chapter of historic soups. But whilst I'm doing that I am also experimenting with some classic vegetarian soup recipes.

For this recipe I have adapted a pearl barley recipe to use wild rice instead. This yields an interesting soup that is both warming, filling and tasty. Excellent as a pick-me up for yourself and great to serve to any vegetarian friends.

Wild Rice Vegetarian Soup Recipe

Wild rice soup thickened with potatoes and served in a
soup mug

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

50g (2 oz) wild rice
420ml (1 2/3 cups) water
2 onions, chopped
1 tbsp butter or ghee
2 celery sticks, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
850ml (3 2/5 cup) water or vegetable stock
2 tsp vegetable stock cube
1 tbsp shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
6 small potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
whole milk or singe cream, to thin the soup

Method:

Combine the wild rice and water in a pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the wild rice grains have puffed up and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Fry the onions in the butter until soft and translucent (about 4 minutes) then add the water, vegetable stock cube, shoyu and the potatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue simmering for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Take the mixture off the heat and allow to cool slightly then turn into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

Turn the soup back into the pan then add the carrot and the wild rice. Mix in enough milk or single cream to thin the soup down to the required consistency.

Allow to reheat gently (do not boil) then divide between warmed soup bowls or soup mugs and serve.

For hundreds more classic soup recipes, see the Celtnet Soup Recipes page with over 1000 recipes for different soups from across the globe.

Beetroot Soup with Feta Cheese

This is a classic 'winter warmer' of a soup, hearty and filling, where the sweetness of the cooked beetroot (red beets) is balanced by a little acidity from a home-made tomato sauce and the saltiness of the Greek Feta cheese.

Beetroot Soup with Feta Cheese

Serves: 4-6

Cooked beetroot (red beets), like so many root vegetables ends-up being much sweeter in flavour than most people think. This soup is all about balancing the sweetness of the beetroot with the saltiness of the Feta cheese.

Ingredients:

For the Roasted Tomato Sauce Base:

300g (2/3 lb) tomatoes, halved
1 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

For the Soup:

4 medium beetroot (choose apple-sized ones) [about 500g (1 lb) in total]
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
500ml (2 cups) strong stock (beef for preference, but strong chicken stock or vegetable stock will do)

125g (4 oz) Greek Feta cheese
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Begin with the roasted tomato sauce: Halve the tomatoes then arrange , cut side uppermost in a roasting tin then lay a sliver of garlic on each. Drizzle the oil over the top. Season well with the salt and black pepper then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180ºC and roast for about 40 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and the skins are slightly charred.

Remove from the oven then allow to cool and rub through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. This is best used immediately, but can be stored for a few days if poured into a clean jar and kept, closed, in the refrigerator.

For the Soup: Peel the beetroot then grate coarsely. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and sweat down gently for about 8 minutes, or until soft. Now add the beetroot along with the stock and bring the mixture to a boil.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper then reduce to a simmer and cook gently, covered for about 10 minutes, or until the beetroot is tender.

Stir in the tomato sauce at this point and allow to heat through. Take off the heat and process the soup mixture until completely smooth. Pour back into the pan, adjust the seasonings to taste then allow the soup to gently heat through (but do not boil).

Divide between warmed soup bowls and crumble over the Feta cheese. Serve immediately, accompanied by generous chunks of crusty bread.

For hundreds more classic soup recipes, see the Celtnet Soup Recipes page with over 1000 recipes for different soups from across the globe.

Francatelli's Recipe for Roast Haunch of Venison

I have recently been working on the great Victorian chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's book, the Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's and Butler's Assistant. In celebration of this fact, and that the book has now been published, here is a brief biography of Francatelli and one of his classic Venison recipes.

If this has piqued your interest in the man and in his cookbook, then you can purchase the book via Amazon using the image link at the bottom of this page.

Charles Elmé Francatelli, circa 1860

Charles Elmé Francatelli was born in London in 1835. Of Italian extraction, Francatelli was educated in France, where he learnt the art of cookery from masters such as Carème.

On his return to Britain he worked as a chef in a number of great houses in both England and Scotland, but by 1839 he was the chef at Cockford’s club in London. It is said that he was spotted there by a steward of Queen Victoria’s royal household and in 1841 he was appointed maitre d’hotel and ‘chief cook in ordinary’ to Queen Victoria at Windsor. Though his tenure in the post was only one year, this was undoubtedly the highlight of Francatelli’s career.

He was next appointed as the chef of the Coventry House Club, 106 Piccadilly, in London and this period saw the maturing of his culinary style, where he developed an Anglo-French style of cookery, where he became an interpreter of French cookery and techniques to the English, and provided the country (and by extension the English-speaking world) a new set of polished culinary terms to take the place of the traditional, rather homely, nomenclature of the kitchen. Hence referring to ‘liaisons’, ‘bain-maries’ etc became commonplace.

During his career, Francatelli wrote a number of cookery books, and it is these along with his standing as a chef that earn him the title of the first Celebrity Chef. Despite this, frugality in the kitchen was a watchword of his and he produced a cookbook for the common man to make the most of what was available to them. As such, Francatelli is just as relevant to the cooks of today as he was to cooks of 150 years ago.

From his recipes and his notes, it is apparent that Francatelli much appreciated Scottish produce and he was a fan of game. As a result, I am giving here my interpretation of Francatelli's recipe for a roast haunch of venison, complete with Francatelli's original recipe.

Roast Haunch of Venison Recipe

Original Recipe

Red deer and rolled haunch of venison.

Saw off the shank-bone, remove the sinew, pare away the dark dry skin from the skirt, and also the dried surface of the under part. Then cover the haunch with a large sheet of well-greased paper, and over that place a covering of flour-and-water paste, about half an inch in thickness ; envelop the whole with two large sheets of greased paper securely tied on with string ; place the venison in a cradle-spit, and set it down before the fire, to roast for about four hours, more or less, the exact space of time depending upon the size and weight of the haunch. When about to take it up from the fire, the paste and paper should be removed; sprinkle a little salt over it, and after dredging the surface with flour, baste it with dissolved butter poured through a straining spoon, and froth it by means of the red-hot salamander. Dish up with brown gravy, and serve currant jelly, and French beans, separately.

Note.—The following sauce is appropriate for roast venison, or roast mutton: viz.,—to one pound of currant jelly add a gill of port wine, the thin rind of a lemon, and a small stick of cinnamon bruised ; stir the whole over the fire until dissolved, without boiling strain through a coarse tin strainer, and serve in a sauce-boat.

Modern Redaction:

Ingredients:

1 haunch of venison

salt

plain flour

melted butter

flour and water paste

For the Sauce

200g (1 cup) redcurrant jelly

70ml (5 tbsp) port wine

2 tbsp finely-grated lemon zest

1 small cinnamon stick, bruised

Method:

Trim the haunch neatly and take off any skirt. Wrap the haunch in a sheet of greased baking parchment then cover with a 1cm thick layer of thick flour and water paste.

Cover with a double layer of baking parchment and tie securely. Sit in a roasting tin and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 220ºC (410ºF). Roast for 30 minutes then reduce the oven temperature and continue roasting for 30 minutes per kg for medium. 

At this point remove from the oven and take off the papers and flour paste covering. Arrange the joint back in the roasting tin, sitting it skin side up. Season with flour then dust the surface with a little flour. Drizzle on some melted butter then return to the oven (increase the temperature to 200ºC (400ºF) and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.

Remove from the oven and cover with foil then set aside to rest for 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Combine the redcurrant jelly, port, lemon zest and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the jelly has dissolved. Pass through a coarse strainer and serve to accompany the meat.

For more of Francatelli's recipes on this blog, see the Recipes from Various Historic Periods page. For more information about Francatelli and for modern redactions of hundreds of his recipes see the Celtnet Charles Elmé Francatelli information page.

UPDATE! The complete text of Francatelli's Cook's Guide has been edited and published!

This recipe and over 1000 other recipes published in Francatelli's 1661 'The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's and Butler's Assistant' has been published in eBook format. The complete text and all images from Francatelli's book has been re-edited and made available with an introduction and new biography. You also get essential Victorian recipes for basic pastries and store sauces that are needed to re-create Francatelli's recipes but which Francatelli himself did not publish.

In addition over 100 of Francatelli's recipes, including all the Reform Club recipes have been redacted and published as a separate chapter so that a modern cook can copy them. Using these recipes and the additional Victorian recipes provided you can re-create all of Francatelli's dishes from scratch.

So why not re-create a Victorian dinner party, or a Victorian Christmas meal as described by Francatelli himself in his Bills of Fare? Learn why Francatelli is one of the most well respected of the Victorian cookery writers and get a copy of his book for yourself today.

Chicken Steamboat Soup Recipe

This dish is named after the traditional utensil in which it is cooked. In Asian (particularly Chinese and Thai) restaurants this is often brought to the table so that guests can cook their own vegetables in the base broth (see the image below). In essence, it's a cooking pot with a funnel in which a burner sits. You can think of a steamboat as a fondue pot with a central funnel and a surrounding moat in which the food is cooked. Electric steamboats are available today and a traditional fondue pot will work for this recipe as well.

Chicken Steamboat Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

6 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in enough warm water to cover
1.5l (6 cups) chicken stock
2 tsp rice wine or dry sherry
225g (1/2 lb) lean pork, thinly sliced
225g (1/2 lb) rump steak, thinly sliced
1 chicken breast, skinned and sliced thickly
2 chicken livers, trimmed and sliced
225g (1/2 lb) raw, peeled, prawns (shrimp)
500g (1 lb) fish balls (make your own, or buy from Asian supermarkets)
115g (4 oz) fried tofu, each piece halved
a mix of baby bok choi, Chinese leaves, spinach and watercress cut into 15cm lengths
225g (1/2 lb) Chinese rice vermicelli noodles
8 eggs
1/2 bunch spring onions, chopped
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
a mix of sauces for dipping (should include soy sauce with sesame seeds, soy sauce with crushed ginger, chilli sauce, plum sauce and hot mustard)

Method:

Drain the mushrooms (strain and retain the soaking liquid). Cut off the stems and discard then slice the caps. Pour the stock into a large pan along with the rice wine (or sherry), sesame oil and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Bring this mixture to a boil then season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Reduce to a gentle simmer and set aside to keep warm.

Arrange the meat, fish, tofu, vegetables and mushroom caps in separate bowls and place on the table. Soak the vermicelli in hot water for 5 minutes then drain and divide between eight warmed soup bowls. Crack the eggs into small bowls and set one for each diner. Arrange the sauces in separate bowls.

Now add the spring onions to the stock and bring to a boil. Pour this liquid into a lighted steamboat in the centre of the table. Each guest should lower a few chosen morsels of food into the boiling stock, using chopsticks. After 1 or 2 minutes cooking the food item can be removed and eaten with the dipping sauces.

When all the ingredients on the table have been cooked the stock will be concentrated down and enriched with the food cooked in it (add boiling water if it's reduced too much). Now ladle the hot soup into the soup bowls over the noodles. Slide the egg into each bowl, stirring until the egg cooks in the soup base to form threads.

Eat the soup!

For hundreds more classic soup recipes, see the Celtnet Soup Recipes page with over 1000 recipes for different soups from across the globe.

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)

Accompaniments:

Perfect Steamed Rice

Egg Fried Rice

Desserts

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit

UPDATE! My Big Book of Soup recipes has just been published for Amazon Kindle!

This is the largest eBook of soup recipes ever assembled. With over 1000 soup recipes divided into all the classic soup types. If you liked this soup recipe, then this recipe and over 1200 others are available in the eBook.

In addition you get a chapter on the history of soups, with example historic recipes from the stone age right up to the 1880s. Indeed, in the historic chapter there are soup recipes from the stone age, medieval period, Tudor period, Stuart Period, Georgian period and Victorian period, over 160 authentic historic soups covering the entire history of soup making in Europe.

You also get chapters on African soups and Oriental soups, covering the soups of the entire continent of Africa as well as east and southeast Asia (Indian soups are dealt with in a chapter on Curried soups.

There are also chapters on the classic soups, like cream soups, chowders, vegetarian soups, vegetable soups, meat soups, fish and seafood soups, chicken soups, winter warmers and spring soups. In addition you get chapters on more unusual soups like fruit soups and chilled soups. The book is also dotted with recipes for wild food based soups, which are easily accessible from the index.

Every classic and traditional soup type is dealt with in this ebook! Get you copy today and help this blog and the Celtnet Recipes website keep going.

Chicken, Avocado and Chickpea Soup Recipe

Another soup recipe today. Partly because I am currently updating all my soup recipes (I have well over 1000!) in preparation for a new book. I'm also on a 'warming but health' kick for January whilst trying to use-up various bits and pieces in the freezer. This recipe that uses up some of the chipotle chillies I'd stored and a couple of chicken breasts looked ideal so I made it yesterday. Below is the recipe and the finished soup:

Chicken, Avocado and Chickpea Soup Recipe

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1.5l (6 1/2 cups) chicken stock
1/2 chipotle chilli, seeds removed
2 chicken breast fillets, skins removed
1 medium avocado
4 spring onions, finely sliced at a bias (ie diagonally)
400g (14 oz) tin of chickpeas, drained
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Combine the stock and chilli in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil then add the chicken breasts. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

After this time, remove the pan from the heat and take out the chicken breasts using a slotted spoon. Set aside to cool until the meat can be handled then shred finely using two forks.

Turn the chicken stock and chilli mixture into a blender and process until smooth then return to the pan.

Halve the avocado, remove the skin and the stone (pit) then slice the flesh into 2cm (3/4 in) pieces. Add this to the puréed stock along with the spring onions and chickpeas. Now return the shredded chicken to the pan and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Heat through gently. When the soup is hot (but not boiling) ladle into warmed bowls and serve with crusty bread.

For hundreds more classic soup recipes, see the Celtnet Soup Recipes page with over 1000 recipes for different soups from across the globe.

UPDATE! My Big Book of Soup recipes has just been published for Amazon Kindle!

This is the largest eBook of soup recipes ever assembled. With over 1000 soup recipes divided into all the classic soup types. If you liked this soup recipe, then this exact recipe, as well as over 1200 other classic and historic recipes from around the globe are available in my eBook.

In addition you get a chapter on the history of soups, with example historic recipes from the stone age right up to the 1880s. Indeed, in the historic chapter there are soup recipes from the stone age, medieval period, Tudor period, Stuart Period, Georgian period and Victorian period, over 160 authentic historic soups covering the entire history of soup making in Europe.

You also get chapters on African soups and Oriental soups, covering the soups of the entire continent of Africa as well as east and southeast Asia (Indian soups are dealt with in a chapter on Curried soups.

There are also chapters on the classic soups, like cream soups, chowders, vegetarian soups, vegetable soups, meat soups, fish and seafood soups, chicken soups, winter warmers and spring soups. In addition you get chapters on more unusual soups like fruit soups and chilled soups. The book is also dotted with recipes for wild food based soups, which are easily accessible from the index.

Every classic and traditional soup type is dealt with in this ebook! Get you copy today and help this blog and the Celtnet Recipes website keep going.

Wonton Soup Recipe

Happy New Year to all. After the Christmas revelries, it's time for something just a little lighter, so I have a truly classic Chinese soup, Wonton Soup for you all today. Here I am presenting the classic original version, with minced pork and prawns (shrimp) as the filling. But I have been experimenting over Christmas and I also have a turkey and wild sorrel twist that I will add here later today.

But first the classic recipe, a light and warming soup that's still substantial enough for lunchtime fare.

Classic Wonton Soup Recipe

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

30 squares of wonton wrappers
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tbsp spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped (for garnish)

For the Wonton Filling:
175g (6 oz) minced pork (do not choose mince that is too lean)
225g (8 oz) raw prawns (shrimp)
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 tbsp spring onions, finely chopped
pinch of sugar
pinch of freshly-ground white pepper
dash of sesame oil

For the Soup Base:
2l (8 cups) chicken stock
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground white pepper

Method:

Begin by mixing together all the filling ingredients, stirring with a fork until the texture is thick and paste-like. Cover and set aside for at least 20 minutes.

When the filling has rested prepare your wontons (if you would like to have a go at making your own wrappers, see the Wonton Wrapper Dough recipe). Take teaspoonfuls of the filling mix and sit this in the centre of the wrappers. Brush the wrapper edges with a little egg white. Bring the opposite points towards each other and press the ends together, so that you end up with a flower-like shape. Repeat this process until all the wrappers and the fillings have been used up.

For the soup, pour the stock into a large pan and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then add the wontons to the stock. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, or until the wrapper dough begins to wrinkle about the filling.

Divide the spring onions between 6 soup bowls. Spoon in the wontons and the soup broth then top with the coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

For hundreds more classic soup recipes, see the Celtnet Soup Recipes page with over 1000 recipes for different soups from across the globe.

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)

Accompaniments:

Perfect Steamed Rice

Egg Fried Rice

Desserts

Rice Pudding with Dried Fruit

UPDATE! My Big Book of Soup recipes has just been published for Amazon Kindle!

This is the largest eBook of soup recipes ever assembled. With over 1000 soup recipes divided into all the classic soup types. If you liked this soup recipe, then it, along with over 1200 other recipes are available in the eBook.

In addition you get a chapter on the history of soups, with example historic recipes from the stone age right up to the 1880s. Indeed, in the historic chapter there are soup recipes from the stone age, medieval period, Tudor period, Stuart Period, Georgian period and Victorian period, over 160 authentic historic soups covering the entire history of soup making in Europe.

You also get chapters on African soups and Oriental soups, covering the soups of the entire continent of Africa as well as east and southeast Asia (Indian soups are dealt with in a chapter on Curried soups.

There are also chapters on the classic soups, like cream soups, chowders, vegetarian soups, vegetable soups, meat soups, fish and seafood soups, chicken soups, winter warmers and spring soups. In addition you get chapters on more unusual soups like fruit soups and chilled soups. The book is also dotted with recipes for wild food based soups, which are easily accessible from the index.

Every classic and traditional soup type is dealt with in this ebook! Get you copy today and help this blog and the Celtnet Recipes website keep going.