Fish frame soup with sweet potato and coconut milk

Fish frames, often overlooked and discarded can be repurposed to make fish stock, soups or stews. Fish frames are typically inexpensive when purchased at the fishmongers, or save the frames from fish you've filleted yourself to make this fish frame soup with sweet potato and coconut milk.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

Budget Braises

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1 cm chunks
• 400 ml can coconut milk
• 4 chicken stock cubes
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
• 1-2 tbsp fish sauce, or soy sauce, to taste
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
• 4 cups cooked medium grain rice, to serve

For the fish stock

• 1 lemongrass stalk
• 1 onion
• 1 fish filleted frame and head (e.g. catfish or barramundi)

Instructions

1. To make the fish stock, bruise the lemongrass stalk with a meat mallet or the pestle from a mortar, then halve lengthways and cut into 3 pieces. Quarter the onion. Combine the lemongrass, onion and fish frame in a medium saucepan, then cover with water (around 3-4 cups). Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, then strain through a colander lined with muslin cloth over a second saucepan.
   
2. In a second large saucepan, heat the oil. Sauté the onion, celery and garlic for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir through the sweet potato, coconut milk, strained fish stock and crumbled stock cubes. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender. Season to taste with Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce and a squeeze of lime juice and adjust to your liking.
   
3. Divide cooked rice between serving bowls and ladle over the fish frame soup with sweet potato and coconut milk. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
   

Note 

• Thinly slice fish fillets, if using, and add to the simmering soup with any fish picked from head and frame.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Budget Braises

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G