Sliced Marble Goby In Hot And Sour Soup Recipe

If using dried shiitake and black fungus, soak the shiitake in warm water for 20–30 minutes until soft; reserve 1/2 cup soaking liquid, slice caps thinly and slice the rehydrated black fungus into thin strips. Thinly slice the marble goby fillets across the grain into 3–4 mm (about 1/8–1/6 in) slices; pat dry.

In a bowl, combine the fish slices with egg white, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Toss gently to coat and let rest for 10 minutes in the refrigerator while you prepare the other components.

Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 4 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Lightly beat 1 egg and set aside.

Sauté aromatics

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat. Add julienned ginger and sauté for 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Add minced garlic and the white parts of scallions and sauté 20–30 seconds without browning.

Add the sliced shiitake and sliced black fungus to the pot and stir for 1 minute to coat with oil and aromatics.

Pour in 6 cups chicken or fish stock and, if you reserved mushroom soaking liquid, add up to 1/4 cup for extra flavor (strain to remove grit). Bring the broth to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and add 1.5 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon white pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Taste and adjust salt to approximately 3/4 teaspoon total. Let simmer gently for 5 minutes to marry flavors.

Increase heat to medium so the broth is at a gentle simmer. Working in one layer, add the coated marble goby slices to the simmering broth. Stir gently once to separate pieces. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the fish turns opaque and is cooked through (internal temperature ~60–63°C / 140–145°F for tender fish). Do not over-stir to keep slices intact.

Swirl the cornstarch slurry (re-stir so it’s smooth) then slowly drizzle it into the simmering soup while stirring gently, until the soup slightly thickens. Start with half the slurry and add more if you prefer a thicker mouthfeel — total should be about 1–2 minutes for full thickening.

Reduce heat to low. Slowly drizzle the beaten egg in a thin stream into the soup while stirring gently in one direction to form silky egg ribbons.

Turn off heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons sliced scallion greens, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (if using). Adjust seasoning with additional rice vinegar (to taste) and salt if needed. For more heat, add a few grinds of white pepper.

Ladle hot and sour marble goby soup into bowls so each serving gets a good amount of fish slices, mushrooms and black fungus. Serve immediately while hot.

Garnish with extra cilantro and scallion greens at the table. Provide additional rice vinegar and white pepper for diners to adjust tang and heat.