Fish Soup 51 is a Ramadhan special of Seasonal Tastes restaurant at The Westin Jakarta hotel in South Jakarta.

Unlike other fish soups, this one is a clear fish stock cooked with Asian spices.

The hotel’s executive sous chef, Denny Boy Gunawan, shared his tip that pan-searing fish would create a similar fish soup. “Fish has a very delicate texture,” he says, adding the fish would be ruined if it was cooked in the broth.

Below is The Westin Jakarta’s Fish Soup 51 recipe for those wanting to cook it at home.

Read also: Ramadhan recipe: Fairmont Jakarta's special laksa

Fish Soup 51

Ingredients:

• Cooking oil
• 3 lemongrass stalks
• 50 grams galangal      
• 30 grams garlic
• 70 grams shallot
• 5 large red chilies
• 5 large green chilies
• 5 bird's eye chilies
• 100 grams onion, cut into chunks
• 50 grams turnip, peeled and sliced
• 3 liters water
• 1 kilogram white snapper bones
• 3 bay leaves
• 15 grams coriander root
• 6 curry leaves
• 10 mint leaves
• 2 leeks (or spring onion), sliced
• 1 stick celery, sliced
• 2 button mushrooms
• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 8 tbsp sweet soy sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 500 grams white snapper fish
• Fresh tomatoes for garnish

Method:

• To create the fish stock, heat the oil in a pot, add lemongrass, galangal, garlic and shallot. Stir gently until the ingredients become soft and fragrant.  
• Add all chilies, onion and turnip. Stir well and add water.
• Add fish bones, bay leaves, coriander root, curry leaves, mint leaves, leeks and celery and stir well.
• Add mushroom to the fish stock and stir well.
• Add soy sauce and sweet soy sauce. Bring the fish stock to boil.
• Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the fish stock for around 40 minutes.
• Season white snapper fish with salt and pepper. Pan-sear fish until golden brown.
• Splash a few spoons of fish stock into the pan. Fry until it is cooked through.
• Place the fish in a bowl and pour over the soup.  
• Garnish with tomatoes.