Ng Siong Mui wrote in The Chinese Pregnancy and Confinement Cookbook, “My confinement nanny cooked this soup for me when I complained to her that I did not have enough milk to feed my elder daughter. The very next day, my breasts opened up like a tap overflowing with milk. According to Chinese records, the sap from the papaya and protein from the fish enrich the mlk glands. Thus, drinking this soup occassionally during the breastfeeding period will fill up your natural milk reservoirs!”

Fish Tail and Papaya Soup

1 white fish tail approximately 1kg or 2.2lbs

100g (3.5 oz) of raw peanuts

1 half-ripe papaya, approx. 1kg (2.2lbs)

1 piece of tangerine peel

2 slices of old ginger

1.5 litres (9 cups) water

2 tbs oil

Optional seasoning

1tsp of salt

1tsp of light soya sauce

1. Soak peanuts in water over night. Drain before use.

2. Skin and halve papaya. Remove seeds, rinse and cut into big wedges. Rinse tangerine peel.

3. Clean and scale fish tail. Rinse, drain and pat dry thoroughly.

4. Heat 2 tbs of oil in a wok. When oil is smoking, adthe ginger and fry till fragrant. Now include the fish tail and fry both sides till light golden brown.

5. Bring 1.5 litres (9 cups) water to a boil. Include all the ingredients, cover pot and leave to boil for 15 minutes over high flame. Lower flame and simmer for 2.5 hours. Taste and add seasoning if preferred.

6. Serve soup and cooked ingredients separately. Complement cooked ingredients with a little soya sauce.

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June 19th, 2007 | Permalink