Dried Fish Belly Soup - Kapaw Pla *
Submitted by mitz2685
Kapaw Pla is a traditional Thai soup featuring rehydrated dried fish belly in a light chicken broth with bamboo shoots, soy sauce, and white pepper. Topped with sliced egg and fresh cilantro, it’s comforting and deeply savory.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minKapaw Pla is one of those Thai soups that doesn’t get nearly enough attention outside of Thailand. The star ingredient is dried fish belly, which transforms once soaked in hot water into something silky, gelatinous, and almost melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Simmered in a simple homemade chicken broth with light soy sauce, sweet soy, bamboo shoots, and a kick of white pepper, the fish belly absorbs every drop of that savory liquid. Shredded chicken adds substance, while sliced hard-cooked eggs and a scatter of fresh cilantro finish the bowl.
It’s clean, balanced, and satisfying in a way that heavier soups can’t quite touch.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak the dried fish belly in hot water until it’s completely soft and pliable before cutting. Under-soaked pieces will be tough and chewy in the soup.
- Build your broth from scratch by simmering the chicken breast in the water. It only takes 15 minutes and the flavor difference over store-bought stock is massive.
- White pepper is traditional here and gives a sharper, more floral heat than black pepper. Don’t substitute if you can avoid it.
- Serve immediately. The fish belly continues to absorb liquid as it sits, and the soup can go from brothy to thick if it waits too long.
Ingredients
Directions
Once the fish belly has been soaked in hot water it develops an interesting gelatinous texture which easily absorbs other flavors.
Heat the water to boiling in a large saucepan and simmer the chicken breast for about 10 to 15 minutes or until done. Reserve the chicken stock.
Place the cooked chicken breast in cold water to cool. Remove the neat from the bone and discard the skin. Shred the meat and set aside.
Drain the dried fish belly, squeeze out any excess water and cut into 1 inch pieces.
Heat the chicken stock to boiling, add the dried fish belly and all the remaining ingredients except the eggs and the cilantro. Stir in the shredded chicken and cook until hot. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with egg slices and cilantro.
Comments
