Bone broth is very healing, and fish broth is the most nutritious of them all, especially when made with fish heads. Even better is that fish bones and heads are either super cheap or free from the fish monger- I get mine free from the fish monger at the farmer's market. These were sitting in my freezer, so I had them on hand and didn't need to go out and get some.
Ginger is antibacterial and antiviral, helps fight both the cold and the flu, and in general boosts the immune system, and it tastes terrific with fish, so that was a given in my broth.
Garlic and onion are one of the most effective antiviral and antibacterial things out there, especially when raw, so I decided to add them to the individual bowls of soup, not into the cooking broth.
Coconut is also very healing for the body, is immune boosting, and is an antiviral. Perfect for a cold- so I used homemade coconut milk in my soup. Coconut milk takes less than 5 minutes of work to make and is super simple, something I didn't mind making even when under the weather. Also, it tastes great in broth, especially fish broth, and with the other ingredients I was planning on putting in. (You can use canned coconut milk if you must, but it's less healthy.)
Cinnamon, turmeric, and hot pepper all are cold fighting as well, so of course, I threw those in. And they're amazing together.
Lemon juice (use fresh if at all possible) is high in vitamin C and is antimicrobial. And makes things taste better...
So, now that you have the reason for each of these ingredients, here's the recipe:
Super Healing Curried Fish Broth Recipe- Tasty Too! Gluten Free, GAPS Legal, Dairy Free and Egg Free
Ingredients:
6 1/2 cups fish head broth (I used about 10 small fish heads to make my broth. Non oily fish is needed. I don't know which kind specifically I used- it was a mix of various white fish.)
2 cups coconut milk
2 1 inch cubes of ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic per bowl
1/2 tiny onion per bowl
Red pepper flakes
Deboned fish from the heads
Instructions:
1. Boil up your fish heads- in a crockpot overnight, in a pot for a few hours, or in a pressure cooker for one hour.
2. Strain and set aside the fish heads to cool.
3. Add the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and coconut milk to the broth and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
4. Debone the fish heads, and add some of the fish flesh to each bowl.
5. Add the lemon juice to the pot of soup (or you can add less, to each individual bowl).
6. Mince the garlic really fine, and slice the onion really thin.
7. Add the garlic and onion to the bowl, and ladle in some hot soup.
8. Sprinkle with hot pepper flakes, as many as you can tolerate.
Enjoy the health benefits and the taste!
What is your go-to recipe when you or your family members are feeling under the weather? Do you also enjoy it when you're not sick?
Ever made fish broth before? What was in it?
Does this look like a recipe you'd try?
And now I cannot get the Fish Heads song out of my head. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm sick I love miso soup or a concoction my mom made, lamb chopped up medium fine and cooked with rice and chicken broth.
Probably won't try the fish soup -- we don't have access to good fish -- but it sounds like a great idea!