Boulette de Poisson (Fish Ball Soup)

Difficulty level: Easy

Here’s a very popular Sino-Mauritian dish I grew up eating a lot of, especially around Christmas time. My Mauritian grandmother used to make this regularly during the winter months and she’d always serve it as a starter on Christmas day. Also, she’d serve it with the family’s favourite hot pepper sauce, Encona, for a spicy kick.

You may think this dish looks more Chinese than Mauritian. You’d be right to think that. Fun fact: traditional Mauritian foods are heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine and boulette de poisson is one of them (even though it has a French name lol).

Similar in composition to fishcakes, fish balls are typically made from fish mince or surimi and they are either boiled or deep fried. In the UK, they are sold in most Chinese supermarkets. I buy mine from Loon Fung in Stratford, East London.

The soup itself is really quick and easy to make. It’s a simple garlic-ginger based broth with a touch of soy sauce.

Every Mauritian household will have their special way of making this dish. Mine is uses my Grandma’s simple version using store-bought fish balls and ramen noodles.

Tip! I would advise on buying “shrimp-flavoured” noodles as that usually comes with a sachet that has the flavourings needed in this recipe. If you don’t have access to these, shrimp powder, shrimp paste or ½ a fish stock cube are good alternatives.

Servings

Prep Time

15-20 minutes

Cooking/Baking Time

1 hour

Ingredients

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
4 garlic gloves, lightly crushed
1 oz. spring onion (mostly the white parts), thinly sliced plus extra for garnish
2 oz. fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 litres boiling water
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 ½ tsp. shrimp powder or shrimp paste (alternatively you have use ½ fish stock cube)
1 tsp. salt, plus extra to taste
400g fish balls
200g ramen noodles (around 2 packets)
Hot sauce, to serve (optional)

Method

In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium heat. Next add the garlic, the white parts of the spring onion and the ginger. Stir for about 3 minutes.
Slowly pour in the boiling water and then stir in the soy sauce and the shrimp powder (or the alternative you have available).
Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid then leave for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove from the heat and set aside for at least 1 hour.
Next, place a sieve over another large pot then pour the soup through the sieve. Discard what’s remaining in the sieve.
Place the soup over a medium heat and bring to a steady boil. Carefully add the fish balls, cover the pot and then leave to cook for 10-15 minutes (or according to the packet instructions). Reduce the heat to a simmer, then add the noodles, frequently moving them around so they cook evenly. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, but keep a close eye on them so they don’t overcook. I prefer mine slightly al dente.
Serve with hot sauce and garnish with spring onions. Enjoy!

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