Cantonese Three Carrot and Pork Bones 广东老火汤 - 三色萝卜煲猪骨

广东老火汤 - 三色萝卜煲猪骨

老火汤的特点，汤色清澈，材料软而不烂，汤味够但不浓稠。 老火汤又称广府汤，是一道美味可口的汉族传统名肴，属于粤菜系。即广府人传承数千年的食补养生秘方，慢火煲煮的中华老火靓汤，火候足，时间长，既取药补之效，又取入口之甘甜。

Long hour soup is one of the must have in Cantonese's dining table. If not everyday, it will be every other day. Important characteristics to define a good quality long hour soup included clarity, flavour and softness of ingredients.

We spend tremendous patient in preparing the meat, in this case, the soup bone.

These are the steps to ensure the clarity of soup.

First by rubbing some coarse salt to soup bones, we rinse and drain away excess water. Next, blanch in boiling water and complete by running the blanched soup bone with cold water to bring soup bone back to room temperature.

Princess umami in the three carrots soup, dried squid. You may use dried octopus too.

Ingredient

1. Green carrot 青萝卜 250g (peeled)

2. White carrot 白萝卜 250g (peeled)

3. Carrot 胡萝卜 100g (peeled)

4. Red date 红枣 20g (seeded)

5. Ginger 老姜 10g (cleaned)

6. Dried squid 鱿鱼干/ 墨鱼干 30g

7. Salted vegetable 大头菜 100g

8. Soup bone 猪骨 500g

9. Water 水 2500g

10. Pink salt to taste 粉色岩盐

Addition of salted vegetable 大头菜 will elevate the flavour of soup, give it a try should you have some on hand.

Preparation

1. Slice diagonally, rotate carrot during cutting.

2. Smashed the ginger.

3. Grill dried squid on direct heat source, let cool, clean before use.

4. Wash away salt on salted vegetable, soak for 10 minutes.

5. Rub the soup bone with salt, rinse. Blanch in boiling water, drain with cold water to bring soup bone back to room temperature.

Method

1. Put water into pot, bring to boil.

2. Add ingredient 1-7, bring to boil again, lower the heat to simmer for 1 hour.

3. Add soup bone, simmer for 30 minutes, filter away white foam if there is any.

4. Continue to boil at low heat for 1-1/2 hour.

5. Taste the soup prior to flavour with pink salt.

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Note

1. We may consume soup ingredients by dipping in soy sauce.

2. Recipe timing based on Kinox pot on gas stove.

It is recommended to consume some of the ingredients along with drinking the soup for better nutritional health benefits.

Q&A

1. Will it be harmful to consume carrot and white radish (white carrot) at the same time?

It does not harm.

Carrot consists of enzyme called ascorbinase that destroys the vitamin C in the white radish. The amount of ascorbinase are higher in raw carrot. Although cooking it can reduce the amount of ascorbinase in the carrot, the vitamin C will be long gone due to heat before ascorbinase.