Fish Soup for the MIL

When the MIL had to undergo a sudden laparoscopic appendectomy and is mobile but has little appetite, I made time to cook a pot of fish soup for her. She loves fish soup but getting to the good stalls or even me packing a tub from these stalls doesn’t quite pan out for her. I do damn good fish soup. Cooking a pot isn't difficult. So why not. #ImpieCooks2019

To be honest, the MIL hadn’t exactly tasted my version of fish soup. I just have no idea if the MIL would actually take this style of fish soup. Hahah. I rarely cook for the in-laws because they’ve got such conservative tastebuds that it doesn’t suit my cooking. They keep saying they can take sambal belachan, but their stomachs can't, and their tastebuds cannot do spicy anymore. I understand 'less salt and less oil', but their preferences for 'no lemongrass, no ginger, no Chinese wine, no sesame oil' also mess up the final taste of the intended dishes. I cannot be bothered.

The MIL doesn’t take ikan haruan. I had to improvise. Ikan toman and a few types of snapper fillets went in the soup. Used pork spare ribs as the base. Loads of ginger and garlic went in, including a few slices of Asian ginseng. Separately pan-seared ikan batang and blanched some vegetables so that there would be bites if she wanted to have it with noodles or rice. She did say it was delicious, but what else could she have said?! 😂

Made the man taste a bowl and eat a few slices of ikan batang. He claimed they were good. Okay lor. Kept one more bowl in the fridge for him. The next day, he got drenched in the morning rain while walking the dog. After he got back and had a shower, he welcomed that steaming hot bowl of fish soup (with extra pepper) for breakfast. Heh. Glad I kept that bowl although he said it wasn't necessary!