Squid Thick Soup (Youyu Geng) is one of my absolute favorite Taiwanese street foods. Whenever I see a shop I haven't tried before, I almost always stop for a bowl. However, with rising prices, eating this dish outside is getting more expensive—a small bowl often costs over 45 TWD, which feels like a lot of pressure on the wallet.
Actually, making squid thick soup at home is not difficult at all! You can cook a large pot and eat as much as you want. Let's make it together!
熬煮湯底與筍絲:取一深鍋加水至八分滿約 5 公升,將水煮開後,放入柴魚片或是 3 大匙鰹節粉熬成湯底。接著將剛剛洗好的筍絲下鍋,連同高湯一起滾煮約 15 分鐘備用。最後轉小火保溫慢滾,再把魚羹加到湯裡面。 (Boil about 5 liters of water in a deep pot. Add bonito flakes or powder to make the broth base. Add the washed bamboo shoot shreds and boil for about 15 minutes. Turn to low heat, then add the fish paste chunks into the soup.)
調味與勾芡:加入適量的鹽巴、白胡椒粉調味,並利用少許醬油調色。接著利用玉米粉勾濃芡(玉米粉兌水慢慢勾,用玉米粉勾出的羹湯比較不會反水)。 (Season with salt and white pepper, and use a little soy sauce for color. Thicken the soup with a cornstarch slurry. Cornstarch is preferred as it prevents the soup from thinning out later.)
打入碎蛋花:勾完芡之後,將一顆蛋打散,然後倒進去打成碎蛋花。這樣基本的羹湯底就完成了,把火開到最小慢慢滾。 (After thickening, beat an egg and slowly pour it in to create an egg drop effect. Keep the heat on the lowest setting.)
自製魚羹粒口感紮實滿滿筍絲與蛋花的羹湯底
汆燙魷魚:因為發泡魷魚不耐煮,所以要吃之前現燙再加到湯裡口感最好。將魷魚下鍋汆燙至稍微蜷曲,即可起鍋。 (Because rehydrated squid overcooks easily, it's best to quickly blanch it in boiling water just before serving until it slightly curls up.)
組裝盛盤:碗中裝入熱騰騰的羹湯底與現燙的魷魚,放上新鮮九層塔,淋上用香油稀釋過的沙茶醬與烏醋,即可上桌享用! (Ladle the hot soup into a bowl, add the blanched squid, top with fresh basil, and drizzle with black vinegar and shacha sauce diluted with sesame oil. Serve and enjoy!)
A bowl like this would easily cost over 45 TWD outside. By making it yourself at home, you can add as much squid as you want without worrying about the cost. The only fear is not buying enough squid to satisfy your cravings!