Fish Scale Jelly Recipes

Chrysanthemum & Lemongrass Fish Scale Jelly

This one is cooked in a cooking bag. You pack the rinsed fish scales into the bag, tie it tight, and drop the whole bag into the pot — when it is done you just lift the bag out, with no straining at all. It is the cleanest, least fussy way to do it. Chrysanthemum and lemongrass simmer together with a little rock sugar, and the result is light and lightly floral, exactly what you want in hot weather. Eat it chilled as jelly, or warm it up and drink it as a collagen drink.

Lemongrass & Lychee Fish Scale Jelly

Bruised lemongrass simmered into the strained collagen gives a bright, fresh Southeast Asian aroma. Make it plain, or drop lychee into the jars at bottling — pick either add-in, or use both. The method is the same.

Red Date & Longan Fish Scale Jelly

The fish scales are simmered with pandan and a couple of slices of ginger until the collagen is out and clean, and only then — once the broth is strained — do the red dates, dried longan and goji go in with the rock sugar for ten minutes. Cooked this way the broth stays a clear amber and the fruit sits whole in the set jelly. This is the version the older generation asks for, and it looks the part on the table at Chinese New Year.

Winter Melon Sugar & Rose Fish Scale Jelly

This one leads with winter melon sugar. Its sweetness is round and cane-like rather than sharp, which suits fish scale jelly well. Simmer it with red dates once the collagen has been strained, then add the dried rose petals and goji only in the last few minutes — rose aroma is volatile and long cooking drives it off.

Butterfly Pea & Longan Fish Scale Jelly

Dried butterfly pea flowers go straight into the pot and, together with the pandan, give this one the most striking colour in the range — blue shot through with green, and lovely held up to the light once bottled. Honey rock sugar is the only sweetener, and a tin of longan in syrup goes in at the end so the fruit settles at the bottom of the jar.

Sea Coconut & Snow Pear Fish Scale Jelly

This is the least fussy one in the range: the dried sea coconut, snow pear and monk fruit all go into the pot with the fish scales, and once it is cooked you strain it and bottle it — nothing gets added along the way. Monk fruit brings its own lingering sweetness, so most people never add sugar at all. It sets a clear pale gold and tastes light and clean, which is what you want in dry weather.

Ginger & Red Date Fish Scale Jelly

Sliced and bruised old ginger simmers with the fish scales — it takes the fishiness out and carries a warm ginger note into the collagen. After straining you add red dates, dried longan and brown sugar and boil for ten minutes to finish the sweetness. It sets a deep amber, sweet with a warm gingery edge, and it is the most comforting one when the weather turns cool. The dates and longan sit whole in the jelly; scatter a few goji berries on top as you bottle it.

Roselle Fish Scale Jelly

The fish scales are first simmered with pandan into a clean collagen broth; only after straining do the dried roselle and rock sugar go in for another ten minutes — the broth turns a translucent jewel red, sweet and tart and wonderfully refreshing. Served chilled on a hot day, even the kids fight over it.