Green papaya soup with salmon head, red dates, and snow fungus

Green papaya soup is a popular breastmilk supply booster. I cooked green papaya soup with anchovies and red dates when I was down with flu last week.

This week I cook green papaya soup with salmon head, red dates, and snow fungus. I have gotten three salmon heads for RM10 from TTDI wet market. To cook this soup with a medium green papaya, I use one-and-a-half salmon heads.

First of all, I pan-fry the salmon fish heads on both sides with some olive oil and ginger slices until the heads turn light brown. According to this recipe, pan-frying the salmon heads removes fishy smell, keeps the fish intact during long cooking, and gives that lovely white stock.

Next, bring 1.5-2 liters of water to boil. Add in the pan-fried fish heads, ginger slices, and the rest of the ingredients (snow fungus, red dates, papayas). Bring to boil over high heat for about 15 minutes. Then, let it simmer over low heat for about an hour or so.