Cantonese fish tofu puffs in milky fish soup

Soak 8 grams of dried scallops in hot boiled water and keep the soaking liquid.

Thinly slice 325 grams of tilapia fillet into fine sheets so any pin bones break up.

Chop with a pair of cleavers about fifteen minutes to a smooth uniform paste.

Mince the reconstituted scallops, combine and chop together another minute or two.

Work the paste with the back of a knife in the same motion for another two minutes to add spring.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add 8 grams of salt and stir it in.

Mix 100 grams of potato starch with an equal amount of the scallop soaking liquid into a slurry and add it bit by bit, stirring in one direction only.

Add another 50 millilitres of the soaking liquid bit by bit, then 5 grams of fish sauce.

Add 165 grams of egg whites bit by bit, stirring throughout; the whole process takes about fifteen minutes.

Right before frying, stir in one tablespoon of peanut oil for another minute.

Bring a wok of oil to 65C, which is warm oil rather than hot.

Squeeze the paste through the hand into an oiled spoon and slide each piece into the oil.

Keep the flame around medium low for 5 to 10 minutes until the skins form and pieces start to lift, then gently separate them.

With a spider or skimmer push and dip the pieces back into the oil and shuffle them so they puff and layer inside.

Keep the flame at medium to medium low for 10 to 15 minutes to a nice golden brown, then drain on a paper towel lined plate; they deflate and wrinkle.

For the soup, heat a generous tablespoon of lard or oil in a hot wok over medium-high and add the leftover fish bones, belly and head.

Once a touch of fond forms, stir and add three crushed cloves of garlic, fry fifteen seconds, then add three quarters of a litre of hot boiled water.

Cover and bubble 30 minutes, then strain, topping up with scallop soaking liquid if it is low.

Bring the strained soup to a quick boil in a small pot.

Add the wood ear and cook about a minute, then the carrot a minute, then the luffa gourd a minute, then the fish tofu.

Season, boil a final 30 seconds and serve.