Ikan Bilis Stock
Making ikan bilis (anchovies) stock is fast and easy because unlike making chicken or vegetable stock, you just have to boil it for 10 minutes; prolonged boiling will result in a bitter taste. A container of ikan bilis stock is handy to keep in the fridge for making porridge, as soup bases for dishes (such as spinach in superior stock) or noodles soup (such as mee suah soup and fish ball noodle soup).
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The choice of ikan bilis is important. If you go to an Asian dried foods store, you can ask the assistant which type is most ideal for stock making. Usually, the type used is not so salty or “fishy” compared to the others. I was recommended the “Pangkor” type and it is quite good except for the slight bitterness. If you know of better type of ikan bilis to use and where I can buy it in Singapore, please let me know via comments.
It was my friend Anemone who suggested and taught me how to make ikan bilis stock as she makes her own stock for cooking porridge. I got the idea to add red dates and ginger after reading The New Age Mum‘s recipe.
Ingredients
(makes 500ml of stock)- 100g ikan bilis (anchovies) 江鱼仔
- 1 litres of water
- 6 red dates
- 1 to 2 slices ginger (optional for neutralizing the “fishy” smell but I did not add it)Note: Adjust quantity of ikan bilis and water according to the saltiness of the ikan bilis you bought.
Directions
1. Soak ikan bilis in water for 5 minutes. Rinse several times until water runs clear.
2. In a pot, bring water to boil. Add washed ikan bilis, red dates and ginger to the pot. Boil for 10 minutes. Do not boil for too long or the broth will become bitter.
3. Using a slotted ladle, remove ikan bilis, red dates and ginger. Strain the broth through a sieve. When the broth has cooled, transfer to a storing container.
Storing
- Keep in fridge (covered) for a few days.
- If you cannot finish using the stock, store it in an air tight, freeze-safe container in the freezer. Do not re-freeze once thawed, hence store in volumes which you can use at one go (you can even store them as ice cubes).
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{ 79 comments… read them below or add one }
My mum used to make ikan billis stock for soups, etc when we were young. I guess I never followed this tradition and will take the easy, quick way out .. get some Knorr’s stock cube. Shame on me!
nothing wrong with using knorr’s cubes. I have tonnes of them in the fridge, lol ;)
I used to make ikan bilis stock with soy bean. Will follow your method next time when I’m going to make ikan bilis stock again. Thanks!
wow ikan bilis with soy beans? sounds good! I have to try out your method next time too :)
I love ikan bilis soup. It has been quite difficult to get ikan bilis here so I have not made that for a long time. I have never added dates and ginger. Will do that next time. Thanks for sharing.
Never have fish stock! :) Must give a try someday…
I switched to using the cleaned ones (ie, split and de-gutted) because my kids and I don’t like the bitter taste you mentioned. I know this cleaned up version is usually for eating and not for stock, but since we don’t consume it in copious amounts, I figured nevermind lah. ;) Adding red dates is a great idea!!
so the de-gutted are the ones used for deep frying? I have to try it!
Hi Wiffy – what is this the base for – really interested to learn! Thanks
this soup base is usually used for noodles soup and for making porridge. It’s just another soup stock so you can use it for a variety of recipes :) I hope I interpret your question correctly :)
I love anchovies, and I can’t believe the stock is so easy. Thanks Wiffy!
Hi there, nice post there :)
Hi,
I was puzzled. Soak ikan bilis in water for 5 minutes. Rinse several times until water runs clear. Will the stock be tastless since all the taste of the ikan bilis had been gone after wash it for so long. I was told by my elderly not to wash it too many times.
Please advise.
Thank you!
Regards,
Mixue
Hi Mixue,
according to this site, “Anchovies can concentrate domoic acid which causes amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans. Therefore when preparing the stock, it is always good to give the anchovies a good rinse and soak in the warm water.”
My friend who taught me this recipe also told me to rinse it well coz the anchovies may be “dirty” and “too salty”. Maybe nowadays, the food quality is not as great as before.
Nevertheless, there may also be some truth with what the elderly told you. So it’s up to you which one you believe. Or you can rinse it well but not until the water is totally clear :-)
This is an useful tips for me, thanks.
its my first time to see this…. very interesting!
Excellent! I used it to make a quick soup base too.
It would be wonderful if I could use these anchovies stock to make some congee!
Oooh! Sounds interesting–although I haven’t really used anything like it as an ingredient. Thanks for sharing!
yes this may be more familiar to those into Asian cooking. You can usually find the anchovies at an Asian grocery store instead of the usual supermarket.
Mmmm, all the wonderful things you could make with this stock! Looks great!
Add red dates is a good idea. I would have stayed with ikan bilis + soy beans to make such stock. I don’t usually do this stock though.
will try with soy beans next time. I think got to soak for a few hours. You got recipe? :p
No recipe right now leh…..
Ya true also.Most beans in raw form gotta soak for some time. Hmmmm….
ok if you do ever make it post it on your blog, I wanna steal idea hehe
I usually cook anchovies with soy beans. Adding red dates sounds great!
To avoid bitterness, I use degutted and deboned anchovies.
Do you know where to buy the “degutted and deboned anchovies”? I am really quite noob here lol. Thanks in advance :)
I like quick soup, handy to use and versatile for cooking. This is good stuff!
What a wonderful idea. I normally use fish sauce but making this anchovies stock is fresher and no preservative. Thanks for the tips.
I have never used ikan bilis stock as a base for soups – only used chicken stock – but I’ve heard it’s super tasty. Very educational post!
You know, on my Lunar Birthday every year, without fail, I get 2 red hard boiled eggs and a bowl of Mee Suah soup with minced pork balls around it. And the soup base is always anchovy base stock. I don’t know how my grandma makes it but they’re always the best. The addition of ginger and red dates sounds interesting and sounds like it would be a nice touch.
I can imagine a bowl of longevity noodles is really delicious with the anchovies soup stock. and very traditional too with the red hard boiled eggs :-)
I never made ikan bilis stock. Does it have a very strong fishy smells? I usually fried the ikan bilis and eat it with sambal terasi hehehe … :)
I don’t find it fishy hehe. Oh I love deep fried ikan bilis with sambal :up:
The quality of the anchovies matters, right? Your anchovies look much better than the stuff I can get here. I will try this tho’. Love anchovy flavours!
really? maybe because it’s an Asian ingredient, so it’s easier to get good ones in Asian countries. Hope you like the recipe :)
wow I have never heard of this but I love anchovies so it must be just so yummy!! what great anchovies..I will try soon
sweetlife
As you said, the quality of anchovies vary so I use them less frequent, but good ones are lovely for making broth. Any chance to find dried silver fishes in Singapore? They are abundant here in H.K. Although less intense in flavors, the dried silver fishes are less fishy. Sometimes, I simply add a handful of dried shrimps with the fishes, of which the soup is nice to me.
Yes there are dried silver fish (both white and brown types) in Singapore! can find in the supermarkets or Chinese medical halls. I have not tried them in broths before though (usually deep fry them in a shallow layer of oil and used as condiments). I shall try your idea next time, thanks for sharing =)
wow, i’ve never heard of this before! very interesting method of making stock. my parents actually eat those anchovies for dinner!
I love eating them too (especially deep fried in my nasi lemak), but it’s a different species of anchovies. They are delicious!
Degutted and deboned anchovies can be found at dry grocery store. I usually buy from bencoolen street “Si Ma Lu” or wet market.
Thanks juhuacha!! grateful for your tip. Actually I wonder what degutted and deboned really meant, and I wonder how to convey it to the auntie/uncle. I will check out the market :)
So this is the secret recipe for those amazing broths and soups and sauces!!!! Oh man I remember our eating escapade in Singapore and all those culinary fireworks were exploding in my mouth! :)
I love anchovies! I bet a little bit of this stock would give my pastas and soups great flavor. And this is so easy!
It’s a great idea to add this to pasta. adds a fushion and very savoury twist!
when i buy from the market.. i will tell the auntie that i don’t want the “head and the tail” for the ikan bilis. and i think should be one of the expensive grades of anchovies.
i also boil them with yellow beans (80% soaked yellow beans, 20 % ikan) as yang tau foo soup base
Thanks for the tip Min! really appreciate it. Now I know what type of anchovies to buy next time :)
How long did u soak the yellow beans? I’d like to try it for my ytf soup next time :)
wiffy
i normally soak the beans for 1 hr then i will pinch the ‘skin’ out.. but some say must soak overnight. i realise after adding YTF stuffs.. the soup is tasty enough after boiling the beans for about 30 min
Thank you so much for sharing Min, I can’t wait to try it out after I buy the anchovies :)
what to do with the cooked ikan bilis and red dates? eat?
fry with spinach? throw?
Hi, I throw them away.
I’ve been searching for Pangkor ikan bilis for the longest time! Where did you manage to find it??
Hi, you’re from Singapore right? I found them at Fu Hua
Yep, am from Singapore! Fu Hua….are you referring to a Chinese medical hall?
yes that’s the one! :)
Thanks a lot!!!
I am very curious how the soup taste like , is it sweet or salty ?
I never add red dates before.
Hi Leh Hong, it’s more of a stock than soup… I guess it’s more salty than sweet.
Hi Wiffy,
Thanks for your reply . I am reading your blog right now. There are so much things can learn from you. Thanks for your sharing .
I’ve always used the silver fish to make the soup stock for my 2 year old son. By the most expensive variety for the best quality.
Thot it might be useful to some of you here. I don’t leave it floating on top of the water. I put it into one of those little bags meant for tea leaves and then throw it away when I’m done with it. Bags are available at Daiso, NTUC and cold storage supermarkets.
Hi Evelyn, thanks for sharing. I’ve never used silver fish for my ikan bilis stock before … will try it out next time, sounds good :)
Yes use pangkor ikan bilis for boiling soup – that’s what my mum used to tell me also. She also said it’s best to dry fry the ikan bilis for a while, before actually using them to cook cos it will reduce the mercury found in them. The next time I’ll try adding red dates and ginger also. Thanks!
Hi Wiffy,
I tried the receipe but it did not work for me. I cook the anchovies for 10 min, the broth was tasteless. I cook for another 20 min more then i tasted some saltiness from the anchovies. However there is no sweetness from the red dates at all. I cut open the red dates to try and they did taste sweet. Where did i go wrong? Was it my expectation?
BTW, I am no cook. Very amateur… that’s why i am hunting around for easy receipe :)
hi cigi, sorry to hear that. What type of anchovies did you use? Can you ask the shop to recommend you the saltier types? because anchovies are supposed to be really salty.
I bought degutted anchovies fr a nearby Malay provision shop. I passed by Hock Hwa the other day and saw orignal and degutted anchovies on sale – but did not label Pangkor anchovies. Is that the type u refering to? thinking of trying again leh… what about red dates? normal ones? there is a type called 蜜枣, not that one?
mine labelled Pangkor. Actually you can ask the Fu Hua salespeople to recommend, tell them you’re making anchovies stock. No, not 蜜枣. Just normal red dates. You can skip the red dates, it’s not supposed to make the soup really sweet because anchovies stock supposed to be a tad salty. The red dates just give a mild subtle aroma :)
Hi, great that my site can be of use to you, though I have already long never written in the blog. Any way the purpose of adding red dates is as we all know red dates improves blood circulation and has a sweet taste to it and as for ginger, it actually gets rid of the fishy smell and hences the aroma of the stock. I always add a few slices of giner to my stockbe it chicken or pork.
Soyabean is a good choice and taste delicious. at times you can also add apiece of lean pork too. :) Happy cooking :)
I love your useful and detailed write up. And thanks so much for your tips, I find them very helpful! I will add some soya beans next time I make this stock :)
i hate the freezer space that the anchovies takes so i bake them and then use the blender to turn them into ikan bilis powder. its my secret ingredient to all my soups. a giant plastic bag turns into a handy small jar.
we use the ikan bilis that has been cleaned (i.e. without the heads and entrails) as it has a lower cholesterol content but retains its calcium value.
always thought the soya beans were meant add oomph and to take away the fishy flavour.
love your idea of using red dates and ginger. i’ll give it a go. thanks
thanks so much for your sharing about the ikan bilis powder. I’m not sure if you subscribe to replied comments, but if you do, could you teach me how to make the anchovies powder? E.g. what type of anchovies to use and bake at what temperature, and for long? Thanks in advance :)
i have also always made ikan bilis powder, and kept them in fridge for later use, to make into stock or base for fish porridge, etc. However, i do not bake them first but just dry in sun for a few hours, put thru blender, store in fridge, and then dry fry over low heat for a minute or so till i can just smell it, but definitely no charing or burning – maybe a little browning (to get rid of any off flavors) before use. I think the bake method could be better, or at least easier? and will try it.
With ikan bilis in powder form, there is no waste or boiled-out ikan bilis to throw away. More importantly, if the backbone has not been removed (as happens in some of the super clean ikan bilis you find in the stores nowadays), you will get a very healthy dose of good calcium, that most of us are short of.
and yes, as previous posters have mentioned, definitely use deheaded and degutted ikan bilis – this is what causes the bitterness.
i usually just buy the cheapest kind of ikan bilis that looks ‘fresh’, and not mouldy or too moist.
Hi jsager, thank you sooo much for sharing your recipe. I’ll try it out! Your instructions are clear. And it sounds like a great seasoning powder to add to many dishes, moreover no MSG :)
btw, where did you buy your deheaded and degutted ikan bilis from? :)
yes, no MSG, but ikan bilis is high in uric acid and those susceptible to gout may want to use it less frequently – or, come to think of it, they could follow your original recipe, ie boil for 10 minutes and then throw away the boiled-out ikan bilis. My guess, as i am not a food technologist, is that this will result in minimal uric acid in the stock (and also no need to degut and dehead the ikan bilis).
i live in europe, and i can only buy whole ikan bilis from chinese grocery stores (about 10€ per kilo). i degut/dehead them myself (keeping as much of the bone/spine as possible). Yes, takes forever and not very pleasant. I have bought deheaded/degutted ikan bilis in singapore/malaysia – but it is so clean that all the bones are removed as well.
You may wish to try the japanese dashi – i have used ikan bilis (instead of the dried small sardines called for in the recipes), and seaweed (konbu). Google for dashi and you will find many recipes for making this stock or soup base.
As a noobcook, you may also want to check out egullet.com, if you have not already, great forum and many tips on cooking techniques,etc. There is an asian section, but this has not been very active recently, however previous posts are a source of very useful info, as least for me. For example, its where i found lots of discussions on dashi and motivated me to cook it myself.
best wishes
Oh dear, I never knew that I have to rinse the ikan bilis before cooking. I’m not exactly very savvy in the kitchen. Just learning how to cook now that I have kids.
And the ikan bilis powder is an excellent idea. No waste, no fuss.
I’m going to try making it this weekend.
Love your website!
Have fun and hope it’s a success ;)
I like ikan bilis stock. But I would usually fry it with little oil and 1-2 whole garlic(smashed), then add boling water. The stock turns out a little milky. But somehow it taste better than just putting ikan bilis to boil.
Been enjoying your blog! Have half a mind to try the bak kwa when I return to Australia! There’s no pork here in the middle east :(. With regards to ikan bilis choice, my mum told me once that the smaller-sized ones tend to taste alot better with soup and even fried so maybe you could try that? I’ve tried making my easy-to-make Mee Hoon Kueh with those small ones and she’s right. The soup does taste alot better than with the larger ones I use in Aust but we can’t find small ones there so beggars can’t be choosers! :)
Thanks for sharing! I’m quite happy with the Pangkok variety for soup stock and for deep fried ones, I used the de-gutted type. Will try to find smaller-sized ones to try in future. Woah, you have any Mee Hoon Kueh recipe to share? ;) Hope you like the bak kwa when you try it.