Could the key to collagen be in our cooking? Instagram chef and bestselling author Justin Tsang thinks so — and shares three delicious recipes you can make at home.
From Kim Kardashian’s ‘collagen-infused’ face wrap to influencers stirring enormous scoops of supplements into oversized water bottles, collagen has become one of beauty’s buzziest words.
Yet beyond its relentless marketing, collagen is also of the body’s most abundant proteins (it’s what keeps our skin, joints and muscles strong). As we age, levels naturally dip, and it shows: fine lines, wrinkles and loss of elasticity are among the first signs.
No surprise, then, that the market for creams and supplements has boomed, fuelled by social media’s appetite for the latest quick fixes. But the quickest way to boost collagen may be far less complicated — through your diet, with protein-rich and nutrient-packed meals.
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How can we boost collagen naturally?
Collagen doesn’t only come in bottles and sachets, of course. It’s also found in everyday ingredients like meat and fish, while vegetarians and vegans can turn to foods rich in vitamins that support collagen production, such as berries, citrus fruits, bell peppers and garlic. In many food cultures, such as across Asia, it’s simply woven into daily cooking — simmered into broths, soups and slow-cooked dishes that nourish as much as they comfort.
That’s not to say it’s absent from British diets, but as London-based, East Asian specialist chef and author, Justin Tsang (@justin_the_dustbin), explains, the difference is in how you use them.
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“Pretty much all East Asian food is high in collagen because they use whole foods,” says Justin, whose bestselling cookbook Long Day? Cook This reimagines staple East Asian homestyle dishes with a quick, and affectionately British, twist. “In the UK, when you eat fish, most people fillet it and take the skin off, so they’re missing the best bit.”
Collagen, he points out, isn’t in the meat itself so much as the bones, skin and connective tissue. “Chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish — the collagen comes from everything but the meat.”
Slow cooking these parts breaks down the collagen and releases it into the liquid. The result is a wholesome dish with a silky consistency, the sort of meal someone makes when you’re sick, as restorative in feel as it is deep in flavour.
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Read more: Great British Bake Off star reveals her favourite simple recipes for autumn
Recipes to boost your collagen
“Most genuinely collagen-rich dishes aren’t quick or easy; many take 24 to 48 hours of slow cooking,” Justin says. “But the flavour and benefits are worth it.”
Here, he shares three of his favourite recipes that make boosting collagen both delicious and beneficial.
Cantonese Pork Rib Watercress Soup
A dish that, for Justin, comes with the warmth of home — his mum’s recipe. It’s one of those soups that feels equal parts supper and tonic, plus, it doesn’t take days to deliver.
Serves 2
Cooking time 2 hours
Ingredients:
600g pork ribs
160g watercress
2-3 dried scallops, soaked in warm water
2 dried abalones, soaked overnight (optional)
1 piece dried tangerine peel
3 jujube red dates
1 tbsp goji berries
1.5 litres water
Salt, to taste
Optional dip:
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 green chillies, finely chopped
Thumb sized piece of ginger, julienned
1/2 tsp sugar
Pinch of MSG and white pepper
Method:
1. Bring water to the boil in a large pot or pressure cooker. Add the pork ribs and boil. Skim off the impurities.
2. Add soaked scallops, abalone, tangerine peel, red dates, salt and watercress. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
3. Cover and let it cook for 1.5 hours in a pot or 30/45minutes in a pressure cooker, until the ribs are tender and the broth is flavourful.
4. Add the goji berries during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Taste and add more salt if needed.
5. To make the dip for the pork ribs, add finely chopped green chillies, ginger, sugar, MSG and white pepper onto a bowl with the light soy sauce and mix well.
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Read more: Eat these collagen-rich foods for glowing skin and stronger joints
Garlic Hainanese Chicken Rice
A (slightly) quicker option, perfect for weeknights. It’s not strictly one-pot, but the flavour — and collagen from the chicken skin and bones — makes it worth the effort.
Serves 2
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1L cold water
30g fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp ground turmeric
4 chicken Legs
10 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 chilli, sliced
1 tsp white sugar
1½ tsp MSG
1 tsp oyster sauce
400g jasmine rice
1 spring onion, minced
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
50g fresh coriander
Method:
1. Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil. Add the ginger, 2 tsp salt, turmeric and the chicken legs.
2. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken and plunge into a bowl of ice-cold water. Reserve 100ml of the cooking liquid and set aside.
4. Split the garlic into two equal portions. Place one portion into a bowl of cold water, stir, then drain. Keep the other portion for the rice.
5. Make the garlic oil: put 5 tbsp vegetable oil into a small saucepan. Add the rinsed garlic, shallot and chilli to the cold oil.
6. Heat to medium-high and fry for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic and shallots are golden brown. Turn off the heat.
7. Stir in ½ tsp salt, sugar (to taste), 1 tsp MSG and oyster sauce (to taste). Transfer the garlic oil to a bowl.
8. Cook the rice: heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high for 1 minute. Add the remaining garlic and fry until fragrant.
9. Add the washed rice and toast for 1 minute. Ladle chicken broth from the pot into the rice until it covers the rice by 2-3cm.
10. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to the lowest setting and cook for 18 minutes. Turn the heat off.
11. Prepare the spring onion ginger oil: place the spring onion and remaining ginger in a bowl with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp MSG.
12. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan on high for about 2 minutes until just shy of smoking. Carefully pour the hot oil over the spring onion and ginger mixture.
13. Mix light soy sauce and sesame oil into the reserved 100 ml cooking liquid.
14. To assemble: cover a large serving platter with cucumber slices. Debone the chicken and slice into 2cm pieces, skin-side up. Arrange the chicken on the cucumber.
15. Pour the reserved cooking liquid over the chicken. Generously spoon the garlic oil over the chicken. Drizzle the spring onion ginger oil over the top or serve it alongside.
16. Serve with the cooked rice.
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Grilled Sardines in Yellow Curry
Ideal if you’re short on time or seriously hangry, this is the quickest recipe. The catch is it doesn’t use slow cooking, so it has less collagen, but it’s still delicious and perfect for when you’re in a rush.
Serves 1
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
150g sardines, cleaned
1 tbsp store-bought yellow curry paste (substitute red or green)
Handful of Thai basil leaves
1/2 shallot, minced
Knob of ginger, grated
250ml coconut milk
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp white sugar
To garnish:
Handful of chives
Wedge of lime, finely sliced
Method:
1. Sprinkle the sardines generously with salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat a grill or griddle pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Place the sardines in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Once cooked, set aside to rest while you prepare the sauce.
4. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté gently for 1-2 minutes.
5. Stir in the curry paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
6. Pour in the coconut milk, stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
7. Turn off the heat and add the Thai basil leaves, swirling gently until wilted.
8. Transfer the sauce to a serving plate. Place the sardines on top, sprinkle with chives and serve with a wedge of lime.
9. Eat with a bowl of steaming jasmine rice.
Enjoy.
Long Day? Cook This: Easy East Asian Recipes With a Twist by Justin Tsang, £20.02 available on Amazon
Feature image: Pexels
