Lẩu mắm, fish paste hotpot, is a popular dish in the South of Vietnam. It brings seafood and vegetables together in one pot, with a broth built on moonlight gourami fish paste (mắm cá sặc). It’s eaten with vermicelli, and it’s a good one for rainy or cold days. Time: the pork-bone broth simmers for 2 to 3 hours. Ingredients 300 g moonlight gourami fish paste (mắm cá sặc), sold at Vietnamese markets 800 g pig bone 500 g sliced half-lean, half-fat pork 500 g silver cobber fish, cleaned and cut in half 500 g fresh squid: rub salt all over, clean and cut into 4 × 5 cm pieces 300 g shrimp, cleaned, shells left on 2 eggplants, cleaned and cut into 3 cm pieces 3 bowls of okra and cowpea, cleaned and cut into 3 cm pieces 1 bowl of coconut juice 3 cloves of lemongrass, smashed 1 tbsp minced lemongrass, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 3 chilli 3 cloves of spring onion, 2 kg fresh vermicelli Olive oil, salt, sugar, fish sauce, pepper Vegetables: shaved water spinach, banana flower, water mimosa, knotgrass, bean sprouts, scallion, ½ sliced pineapple, basil, heartleaf, lettuce. How to make lẩu mắm 1. Make the pork-bone broth The broth is the most important part, so take this step by step. Clean the pig bone, put it in cold water and bring it to the boil over medium heat. When it boils, scoop off the foam on the surface with a spoon. Add a little salt, reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 to 3 hours. Strain the broth and throw the bones away. 2. Make the fish paste broth In another pot, bring 2 litres of water to the boil, then add the fish paste. Boil it over low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes. Strain this broth to get rid of the small fish bones. Add the smashed lemongrass and the coconut juice, and cook for 30 minutes more. 3. Fry the aromatics and pork Heat oil in a pan and fry the garlic, shallot and minced lemongrass until they turn golden brown and fragrant. Then add the half-lean, half-fat pork, fish sauce, sugar and pepper to the pan. 4. Combine the two broths Mix the broths from steps 1 and 2 together, bring them back to the boil and season again to suit your taste. 5. Cook the seafood and vegetables Put all the fish and shrimp into the broth. Don’t turn off the heat: keep it low so the broth stays hot the whole time. Then put all the vegetables into the broth and cook for about 2 minutes. To eat, everyone uses their own chopsticks to take each ingredient into their bowl, adds a little broth, and eats it with vermicelli, lime juice and chilli. Share:
