Photograph of the finished Hai Phong spicy fish noodle soup

Vietnam · Bún cá cay Hải Phòng

Hai Phong spicy fish noodle soup

1 hr 20 min Hands-on time
MediumDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Grass carp Grass carp 14.1 oz
  • Photograph of Fresh rice noodles Fresh rice noodles 1.3 lb
  • Photograph of Fish balls Fish balls 7.1 oz
  • Photograph of Pork bones Pork bones 11.3 oz
  • Photograph of Sour tamarind Sour tamarind 2.1 oz
  • Photograph of Elephant ear plant Elephant ear plant 5.6 oz
  • Photograph of Banana blossom Banana blossom 4.2 oz
  • Photograph of Sate chilli and lemongrass paste Sate chilli and lemongrass paste 1.4 oz
  • Photograph of Dill Dill 1.4 oz
  • Photograph of Spring onion Spring onion 1.4 oz
  • Photograph of Oil Oil ½ cup
  • Photograph of Fish sauce Fish sauce ¼ cup
  • Photograph of Chilli Chilli 4

Method

  1. 1 Simmer pork bones along with carp heads and bones and some roasted onions for 45 minutes, skimming off the foam to keep the broth clear.
  2. 2 Marinate carp fillets with salt and pepper for 15 minutes, then fry until golden brown and crispy on both sides for about 6 minutes.
  3. 3 Mash the tamarind to extract the juice, strain out the seeds, and add it to the broth, seasoning with fish sauce to taste.
  4. 4 Add chili paste to the pot and stir well — the intense spiciness is what distinguishes spicy fish noodle soup from Hai Phong from regular fish noodle soup.
  5. 5 Peel the taro stems, rub them with salt to rinse thoroughly, then blanch them quickly for 1 minute to remove the itchiness.
  6. 6 Arrange rice noodles, fried fish, fish balls, and taro stems in a bowl, pour in hot broth, sprinkle with dill and scallions, and serve with banana blossoms.

With an appliance

  • Pressure cooker 55 min

    Replace step 1: simmer pork bones, fish heads, and grilled onions under high pressure for 15 minutes, then release pressure naturally for 12 minutes, and then strain thoroughly. Keep step 2 unchanged because the fish fillets need to be fried separately until crispy.

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