Canh súng cá dứa Vũng Tàu

Method

1. 1 Peel the outer layer of the water lily, cut it into 5 cm pieces, and soak it in lightly salted water for 10 minutes.
2. 2 Cut the pomfret into 3 cm thick pieces, then toss with salt and rinse to remove the slime.
3. 3 Soak tamarind in hot water, then strain to extract the sour juice.
4. 4 Sauté the shallots with the tomatoes, then pour in 900 ml of water and tamarind juice, and bring to a boil.
5. 5 Put the fish in and cook for 8 minutes, only skimming off the foam without stirring.
6. 6 Add the water lily stems exactly 40 seconds before the end; that's crucial to keep them crisp and tender.

With an appliance

• Oven 39 min

  Replace step 5: Place the fish fillet in a heat-resistant pot with a lid, cook on the middle rack of the oven at 180 degrees for 7 minutes; reduce by about 1 minute, the heat will surround the fish, cooking it evenly without needing to stir or skim off foam, and the fish fillet will hold its edges better. The water lily stems in step 6 should still be in the broth on the stove for exactly 40 seconds to retain their crispness.