Eel Hotpot with Banana Blossom

Method

1. 1 Soak shredded banana blossoms in lemon juice for 15 minutes to prevent them from turning brown.
2. 2 Remove the slime from the eel, cut it into pieces, and marinate it with shrimp paste and shallots for 15 minutes.
3. 3 Simmer eel bones with lemongrass and tamarind juice for 20 minutes, then strain to create a clear broth.
4. 4 Season with shrimp paste and fish sauce; shrimp paste is the base flavor that distinguishes Northern Vietnamese eel hotpot from Western Vietnamese sour hotpot.
5. 5 Dip the eel in the broth for 3 minutes, then add the banana blossoms for 40 seconds before serving with rice noodles and Vietnamese coriander.

With an appliance

• Pressure cooker 55 min

  Replace step 3: simmer eel bones with lemongrass and tamarind water under high pressure for 6 minutes, then quickly release the pressure and strain thoroughly; step 5 still involves submerging the eel for 3 minutes and banana blossoms for 40 seconds with the lid open.