Vietnamese Recipes - Hot and Sour Fish Soup (Canh Chua Ca)

Ingredients

• 4 sea bass fillets, about 125 g/4 oz each

• 4 tablespoons fish sauce pepper

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 small onion, halved and sliced

• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 fresh red chilies, finely chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon chili paste

• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise and seeded

• 1/2 small pineapple, cubed

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• a large handful of fresh bean sprouts

• 1 stick of celery, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1 heaped tablespoon chopped fresh mint

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Method:

1. Place the fish in a shallow dish, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fish sauce and some freshly ground black pepper. Cover and leave in the refrigerator.

2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and chilies and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, pineapple and sugar, and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 1 minute.

3. Stir in 1.2 liters/2 pints hot water, the salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons fish sauce, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer the broth, covered, for 5 minutes.

4. Add the fish, bean sprouts and celery, then immediately remove the pan from the heat. Cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes, to finish cooking the fish and allow the flavors to marry. Stir in the lime juice and mint just before serving.

Note: Round off the meal with steamed rice and charcoal-grilled pork chops.