Bún Mắm

Name: Bún Mắm
Total time: 3600 s
Yield: Serves 8 servings
Ingredients: 150 grams fermented snakehead fish (mắm cá sặc); 150 grams fermented linh fish (mắm cá linh); 2.6 pounds catfish (cá hú); 1.3 pounds pork belly; 3 eggplants; 8 1/2 cups fresh coconut water (2 liters) (or substitute with water if needed); 3 1/2 cups shredded water spinach (100 grams); 3 1/2 cups shredded banana blossom (100 grams); 5 1/3 ounces water lily stems (150 grams); 3 1/2 ounces bitter herb (100 grams); 4 tablespoons minced lemongrass; 1.1 pounds mixed fresh herbs: Thai basil, Vietnamese balm, spearmint, sawtooth herb, cilantro, Vietnamese coriander, perilla, Vietnamese balm, fish mint, etc. (500 grams); 1 tablespoon minced red chili; 4 teaspoons seasoning powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons MSG; 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 4 tablespoons fish sauce; 2.6 pounds thick rice vermicelli noodles (bún sợi to)

Huỳnh Phát @HuynhPhat69

Located in a tropical monsoon climate with abundant rainfall and fertile land crisscrossed by rivers, the southern region of Vietnam is rich in staple crops, fruit trees, and especially a wide variety of vegetables and herbs. In many Southern families, you can simply step into the garden and pick all kinds of fresh greens. Among these, the aromatic herbs—known locally as “rau thơm”—are countless, and people combine them in many dishes to create unique flavors. For this challenge, I’d like to introduce a specialty from the Southwest region: Bún Mắm. This is a dish where people in the South combine many types of herbs to create its distinctive taste. In this recipe, I use 10 types of herbs: lemongrass, Thai basil, Vietnamese balm, spearmint, Vietnamese coriander, Vietnamese mint, perilla, Vietnamese balm, sawtooth herb, cilantro, and fish mint. There are also: bitter herb, water lily stem, shredded banana blossom, shredded water spinach, and chili—making a total of 15 Southern herbs and vegetables featured in this dish.

Huỳnh Phát @HuynhPhat69

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Ingredients

60 minutes

Serves 8 servings

150 gramsfermented snakehead fish (mắm cá sặc)
150 gramsfermented linh fish (mắm cá linh)
2.6 poundscatfish (cá hú)
1.3 poundspork belly
3eggplants
8 1/2 cupsfresh coconut water (2 liters) (or substitute with water if needed)
3 1/2 cupsshredded water spinach (100 grams)
3 1/2 cupsshredded banana blossom (100 grams)
5 1/3 ounceswater lily stems (150 grams)
3 1/2 ouncesbitter herb (100 grams)
4 tablespoonsminced lemongrass
1.1 poundsmixed fresh herbs: Thai basil, Vietnamese balm, spearmint, sawtooth herb, cilantro, Vietnamese coriander, perilla, Vietnamese balm, fish mint, etc. (500 grams)
1 tablespoonminced red chili
4 teaspoonsseasoning powder
1 1/2 teaspoonsMSG
1 1/2 tablespoonssugar
1 teaspoonblack pepper
4 tablespoonsfish sauce
2.6 poundsthick rice vermicelli noodles (bún sợi to)

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Steps

60 minutes

1

Prepare the main ingredients. Wash all the herbs thoroughly. Shred the banana blossom and water spinach. Soak the water lily stems in water. Clean the catfish, cut into slices, and split the head in half. Slice the pork belly thinly into bite-sized pieces.
2

Marinate the pork with: 4 tablespoons minced lemongrass, 1 tablespoon minced red chili, 3 teaspoons seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 tablespoons fish sauce. Mix well and let the pork absorb the flavors for 10 minutes. Then, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pan. When hot, add the pork and stir-fry until cooked and firm. Remove from heat and set aside.
3

Bring about 4 cups (1 liter) of water to a boil in a pot. Add all the fermented snakehead and linh fish. Cook for 5 minutes. When the fish has dissolved into the water, strain through a fine mesh sieve. Add another 2 cups (1/2 liter) of water to the remaining bones, cook again, then strain to extract more broth. Pour all the strained fish broth into a large pot, add the coconut water, and the stir-fried pork.
4

When the broth comes to a boil, add the catfish head first. Next, add all the sliced eggplant. Season the broth with 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon MSG, 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, and 2 tablespoons fish sauce.
5

Then, add the catfish slices. When the fish is cooked, remove the slices to prevent them from breaking apart. Continue cooking until the eggplant is just tender. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Lower the heat and return the fish slices to the pot to keep them warm.
6

When ready to serve, prepare a bowl for each person. Place shredded banana blossom and water spinach at the bottom. Blanch the thick rice vermicelli noodles in hot water, then add on top. Add toppings: a few slices of pork belly, a piece of fish, and some eggplant.
7

Ladle the hot broth into each bowl, then serve with a large platter of fresh herbs: Thai basil, spearmint, Vietnamese balm, fish mint, perilla, Vietnamese coriander, sawtooth herb, cilantro, bitter herb, water lily stems, shredded banana blossom, and shredded water spinach. Also prepare a small dish of pure fish sauce with plenty of chopped hot chili for those who like extra heat.