Fermented Fish Noodle Soup| Bún Mắm Cá Lóc

Name: Fermented Fish Noodle Soup| Bún Mắm Cá Lóc
Total time: 4500 s
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Each Snakehead Fish - Cá Lóc (cleaned & steak cut); 1/2 shallot (minced); 1/2 Tbs sugar; 1/4 tsp Msg; 1 tsp chicken bouillon; 1 Tbs fish sauce; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 1 Tbs neutral cooking oil; 2 pkg Bột Mắm Nấu Lẩu; 6 lemongrass stalks (3 minced); 2 Thai chili (minced); 6 cloves garlic (minced); 1/2 shallot (minced); 2 liter coconut water/juice; 2 can chicken/vegetable soup; 2 liter water; 2 oz rock sugar; 2 Tbs fish sauce; 1/2 tsp Msg; Good Fish cake; XL Vermicelli Noodles; Bitter Greens (Rau Đắng); Banana flower shreds; Various Vietnamese mints/herbs; Bean sprouts; Chives; Lime; Chili garlic paste

Quoc Nguyen | Chef Q @chefqstr

Katy, Texas USA

This is similar to Bún Mắm Nước Lèo, which uses a couple different types of fermented fishes to make the broth, as well as a variety of different toppings (roasted pork, stuffed peppers fish cakes, squid, ect.). This is shortened and made a bit more simple with less toppings. The broth is almost identical, using (air) fried snake head fish (cá lóc) as the main topping and local pre fried fish cake for quick light work. The bitter veggies and mix varieties of herbs and chives is what I love eating this soup the most. The funky salted savory sweet soup broth balances with the bitterness fresh veggies, along with the spicy chili and a squeeze of lime, just makes this bowl of noodle soup overwhelmingly flavorful. With sweet, savory, salty, bitterness, crunchy, fresh, funky, spicy, citrusy… just so much going on!

Quoc Nguyen | Chef Q @chefqstr

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Ingredients

1 hr 15 mins

6 people

Fish Marinade
1Each Snakehead Fish - Cá Lóc (cleaned & steak cut)
1/2shallot (minced)
1/2 Tbssugar
1/4 tspMsg
1 tspchicken bouillon
1 Tbsfish sauce
1 tspground black pepper
1/4 tspturmeric powder
1 Tbsneutral cooking oil
Soup Broth
2 pkgBột Mắm Nấu Lẩu
6lemongrass stalks (3 minced)
2Thai chili (minced)
6 clovesgarlic (minced)
1/2shallot (minced)
2 litercoconut water/juice
2 canchicken/vegetable soup
2 literwater
2 ozrock sugar
2 Tbsfish sauce
1/2 tspMsg
Other Condiments
Good Fish cake
XL Vermicelli Noodles
Bitter Greens (Rau Đắng)
Banana flower shreds
Various Vietnamese mints/herbs
Bean sprouts
Chives
Lime
Chili garlic paste

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Steps

1 hr 15 mins

1

Clean your fish: use salt and vinegar to sanitize and clean your fish. Rinse and damp dry before marinating
2

Marinate your fish with the ingredients listed in the “Fish Marinade” section. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Pan fry or air-fry at 390F for 20 minutes. Flip mid way to cook evenly. (Don’t cook the fish head, will use for soup stock)
3

In a food processor, Mince 3 lemongrass stalks, garlic, Thai chili, and shallot. In a large pot with some cooking oil, sauté the lemongrass mixture. Add in the rest of the lemongrass stalk (smashed and bundled). Bring out the aroma before adding in the fish head to sauté.
4

Add coconut water, chicken/vegetable stock, & water. Bring to boil before adding in the “Bột Mắm Nấu Lẩu” packages, rock sugar, msg, and fish sauce. Remove any foam or bubbles that floats to top. Adjust to your taste.
5

Add in chopped eggplant. Simmer on low till eggplant is fully cooked, soften, and turned color.
6

Add your topping to noodle bowl. Enjoy noodle bowl with bitter greens and other herbs and mints.