On hot summer days, there’s nothing better than enjoying a sour and spicy soup that excites the taste buds. Let’s get into the kitchen and try making 2 simple ways to cook Australian sour fish soup to cool down for the whole family!
1. Australian sour fish soup with young tamarind leaves
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Australian sour fish soup with young tamarind leaves Serves 4
Australian fish 3 fish (about 1kg) Young tamarind leaves 20 branches (1 handful) Banana flower 1 piece (about 300gr) Tomato 2 fruits Pineapple 1/4 fruit (ripe) So dũa flower 200 gr Chili 1 fruit (sliced) Culantro 5 branches Vietnamese coriander 5 branches Lime 1 fruit Common spices a little (Salt/ sugar/ seasoning/ monosodium glutamate)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh pineapple
- Choose pineapples that have an eye-catching yellow color, sometimes mixed with some green spots, as these are ripe and delicious fruits.
- Opt for pineapples with large eyes, as these are naturally ripe and when you peel them – removing the eyes will not lose too much flesh.
- When you touch it, you should feel a moderate softness; the skin of ripe pineapples often has slight wrinkles.
- Avoid buying pineapples that are indented when pressed, as this indicates that the pineapple is overripe.
How to choose fresh tomatoes
- You should choose tomatoes that have a bright red outer skin, evenly colored. The outer skin should be intact, with no scratches, and firm, indicating fresh tomatoes.
- Fresh tomatoes still have the stem attached, and the stem should look fresh and not wilted.
- Avoid buying tomatoes if they have no scent when sniffed, as those are artificially ripened fruits.
How to choose fresh banana blossoms
- Good banana blossoms have an eye-catching deep red outer layer, fresh and especially covered with a thin white powder.
- When held, they should feel solid and heavy, with a hollow and airy inside.
- Limit buying banana blossoms that are too bruised and have strange marks on the surface.
How to prepare Sour Fish Soup with Young Tamarind Leaves
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Prepare and marinate the fish
When buying the fish, ask the seller to clean the intestines and gills.
To clean and remove the fishy smell, rinse the fish with water, then put the fish in a bowl, take 2 teaspoons of salt and rub it onto the fish for 5 minutes, then rinse it 2 – 3 times with water and let it drain.
Place the fish in a bowl, marinate the fish with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of seasoning, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, sliced chili, mix well, and let the fish absorb the seasonings for 15 minutes.
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Prepare other ingredients
To save time, you can ask the seller to peel and remove the eyes of the pineapple. When you get home, you just need to rinse it briefly with water, and then use a knife to cut it into bite-sized pieces.
You prepare a basin of water mixed with the juice of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon of salt, then chop or grate the banana flower into this basin of water, soak for about 10 minutes, and then take it out to drain.
Remove any damaged flowers and old stems from the banana flower, wash thoroughly, and drain. Cut off the roots of the coriander and wash them clean, then cut into pieces about 1 finger length.
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges.
Quick way to peel pineapple without cutting the eyes
- First, cut the pineapple lengthwise into 4 equal parts.
- Continue cutting along the length of the pineapple piece, stopping at the end of the fruit and cutting hard to separate the flesh from the skin.
- Do not cut too close to the skin to avoid leaving any eyes of the pineapple. Finally, cut it into smaller pieces as needed.
See details: 5 simple ways to peel pineapple easily without spending much time.
How to prepare banana flower without browning
- When preparing to prevent banana flower from browning, it should be soaked immediately in a mixture of lemon juice and diluted salt.
- You can substitute lemon with vinegar or alum as well.
See details: How to slice banana flower without browning
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Cook the soup
Place a pot on the stove over medium heat, add pineapple and 2 liters of water, and bring to a boil. When the water boils, add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and the marinated fish and tamarind leaves, and cook for about 5 minutes.
At this point, the pineapple and tamarind leaves have released their sourness, remove the pineapple and tamarind leaves, and adjust the seasoning to taste. Add tomatoes, banana flower, and water lily buds, and cook for another 2 minutes on low heat.
Next, add cilantro and Vietnamese coriander, then turn off the heat. Serve the fish on a plate, and ladle the soup into a bowl to enjoy.
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Final product
Sour fish soup with eye-catching colors and delicious flavor is now complete.
The soup has a balanced sour, spicy, salty, and sweet taste, with firm, sweet, and fresh fish, tomatoes, banana flower, and just-cooked asparagus that are very tasty.
This dish is nutritious and easy to make, but doesn’t take much time; show off your cooking skills to treat the whole family!
2. Sour fish soup with water spinach
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for sour fish soup with water spinach Serves 4
Fish 3 pieces (about 1kg) Water spinach 2 stalks (mint) Asparagus 400 gr Morning glory 300 gr (1 bunch) Tamarind pulp 50 gr (1 piece) Basil 3 stalks Chili 2 pieces Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Common spices a little (Salt/ sugar/ seasoning/ monosodium glutamate)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh water spinach
- You should choose water spinach stems that are small and sturdy.
- Avoid buying water spinach that looks too lush and green, as they may snap easily when bent and the leaves are too dark green, which could indicate they have been fertilized with chemicals, not good for health.
- For health safety, you should eat water spinach in season, around April to June; during the harvest season, they will be fresh and green, grown naturally.
How to choose crispy and delicious fish mint
- You should choose fish mint with a moderate size, not too large or too small.
- Edible fish mint is grown in watery places, with a red dot in the leaf stem. If it has a white dot, you should not buy it as it is the itchy kind and inedible.
- Avoid buying fish mint that has been cut or is bruised and darkened.
How to make Sour Fish Soup with Fish Mint
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Prepare the fish
Use scissors to cut off the gills, fins, and intestines of the fish, then wash it thoroughly with water.
To eliminate the fishy smell, soak the fish in dilute saltwater for about 5 minutes, then rinse with water and let it drain, cutting the fish into 4 bite-sized pieces.
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Prepare other ingredients
Pick out the spoiled flowers and old stems from the water lily stems. Soak in diluted salt water for 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water and drain.
Pick out the wilted and wormy leaves from the water spinach, wash thoroughly, and drain in a basket, breaking into bite-sized pieces about 3 finger lengths.
Peel the taro stem, place it in a bowl, wash clean, drain, and cut into diagonal slices. Remove the stems from the chili peppers and wash them clean. Pick off the old roots of the basil, wash clean, and cut into bite-sized pieces about 1 finger length.
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Cooking Soup
Place a pot on the stove, turn on high heat, when the pot is hot, add 2.5 liters of water and 1 piece of tamarind to boil, when the water boils, use a strainer to extract the sour water from the tamarind, discarding the seeds.
Next, add the Australian fish to the pot, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, and bring the water to a boil.
When the broth is boiling, reduce the heat and cook for another 5 minutes, if you see any foam, skim it off.
Then add water spinach, flower of ‘so dua’, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, season to taste, add basil and turn off the heat.
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Final Product
Sour soup with Australian fish has a sweet, sour broth, and the fish meat is rich, fresh, and delicious, right?
The water spinach, mint, and ‘so dua’ flowers are crispy, maintaining their natural green color. It’s indeed a perfect combination, simple yet incredibly tasty.
You scoop the soup into a bowl and enjoy it, served with a bowl of chili fish sauce, what could be better?
What is Australian fish?
- Australian fish is a family of catfish, primarily living in saltwater environments, with a few species inhabiting brackish or freshwater. Therefore, it can be classified into sea Australian fish and river Australian fish.
- There are two types of Australian fish, gold fish and white fish. The flesh of both is equally delicious; however, according to many locals, the flesh of white fish is somewhat fattier.
How to choose fresh and delicious Australian fish
- It is advisable to buy live fish as they always bring the best flavor to the dish. Therefore, choose those that are still swimming well, with clear eyes where the pupil can be seen.
- When pressing on the flesh, it should feel firm, not soft and mushy, and have good elasticity like rubber.
- Fresh and delicious fish has a cherry color; on the contrary, if it is dark brown or cloudy, it means the fish has gone bad and can no longer be used.
- Avoid selecting fish with swollen bodies, weak swimming, and pale colors as they are fish that have been left too long.
Effective methods to eliminate fishy smells
- The simplest method is to use lemon juice mixed with warm water to soak the fish for 5 – 7 minutes, and the fishy smell will disappear immediately.
- Another method is to soak the fish in saltwater for 5 – 10 minutes or rub salt onto the fish body; this not only removes the smell but also effectively gets rid of the slime.
- Additionally, you cannot overlook simply putting the fish in rice water for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Moreover, crushing ginger and diluting it to soak with the fish for 5 – 7 minutes will show immediate results.
- It would be a mistake to skip using diluted alcohol or white vinegar to soak the fish for 5 minutes.
- Home cooks also frequently use fresh milk to eliminate odors, which will provide a great surprise for you.
How to choose fresh and tasty trumpet flowers
- You should choose trumpet flowers that are firm, fresh, and have a bright white color, without wilting or bruising.
- The trumpet flowers should still be in bud, not fully bloomed. Pay attention to the buds being large, with dark green stems, and the petals still intact without falling off; these indicate good quality flowers.
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So TasteVN has shared with you 2 delicious recipes for sour fish soup that are easy to make and refreshing for your meal. Wishing you success!
*Refer to images and recipes on the YouTube channel: NAM VIET, Tigon Luu
