How to Cook Delicious and Flavorful Western-style Snakehead Fish Cake Noodle Soup Easily at Home

How to prepare Fish Cake Noodle Soup

• 1

  Prepare the snakehead fish

  The fish has been cleaned at the market, and after buying it home, you use a knife to scrape off the slime and rinse it with water several times.

  Use scissors to cut the belly of the fish in half, then remove the intestines, keeping the fatty part of the fish. Then use a filleting knife to take the fish meat, scraping the bones clean of blood.

  The head and bones of the fish should be rubbed vigorously with a mixture of salt and white wine, then rinsed clean with water. Cut the fish meat into bite-sized pieces.

  How to clean snakehead fish without a fishy smell:

  • Method 1: After cleaning the fish, use salt to rub and gently massage the fish’s body for about 2 – 3 minutes, then rinse clean with water.
  • Method 2: Soak the cleaned fish in a mixture of lemon juice and vinegar for about 3 – 5 minutes. Then massage the fish body once again and rinse with water.
  • Method 3: Alternatively, soak the cleaned fish in rice washing water with a little salt for about 15 – 20 minutes, then rinse clean with water.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Marinate the fish

  Marinate the fish with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of cooking oil, mix well, and let it sit for 30 minutes to absorb the seasoning.

  

  
• 3

  Cook the broth

  Put a pot on the stove with 3.5 liters of filtered water, 10 grams of dried shrimp, and 50 grams of red onions, and boil on high heat.

  When the water boils, skim off the foam and reduce to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of white rice wine, the head, bones, and fat of the fish, and the roots of cilantro, and simmer for 45 minutes.

  

  

  
• 4

  Preparing straw mushrooms

  Buy straw mushrooms, cut off the dirty root part, squeeze strongly with 1 tablespoon of diluted flour and 1 teaspoon of salt, then rinse thoroughly with water.

  How to properly prepare straw mushrooms

  • Use a knife to cut off the mushroom roots (which often stick to the soil), then rinse briefly in a mixture of water and rice flour for about 1 minute. After that, continue to soak in this mixture for another 5 minutes, and rinse thoroughly with water 2 – 3 times.

  • You should not wash and soak straw mushrooms in saltwater, as it can cause the mushrooms to lose moisture and not retain their crispness.

  See details: How to properly prepare straw mushrooms for cooking

  
• 5

  Completing the broth

  After 45 minutes, remove the fish and shallots, season with 2 tablespoons of salt, 3 tablespoons of rock sugar, 2 teaspoons of monosodium glutamate, and stir well.

  Add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, straw mushrooms, and the roots of green onions, and bring to a boil.

  When the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and boil for an additional 3 – 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste and then turn off the heat.

  

  
• 6

  Stir-fried fish

  Put a pan on the stove with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil heated over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon of minced shallots and sauté until fragrant.

  Next, add the fish and stir well until the fish meat is firm, then turn off the heat.

  Tip: Stir-frying the fish first will help it firm up so that when it is dipped, it cooks quickly and absorbs the seasoning better.

  

  
• 7

  Completion

  The fish cake should be briefly blanched in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then removed and placed in a pot of broth to boil again.

  When serving, simply add the stir-fried fish to the broth pot for a quick dip, then transfer it to a bowl and add a little chopped green onion and cilantro to enjoy.

  

  

  
• 8

  Final product

  The fish cake dish has an extremely attractive aroma. The fish is tender, absorbing the seasoning that blends with the rich broth, making it a wonderful combination!