-
Preparation
30 minutes
-
Cooking
30 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Besides the dishes in the meal, snakehead fish can also be prepared suitable for parties or family gatherings with hot pot. The method of cooking snakehead fish hot pot is not too difficult, and the ingredients are very simple. Let’s get cooking right away!
Ingredients for Sour and Spicy Snakehead Fish Hot Pot For 3 – 4 people
Snakehead fish 500 grams Minced lean pork 200 grams Tomatoes 2 fruits Onion 1 bulb Lemongrass 2 stalks Chili 3 fruits Onion 1 bulb Lemon juice 1 tablespoon Chicken broth 1.5 liters (you can buy or make it yourself) Basil leaves a little Vietnamese coriander a little Fresh vermicelli 500 grams Accompanying vegetables 500 grams (water spinach/ morning glory…) Seasoning 30 grams (seasoning powder/ ready-made Thai hot pot seasoning…)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose delicious snakehead fish:
- Choose fresh snakehead fish, with a shiny pinkish hue along the body that is visible to the naked eye.
- Fresh snakehead fish has a silvery gray color and a clear body. The more spoiled the fish, the more opaque and soft it becomes.
- If you see bright red gills, firm flesh, and a cold body, but the fish is not kept on crushed ice or submerged in a bowl of water with some crushed ice, you should avoid purchasing it.
- Additionally, fresh fish still has its characteristic fishy smell; if you notice that the fish lacks the fishy smell and instead has a spoiled or strange odor, it means the fish is not fresh.
How to prepare Sour and Spicy Snakehead Fish Hotpot
-
Prepare the fish and pork
After purchasing the snakehead fish, wash it with diluted salt water, gut it, cut off the head, and then rinse it again with cold water to clean it. Next, cut the fish into pieces about 3 – 4 cm long, and place the fish into a bowl to marinate.
Marinate the fish with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to eliminate the fishy smell and enhance the characteristic flavor for the hotpot. Remember to mix the fish well.
Add minced pork to the bowl and add 2/3 teaspoon of seasoning, 1 tablespoon of minced shallots, and mix well so that the meat absorbs the flavor.
After marinating the meat, shape it into round balls of bite-sized pieces.
-
Prepare vegetables
Wash the tomatoes and onions thoroughly, then cut them into wedges.
Wash the lemongrass and onions, then slice them. Wash the 3 chili peppers and crush them. Wash the basil thoroughly with water and cut it into pieces about 3 cm long.
Wash the herbs and other vegetables that you will serve with, and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
-
Cook the hotpot broth
Place a pot on the stove and add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced lemongrass and onions, then sauté until fragrant. Next, add the tomatoes to sauté until soft.
Then add 1.5 liters of chicken broth to the pot, increase the heat, and stir well. Add a package of Thai hotpot seasoning, crushed herbs, and crushed chili, then stir again.
Next, add the meatballs and marinated fish into the pot. Cook the fish just until done, then remove it. You can dip it back in when serving to prevent it from breaking apart.
Add a bit of cut basil to enhance the flavor and aroma of the hotpot.
-
Final Product
When eating, you can enjoy it with some vermicelli and dip it in salty fish sauce. The characteristic sour and spicy taste of Thai hotpot blends with the richness from the meatballs and the sweet and fresh taste from the fish and accompanying vegetables, creating a vibrant feast for your family. Let’s make the Spicy Sour Fish Hotpot right away!
Tips for making catfish hotpot
- If you don’t have a ready-made Thai hotpot spice packet, you can use tamarind juice and season the spices to your taste.
- If you don’t have chicken broth, you can still use plain water, although the dish won’t be as flavorful.
- When adding fish to cook, remember not to stir, otherwise the catfish meat will break apart and won’t taste good.
- Avoid using types of vegetables that may cause allergies when served with catfish, such as water spinach, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and pumpkin flowers for hotpot.
See more:
So, the dish of catfish hotpot is done, wishing you success in making this dish and enjoy it with your family!
*Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel Mon Ngon Moi Ngay.
