How to Cook Delicious and Authentic Nghe An Eel Soup Simply

How to make Nghệ An Eel Soup

• 1

  Prepare and boil the eel

  After buying the eel, cut off the head and use salt to rub the entire body of the eel, rinse it with lemon juice, and finally wash it thoroughly with water.

  You can also use wood ash or vinegar, wine to eliminate the smell. Alternatively, putting the eel in a pot with warm water and covering it for about 10 minutes can significantly reduce the sliminess of the eel.

  After preparation, put the eel in a pot with 500ml of water and boil it for about 5 – 7 minutes.

  Once boiled, remove the eel, keeping the boiling water to cook the soup, and let the eel cool before gently pulling the flesh from head to tail to separate the meat from the bones, being careful not to break the eel meat.

  Note

  • Do not boil the eel for too long as it will make the meat mushy and unappetizing.
  • You can also cut the eel into short pieces for easier boiling, however, when separating the eel meat, it will not remain intact and may break easily.
  • When preparing, absolutely do not use a knife to slit the belly of the eel as it will cause the eel to bleed, and the broth will not be sweet and tasty.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the other ingredients

  The pork bone should be rinsed briefly with cold water, then soaked in diluted salt water for about 45 – 60 minutes to clean the dirt from the bones.

  After that, remove the pork bones, rinse them again with water, and then blanch them in boiling water for 5 – 7 minutes to better eliminate the unpleasant smell of the bones.

  Wash the shallots, then crush them in a mortar. Peel and wash the purple onions.

  Wash the Vietnamese coriander, chili, and green onions, then chop them finely.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Making the broth

  Add 200ml of water to a pot along with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 shallot, then add the pork bones and simmer on low heat for about 30 – 45 minutes.

  While simmering the bones, use a ladle to skim off the foam that rises to make the broth clearer. After simmering, remove the bones and keep the broth.

  Add 1/2 tablespoon of tapioca flour and 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch to the broth, then use a ladle to stir well to thicken the soup, then turn off the heat.

  Note

  • When adding tapioca flour and cornstarch, it should be added gradually and stirred well with a ladle to avoid clumping.
  • You can also use only one of the two types of tapioca flour or cornstarch to achieve the desired thickness.
  • If you do not like thick soup, you can adjust the amount of flour added or omit the flour altogether!

  

  
• 4

  Sautéing Eel

  Place a pan on the stove, add 80ml of cooking oil, and wait for the oil to heat up before adding 30gr of annatto seeds. Cook until the oil boils, then reduce the heat, and use chopsticks to stir evenly for about 2 minutes until the annatto seeds release a beautiful color.

  Then turn off the heat, use a sieve to filter out the colored oil and discard the annatto seeds. Continue to put the colored oil back on the stove, turn on the heat, and add the crushed shallots to sauté until fragrant.

  When the pan is aromatic, add the eel meat and stir evenly to ensure the eel absorbs the color. Add 2 tablespoons of seasoning powder to enhance the flavor, then turn off the heat.

  Note

  • Do not add annatto seeds when the oil is boiling as it will cause the oil to splatter.
  • Stir evenly to avoid burning, which will cause the annatto oil to turn black.
  • You can also buy ready-made annatto oil to save time.

  See more: How to make, notes, and how to preserve annatto oil at home

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Making eel soup

  Put a pot of water to simmer bones on the stove, turn on the heat, add the sautéed eel meat, and season with 1.5 teaspoons of seasoning.

  Then add 3 tablespoons of the original eel broth, adjust the broth to your family’s taste, and turn off the heat to finish.

  Note

  • For eel soup, you can use the original eel broth to make the broth, but using additional broth simmered from bones will make it richer and tastier.
  • You can add turmeric juice to enhance the flavor of the dish.
  • If using a large pan, you can directly add the bone broth to the sautéing eel pan to cook the broth.

  

  
• 6

  Finished product

  When serving, pour the eel soup into a bowl, sprinkle a bit of Vietnamese balm, green onions, and finely chopped chili along with ground pepper for a wonderful finish.

  The eel soup from Nghe An is flavorful, with a sweet and clear broth, a thick consistency combined with fresh, tender eel meat. It’s especially appealing when enjoyed with bread or noodles and white rice!