How to make Nha Trang fish cake noodles with rich and delicious flavors true to the taste of the sea

How to prepare Nha Trang fish cake noodles

• 1

  Prepare the fish

  First, wash the fish with saltwater and let it drain. Then, use a knife to scrape along the fish bones and the meat near the tail.

  Next, cut a horizontal line near the head of the fish and slice from the tail up to the head along the backbone to separate the fillet from the body.

  After completely separating the fish meat, cut it into small pieces about 3cm and put them in a clean bowl.

  Keep the fish bones separate, as they will be added later when making the broth.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare other ingredients

  First, peel 4 shallots and 5g of ginger, then roast these two ingredients.

  Next, peel and finely chop 1 shallot and place it on a clean plate, doing the same with 3 cloves of garlic.

  Then, wash and finely chop the green onion tops. For the stems, cut them into small pieces and keep them separate from the green onion tops.

  The remaining 5g of ginger should be sliced into thin strips. Next, finely chop 3 fresh chili peppers.

  For the lime, cut it into small slices to serve with the noodles. After that, smash 2 stalks of lemongrass and cut them in half.

  The next step is to clean the skin and eyes of the pineapple, then use a knife to cut it into small pieces. For the tomatoes, wash them thoroughly and cut them into wedges.

  Finally, shred 100g of cabbage into thin, easy-to-eat strips.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Cooking Fish Broth

  Place a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. When the water boils, add the salmon heads and striped bass bones and blanch them briefly for 1-2 minutes, then remove.

  Next, add the blanched fish and 3 liters of water into the pot. After that, add the previously roasted ginger and shallots as well.

  Then, add the prepared lemongrass into the pot and cook the broth over high heat. Once the broth boils, reduce the heat to let it simmer gently and continue to braise the fish for 45 minutes.

  While simmering, don’t forget to skim off the foam to make the broth tastier.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Processing fish and fish cake

  Add 1/2 of the chopped green onion and shredded ginger into the bowl containing the fish fillet.

  Next, season with 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1/3 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, and 2 teaspoons of rice wine into the bowl.

  Then, mix the mixture well so that the fish absorbs the seasoning and set it aside.

  In the next step, add 350g of fish cake into the bowl, season with 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/3 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of fried onion oil, and 1/2 of the remaining green onion into the bowl. Mix the ingredients well.

  Next, put the fish cake mixture into a bag and knead for 3 – 4 minutes. Once the fish cake forms a smooth and elastic mass, transfer it to a bowl and shape the fish cake into round pieces.

  After that, place the fish cake and the previously marinated snakehead fish into a steamer and steam over medium heat for 10 minutes.

  Finally, for the pre-fried fish cake, add it to the hot oil in the pan and fry briefly for about 5 minutes.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Stir-fry the pineapple and tomatoes

  Place a pan on the stove, add a little cooking oil. Next, add all the minced shallots and garlic into the mixture and sauté until fragrant.

  Then, add all the pineapple and tomatoes into the pan, season with 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder and 1 teaspoon of sugar, then stir-fry evenly for about 5 – 7 minutes before turning off the heat.

  

  

  
• 6

  Cook the noodle broth

  For the broth pot, after simmering the fish for 45 minutes, remove all the heads and bones from the pot.

  Next, strain the broth through a sieve to make it clearer, then add 1 liter of boiling water into the pot and continue to cook on low heat.

  After that, season with 1 tablespoon of salt, 2.5 tablespoons of seasoning powder, 2.5 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, 1.5 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon of annatto oil into the broth. You can adjust the seasoning to your taste.

  Finally, add the stir-fried pineapple and tomatoes into the pot, simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes before turning off the heat.

  

  

  
• 7

  Completion

  Cut the steamed fish cake and fried fish cake into small pieces.

  Next, place the noodles in a bowl, arrange the fish and fish cake on top, and pour a little boiling broth over it. Then, add the chopped green onions into the bowl.

  Finally, drizzle more broth on top, add tomatoes and pineapple, and sprinkle a little chopped fresh chili and fried onions into the bowl to complete the dish.

  

  

  

  
• 8

  Final Product

  Nha Trang fish cake noodles will be hot, with an attractive and eye-catching appearance when finished.

  The broth is sweet and rich in fish flavor, well-seasoned for taste. The fish is tender, the fish cake is fragrant, chewy, and crispy, perfect for dipping in salty fish sauce.

  This dish can be served with cabbage, bean sprouts, and herbs such as basil and Vietnamese mint. Nha Trang fish cake noodles will definitely make you savor and want to eat it over and over again.