Delicious Fish Sauce Hotpot Recipe from the Mekong Delta

How to prepare Fish Hotpot with Fermented Fish Sauce

• 1

  Prepare seafood and meat

  After purchasing, wash the pork belly thoroughly, then rinse briefly with salt water to eliminate any odor. Next, cut the meat into small pieces.

  Clean the squid, remove the backbone and cut off the squid pouch. Then, soak the squid in water mixed with a little vinegar to reduce its fishy smell. After rinsing, cut the squid into round slices about 1 finger thick.

  For shrimp, after washing thoroughly with salt water, proceed to cut off the head and tail of the shrimp (while keeping the shell intact).

  For basa fish, clean the intestines, cut off the head, tail, and gills, then soak the fish in salt water to reduce the fishy smell. Finally, cut the fish into pieces about 2 fingers thick.

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare vegetables

  Eggplant should be washed clean, cut off the ends, and then sliced into pieces about 2 finger lengths long. Continue to cut the eggplant lengthwise into quarters (in a cross shape).

  After purchasing, wash the bitter melon, cut off both ends, and scoop out the seeds. Then cut the bitter melon in half and slice it into pieces about 2 finger lengths long.

  Wash the okra thoroughly, cut off the ends, and soak it in salt water for about 5 minutes to reduce its sliminess. Next, cut the okra in half horizontally.

  For the hot pot dipping greens (bitter vegetables/ water spinach), remove any old or damaged parts, and break them into bite-sized pieces. After that, wash them thoroughly, soak in salt water for about 5 minutes, then drain in a colander.

  The remaining vegetables (water lily/ kèo nèo) should be peeled, cut into pieces about 2 finger lengths long, washed, and drained.

  

  

  
• 3

  Cook the fish sauce

  First, put 500ml of water into a pot and bring it to a boil.

  When the water is boiling, add 300g of fish sauce, reduce to medium heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until the fish is completely broken down and the sauce has dissolved.

  

  

  
• 4

  Stir-frying pork belly

  You place another pot on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil into the pot. Turn on the stove to high heat and wait until the oil is hot, when you see the oil bubbling, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.

  Stir well until the garlic turns golden brown, then add 2 tablespoons of minced lemongrass, continue stirring until everything is golden and fragrant.

  Next, add the pork belly and stir-fry until the meat is cooked and slightly browned, then turn off the stove.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Cooking the hot pot broth

  Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate to the stir-fried meat and stir well.

  Place a sieve over the pot, pour the fish sauce that was prepared in step 3 into it, and filter out the solids.

  Season the broth with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stir well, then turn on the stove, and bring the broth to a boil over high heat.

  After the broth boils, add 500ml of water and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

  

  
• 6

  Completion

  When the broth is boiling, add the bitter melon, eggplant, and okra one by one, and cook until the vegetables are soft.

  Finally, serve the hotpot with fish and various seafood. When eating, dip the fish and seafood into the broth and enjoy.

  

  
• 7

  Final Product

  The broth has a balanced taste between salty and sweet, fragrant with lemongrass, combined with the sweetness of the fish and various seafood, making it very appealing. Eating the hotpot with noodles and various vegetables like bitter herbs, water spinach, and lotus flowers is truly wonderful, isn’t it?