How to Cook Delicious Northern Fish Porridge to Warm the Heart on Windy Days

How to prepare North Ninh fish porridge

• 1

  Prepare the ingredients and boil the fish

  After purchasing the snakehead fish, to eliminate the fishy smell and clean the fish, clean the belly of the fish, removing all the bile and intestines. Soak the fish in diluted saltwater for 3 – 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly, next squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and continue soaking for another 2 – 3 minutes. After that, rinse clean and let it drain, then cut it in half.

  Tip: Additionally, you can use white wine to soak the fish to help reduce the fishy smell.

  Fennel, ginger, green onions, coriander, perilla, and chrysanthemum should be washed clean with water and drained.

  Place a pot on the stove, add about 1 liter of water, and boil over medium heat.

  Using a knife, smash 5 shallots, 2 pieces of ginger, 1 teaspoon of whole pepper, and 5 stalks of fennel, then add everything into the boiling water pot.

  Next, add 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the cleaned fish, then proceed to boil.

  

  

  
• 2

  Grind rice and pound fish bones

  Add 200g of common rice to the blender with a little water, then blend until smooth and pour into a large bowl.

  Wait for the fish to cook, then take the fish out along with the shallots, fennel, and ginger. Next, separate the fish meat onto a plate, and put the fish bones into a mortar to pound them finely.

  Put a pot of water on the stove, turn the heat up high, and when the water boils, add the pounded fish bones, then use a ladle to remove all the bones, next add all the boiling fish water and the ground rice to cook together over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

  Tip:

  • For speed and convenience, you can also use a blender to finely grind the fish bones instead of using a pestle.
  • After finely grinding the fish bones, you can filter the juice before putting it into the pot to cook, which will be quicker and avoid leaving residues and bone fragments.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Marinating and stir-frying fish

  Add to the fish plate 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, 2 teaspoons of fried garlic oil, and marinate the fish for 5 – 10 minutes to let the fish absorb the seasoning.

  Heat a pan on the stove, add 2 teaspoons of cooking oil, 5 thinly sliced shallots, sauté until fragrant, then add all the marinated fish and stir-fry for about 4 – 5 minutes until the fish is completely absorbed with the previously marinated seasoning.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Completion

  Place a bit of Vietnamese coriander at the bottom of the bowl, scoop the porridge and pour it in, add fish, a little perilla leaves, cilantro, dill, finely chopped green onions, and a sprinkle of chili powder on top to enhance the aroma and make the dish more appealing.

  

  
• 5

  Final Product

  Northern Fish Porridge is a wonderful combination of fish pieces infused with spices, the aroma of perilla, dill, and a hint of spiciness from chili powder. What could be better than warming the hearts of your family with this porridge on windy days?