How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh mackerel
- Fresh mackerel should have a slippery, shiny body and a bright color. The body of fresh mackerel is firm, and when held in the middle, it does not bend. Additionally, fresh mackerel has a characteristic fishy smell, without any unpleasant rotten odor.
- Choose mackerel with bulging, clear, sparkling eyes, and scales that have a natural bright color, shimmering. When gently pressed, the flesh of the fish should be firm with good elasticity, leaving no fingerprint impressions on the flesh.
- Avoid mackerel with pale colors and a lack of shine. When held in the middle, the fish bends down, and the eyes are often cloudy, making it difficult to see inside as they have begun to spoil.
How to choose fresh tomatoes
- Choose ripe tomatoes that are bright red and evenly colored, with a plump skin and a natural fragrant smell.
- Avoid buying tomatoes that do not have a fragrant smell when ripe, as these may have been injected with ripening agents, making them unsafe to consume, or those that are scratched or bruised.
How to choose fresh and delicious pineapple
- Based on color: Choose those with a bright yellow color, sometimes mixed with green. Avoid buying those that are unevenly ripened, especially those that have turned brown as they are overripe and about to spoil.
- Based on shape: Short and round fruits usually have more flesh than long and slender ones. Choose pineapples with larger eyes as they are naturally ripe and will not lose much flesh when peeled.
- Based on smell: Fruits that have a sweet aroma, not too strong, are those that are perfectly ripe and ready to eat. If you smell a strong odor, those are overripe fruits that will spoil quickly and may undergo natural fermentation.
- Based on touch: A perfectly ripe pineapple will have a slightly wrinkled skin, and pressing it will give a moderate softness. If it feels hard and heavy, then it is an unripe pineapple.
How to prepare Sour Fish Soup with Silver Pomfret
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Prepare the ingredients
The silver pomfret needs to be rubbed with a little salt for about 7 – 10 minutes, then rinse with water and place in a basket to drain.
Remove the stem from the tomatoes, rinse briefly, and cut into wedges. Rinse the pineapple and okra with water, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Use a knife to peel the mint leaves, rinse, and cut into pieces. Remove the stem from the chili, rinse with bean sprouts several times, then place in a basket to drain. Clean the sawtooth coriander and cilantro, then chop them finely.
Cut off the roots and wilted leaves of the green onions, rinse thoroughly, and let them drain. Place the green onion heads in a mortar with one chili and pound them finely with a pestle.
Ripe tamarind is placed in a bowl with a little filtered water or boiling water, use a spoon to mash the tamarind, then strain out the seeds to obtain the tamarind juice.
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Cooking Soup
Place a pot on the stove, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium heat, then add the minced onion and chili to sauté until fragrant.
Next, add the tomatoes and pineapple, stir briefly for about 2 minutes, then add 700ml of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the fish, season with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate.
When the water boils again, add the okra, mint, and bean sprouts and cook for about 1 – 2 minutes, then add the tamarind juice and quickly adjust the seasoning to suit your family’s taste.
Finally, add the cilantro and Vietnamese coriander, stir briefly, then turn off the heat.
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Final Product
Serve the soup in a bowl and enjoy it with hot rice right away. The delicious and attractive sour fish soup has the sour taste of tamarind and tomatoes blended with the sweet, fatty flavor of mackerel and a light sourness from pineapple.
Eating it with white rice dipped in a bowl of salty fish sauce will be fantastic! Let’s get into the kitchen and try it out!
So you have completed the sour mackerel soup that is delicious and flavorful, perfect for enjoying with family. TasteVN wishes you success in making it!
