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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Barramundi Soup Serves 4
Barramundi 2 kg Green onions 3 stalks Celery 3 stalks Chili 1 piece Coconut 1 piece Tomatoes 1 kg Garlic 2 tablespoons (minced) Shallots 1 tablespoon (minced) Cooking oil 4 tablespoons Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (sugar/ salt/ monosodium glutamate/ ground pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh barramundi
- You should choose fish that are still lively, moving actively, and pay attention to select barramundi with a slightly larger head and pointed snout, as they are usually much tastier.
- You should also note to choose fish with intact dorsal fins and tails. Good fish also have a round tail, a gray body, and a naturally silver belly.
- Choose fish with clear eyes, bright red gills, and avoid fish with cloudy white eyes and dark red gills.
- Press the flesh of the fish with your hand; if it bounces back, it is good to buy.
How to choose fresh and delicious tomatoes
- You should choose tomatoes that have a bright red color, even color without any blotches or mixed white and red colors,..
- Choose tomatoes that have intact, smooth skin, without scratches or bruises. Avoid choosing tomatoes that feel too soft and watery when touched, as they are usually spoiled.
- Fresh and delicious tomatoes naturally have a mild pleasant smell, not unpleasant; tomatoes that are artificially ripened usually lack fragrance.
- You can try observing the stem of the tomato; it’s better to select those with stems still intact and green, as they are usually fresher and tastier.
See details: How to choose and store tomatoes fresh longer
How to prepare Snapper soup
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Prepare the snapper
After purchasing the snapper, use a knife to scrape off the scales, clean the belly by removing all the intestines, rub salt on the skin, then rinse with clean water 1 – 2 times to ensure the fish is completely clean. Use a knife to cut the fish into pieces about 1 – 2 finger joints thick.
Marinate the snapper with 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of ground pepper, and mix everything well to ensure the fish absorbs the flavor evenly.
How to remove the fishy smell from snapper
- You can also use a little alcohol mixed with water to soak the fish for about 1 minute, then rub the entire body of the fish to help clean and remove the fishy smell.
- Alternatively, use a diluted mixture of vinegar/lemon water to wash the fish, which is also effective in eliminating the fishy smell.
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Preparing other ingredients
Other ingredients after being washed, the celery should be cut into pieces about 4 – 5cm long. The chili should be chopped finely. The green onion should be kept with the white root part, and the green leaves should be minced.
The tomatoes should be divided into two parts, one part cut into wedges. The remaining part should be diced.
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Stir-frying tomatoes
Place a pan on the stove, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and stir-fry evenly, then add the diced tomatoes, stir-frying quickly to prevent the tomatoes from burning. Stir-fry until the tomatoes are slightly cooked and release their juice, then you can turn off the heat.
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Lightly fry the fish
Place a pot on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, sauté 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of minced shallots, and the remaining green onion roots. When the garlic turns fragrant and golden, add all the fish to lightly fry.
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Cook the soup
When the fish is seared, add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, add all the previously sautéed tomatoes along with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, stir well.
Chop 1 fresh coconut to extract the water, pour all the water into the pot, and add filtered water just enough to cover the fish.
When the water returns to a boil and the fish is fully cooked, add the remaining tomatoes and onions to the pot. At this point, you can season to taste and continue cooking until all the ingredients are cooked through.
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Final Product
The dish of striped bass soup cooked sourly is made in a very simple way, easy to perform, and the flavor is delicious and attractive. The broth is fresh and sweet, intermingled with a harmonious sour taste between the tomatoes and the spices.
The fish meat is tender and delicious, firm without any fishy taste, and when eaten, you can enjoy it with white rice or noodles, dipping it with fish sauce and adding a few slices of chili is perfect.
See more
Hope that with the how to cook striped bass sour soup that TasteVN just shared can help you add flavor to your family’s daily meals. Wishing you and your family have many happy times enjoying delicious meals!
*Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel: Thành Trọng Lê
