How to Cook Delicious and Simple Snakehead Fish Porridge with Straw Mushrooms and Meatballs at Home

How to prepare Snakehead fish porridge with straw mushrooms and meatballs

• 1

  Prepare the ingredients

  To clean the mushrooms, soak the straw mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms in diluted salt water for 15 minutes, then gently squeeze to remove all dirt, and rinse with clean water 2 – 3 times before letting them drain. Cut the straw mushrooms in half and chop the wood ear mushrooms finely.

  Boil the quail eggs until cooked, then peel them.

  Tip for peeling quail eggs quickly and easily:

  • To peel quail eggs easily, the boiling step is very important. You can put the eggs in a pot with a bit of salt and add water gently.
  • Boil until it boils, reduce the heat, cover, and boil for about 4 – 5 minutes, allowing the eggs to be cooked just right without being dry.
  • While boiling, use chopsticks to stir gently in a clockwise direction; this helps the yolk concentrate in the center, making it very visually appealing when cut.
  • You can use chopsticks to test if the eggs are done; if you can pick up the eggs easily, they are cooked.
  • Put the eggs in cold ice water or under running water to cool them down, then place the eggs in a container with a bit of water, close tightly, and shake well. This helps the shells to come off evenly without taking too much time.

  

  

  
• 2

  Preparation of snakehead fish

  To ensure that the snakehead fish is clean and not slimy, when buying it, cut off the fins, tail, and remove the internal organs.

  Wash the fish thoroughly with salt for about 3 minutes, then rinse it again with water. Separate the head from the body and cut the fish body into bite-sized pieces.

  Effective way to eliminate the fishy smell of snakehead fish

  Besides using salt to remove the fishy smell, you can mix 2 tablespoons of lemon or vinegar with about 200ml of warm water, then soak the fish in it for 5 minutes and rinse it again before cooking.

  See more: How to prepare and eliminate the fishy smell of snakehead fish

  
• 3

  Making meatballs

  Mix 200g of meat with 50g of finely chopped wood ear mushrooms, then season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix well and marinate for 10 minutes for the meat to absorb the flavor. Then shape the meat into bite-sized balls.

  

  
• 4

  Stir-frying the fish

  Place a pan on the stove and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add minced onions and garlic to fry until golden and fragrant, then add the fish body and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, sprinkling a little pepper on top.

  Tip: Briefly stir-frying the fish will help reduce the fishy smell and prevent it from breaking apart when added to the porridge.

  
• 5

  Roast rice

  Wash the rice clean and drain. Place a pot on the stove and add the rice, roasting until the rice is slightly golden.

  Tip: Roasting the rice will help the rice grains not break when cooking porridge and make it more fragrant.

  
• 6

  Cook snakehead fish porridge

  When the rice turns golden, add water (about one finger above the rice surface) and the fish head to cook until the fish head is cooked, then remove it, continue to cook until the rice is soft for about 30 minutes.

  Tip: When the rice grains are soft, you can add more water if you want a thinner porridge!

  Then add the meatballs, straw mushrooms, and quail eggs, and adjust the seasoning to taste, then turn off the heat, add chopped green onions and pepper on top to complete.

  
• 7

  Final product

  The snakehead fish porridge with straw mushrooms and minced meat is extremely appealing, delicious, with a variety of combinations from fish, meat, and mushrooms, all bringing a nutritious dish. You can sprinkle a little chopped ginger on top to help warm the porridge!