For a light and savory meal, Vietnamese tend to dine on a variety of noodle soups with meat or seafood.
A bowl of perch vermicelli soupVermicelli fish soup made with the meat of the climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) is a common dish for locals, unique for the distinctive flavor of the fish and the broth.
Firstly, clean the fish, remove its intestines and boil it for a short time to extract the flesh.
Mix the flesh with chopped tomatoes, ginger and chilies. Pour some water into the mixture at the ratio of two and a half cups of water per fish. Boil the contents until the flesh separates then sieve the fish meat and leave the remaining broth as the base for the soup.
For one liter of broth, add half a tablespoonful of ginger and slices of red onions and a teaspoon of salt. Do not simmer pig’s bones as with most other broths, as it would spoil the flavor of the perch.
The broth may be cooked in two different ways. For perch that have eggs, northern folks fry red onion slices with a little fat to blend into the broth. The fish eggs and mixture form a yellow veneer on top of the broth, tempting the palate of diners. Meanwhile, people in the south usually add several spoons of vegetable oil and a bit of red food coloring to the broth.
Another method involves mincing 200 grams of shrimp meat with one tablespoon of red onions and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Fry the paste in three spoons of cooking oil and add it to the broth. A good broth will look yellowish, with a thin layer of fat on the surface.
Perch vermicelli soup can be served with the meat of other types of freshwater fish as well.
Source: TN
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