← Nouns Cooking · Soup Pot

Ingredients

• 1.75 l Water
• 3 lemongrass stalks (1 bruised, 2 sliced)
• 1½ tsp Ground turmeric
• 500 g catfish or other firm white fish fillets
• 6 Shallot, chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 3 cm piece Ginger, sliced
• 3 Dried chillies, soaked and drained
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 3 tbsp Rice flour
• 2 tbsp Gram (chickpea) flour
• 3 tbsp Fish sauce
• 250 g Rice vermicelli
• 4 Eggs, hard-boiled and halved
• 2 Lime, cut into wedges
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), leaves picked
• 4 tbsp Crispy fried shallots
• 1 tsp chilli flakes, to serve

Method

1. Bring the water to a simmer with the bruised lemongrass, 1 tsp of the turmeric and 1 tsp salt. Add the fish and poach gently for 8–10 min, until it flakes. Lift it out, flake it and keep the broth.
2. Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, chillies and sliced lemongrass to a paste with a splash of water.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the paste with the remaining turmeric and the paprika for 8–10 min, stirring, until it darkens and the oil separates. Stir in the flaked fish for 2 min.
4. Toast the rice flour and chickpea flour in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 min, stirring, until they smell nutty and turn pale gold. Whisk them into a smooth slurry with a cup of cold water.
5. Strain the broth into the pot with the fish paste, whisk in the slurry and simmer for 15 min, stirring often, until it thickens to a creamy soup. Season with the fish sauce.
6. Meanwhile cook the noodles as the packet says and drain. Divide between bowls, ladle the soup over and top with egg, coriander, crispy shallots, lime and chilli flakes.

Tips

• Tender banana stem is the traditional extra; sliced and simmered in the broth, it adds a gentle crunch.
• Shop-bought crispy shallots can contain wheat flour, so check the label if you need the soup gluten-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Jamie Oliver olive magazine 196 Flavors