Sour Fish Head Soup For One(Canh Chua Dau Ca

* Exported from MasterCook *

SOUR FISH HEAD SOUP FOR ONE (CANH CHUA DAU CA

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vietnamese Soups
Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Stephen Ceideburg
2 Scallions, white part only,
-crushed with the side of a
-knife
Sprinkling of freshly ground
-black pepper
2 ts Salt
2 tb Plus 4 teaspoons fish sauce
-(nuoc mam)
1 lg Fish head or fish carcass,
-split down the center
1 qt Water
1/2 c Canned sliced sour bamboo
1/4 Fresh pineapple, cut in a
-lengthwise section and
-sliced
1 d MSG (optional)
2 tb Mixed chopped fresh
-coriander (Chinese parsley)
- and green scallions

An excellent way to get twice the pleasure out of your
fish purchase. You can use either the fish head or the
fish carcass if you wish. To the people of South Viet
Nam, this is as much their traditional dish as
Southern Fried Chicken is to our southerners--and it
will meet with instant praise.

Sprinkle the scallions, black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt,
and 4 teaspoons fish sauce over the fish head. Allow
to stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and drop in the sour
bamboo and pineapple slices. Cook at a lively boil
for 5 minutes. Drop fish head into the actively
boiling water and, keeping at a boil, add the 2
tablespoons fish sauce, remaining teaspoon salt, and a
dash of MSG. Boil the fish head for a total of 10
minutes. Transfer to a soup tureen, sprinkle on the
coriander and scallion green, and serve.

Note: If the fish head is dropped into water that is
not boiling, it will fall apart.

From "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam", Bach Ngo and
Gloria Zimmerman, Barron's, 1979.

This is real good with chunks of catfish, shrimp,
whatever...



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