Sour Fish Head Soup(Canh Chua Dau Ca)

* Exported from MasterCook *

SOUR FISH HEAD SOUP (CANH CHUA DAU CA)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vietnamese Soups
Ceideburg 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Scallions, white part only,
-crushed with the side of a
-knife
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)
Scallion green

An excellent way to get twice the pleasure out of your
fish purchase. You can use either the fish head of the
fish carcass if you wish. To the people of the South,
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.

Makes 4 servings.

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

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

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; December 28 1991.



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