Recipe: Seafood hotpot w/ fermented fish - Lẩu mắm

By Helen Le Published: March 16, 2015

  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 1 hr 30 mins
  • Ready In: 2 hrs 0 min

  • Yield: 6-8 Servings

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Ingredients
Instructions
  • Season the pork belly with 1 tsp minced shallot, ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp pork stock or chicken stock and 2-3 tsp fish sauce. Mix well and set aside for about 15 minutes.
  • Boil the pork bones with the water over high heat for about 5 minutes until the impurities rise to the top. Dump out the whole pot, wash the bones and the pot clean , then return the bones to the clean pot. Add 3 liters of water, 1 tsp salt and ½ peeled onion. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium and cook for 1 hour.
  • In a saucepan, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and fry 1 tbsp minced garlic and 1 tbsp minced lemongrass until fragrant. Then add the seasoned pork and stir-fry until it's no longer pink. Then add the eggplant, 1 tsp hot pepper flakes and 1 tsp chicken stock or sugar. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the eggplants are slightly cooked. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  • For the fermented fish broth, use Mam ca linh and Mam ca sac (200 g each). Cook the fermented fish with 1 litter of water. Bring to a boil and cook on medium for 15 minutes until you only see the bones in the broth. (The smell is pretty strong so remember to open your window)
  • Pour the fermented fish broth into the pork broth through a sieve. Discard the left overs. Next, use a pestle to smash 3-4 stocks of lemongrass. Add to the broth pot.
  • Also add the stir-fried pork belly and eggplants into the broth pot, then season the broth to your taste with some sugar or chicken stock.
  • To serve, add your favorite seafood and vegetables into the boiling broth. Cook for a couple of minutes and then enjoy with some rice vermicelli and dipping sauce.