Bun Ca from Vietnam

My second attempt at a Vietnamese meal turned out so much better than the first. I made Bun Ca, a vermicelli noodle fish soup. I always thought Bun was a cold noodle salad-type dish, but this one has a delicious broth in the recipe that made it almost pho-esque. It's going to stay in my repertoire, whatever the case.

I used a nice white fish (which I thoughtfully didn't label when I put it in the freezer bag after catching it), something like mahi mahi, halibut, bass, etc.

Marinate fish steaks or chunks in 2-3 Tbsp fish sauce (the better quality, the better the flavor), 1/4-1/2 tsp of black pepper, 1/2 tsp sugar, and one thinly sliced shallot for at least 15 minutes. Longer is better, but I wouldn't leave it more than 30-40 minutes. While it is marinating, make your broth and noodles.

** just a note on the noodles, I already ate the leftovers and preferred the texture of the noodles the next day over the freshly boiled ones. If I make this again, I'll make the noodles the day before and keep them in portions in the fridge.

The broth called for fish balls, which I don't care for, so I removed them before eating the soup. If you don't have access to fish balls, you can boil a couple chunks of your fish meat in the broth to add flavor.

Broth:
3-4 pints chicken stock (or seafood stock if you have it)
10 fish balls (I took these out before serving the soup)
1 Tbsp salt, sugar
Bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat and add 1/8 tsp each of cinnamon and allspice (you can add 1-2 star anise if you like)
Add a scored jalapeno pepper, and a few sprigs of dill and thai basil. Steep the fresh ingredients for 5 - 10 minutes, then remove. Keep the broth boiling hot after this for serving!

Noodles:
I suggest you prepare them ahead of time, but you can just follow the directions on the packet. Use vermicelli rice noodles.

Fish:
While the fresh ingredients are steeping in the broth, heat a skillet to fairly high heat and sear your fish on all sides. You may allow the fish to finish cooking in the soup as the broth is boiling hot when you add it to the bowl.

Presentation:
Place a large handful of noodles in the bottom of a bowl (use one that is wider than it is deep) and arrange tomato slices, pineapple slices (delicious with the spiciness of the broth), cilantro, sliced fresh jalapeno, thai basil, bean sprouts, and a chunk of your seared fish. Add hot sauce (like Sriracha, if you can. Mexican sauces impart a lot of flavor that can mask the delicate broth you just made) if you wish. Ladle the hot hot broth over top and enjoy!

I like to serve a dipping sauce with these types of soups. This time I used Hoisin, Sriracha, and fish sauce.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip to Vietnam and I can't wait to try my next Vietnamese fish recipe!