Cambodian hot/sour fish soup

Cambodian hot/sour fish soup

Various version of this tangy soup can be found throughout Southeast Asia, with the emphasis on hot, sweet and sour varying from region to region, In Cambodia, chillies provide heat, tamarind produces tartness and ripe pineapple adds a fruity, sweet note.

2 tbsp fish sauce

juice of 2 limes

2 cloves garlic,finely chopped

freshly ground boac pepper

1 fresh basa, sea bass or red snapper (about 1 kg) filleted

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

2 shallots, sliced

45 gr fresh galangal, peeled and chopped

2 lemongrass stalks, cut into strips and crushed

30 g dried squid, soaked in water for 30 minutes, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp tamarind paste

2-3 red Thai chillies, seeded and sliced

1 tbsp palm sugar

2-3 tbsp fish sauce

225 g fresh pineapple, peeled and diced

3 tomatoes, skinned,seeded and chopped

60 g tinned sliced bamboo shoots, drained

small bunch fresh coriander, finely ground black pepper

1 lime quartered

big handful of fresh beansprouts

big bunch of fill, chopped

Combine fish sauce, lime juice, garlic and boac pepper in a large bowl. Cut fish into bite-sized pieces, reserving head, tail and bones for stock. Put fish chances in marinade, toss lightly, cover and set aside. Heat oil in a deep saucepan and stir in spring onions, shallots, galangal, lemongrass and dried squid. Add fish head, bones and tail, and saute gently for a minute or two. Pour in roughly 1 little water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes Strain stock into another deep saucepan, then bring clear stock to the boil. Stir in tamarind paste, chillies, sugar and fish sauce, simmer for 2-3 minutes.

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かあまぼぢあんぱすた Cambodian Herbal Paste

Cambodian Herbal Paste かあまぼぢあんぱすた

This versatile herbal paste includes the three key components of Cambodian cooking-lemongrass, galangal and turmeric. It is used to flavour many soups and stirfries, and it is rubbed on meat and fish before grilling over charcoal.

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Using a pestle and mortar, grind ingredients to a paste, adding a little water to brind. Or put all the ingredients in a blender whit 1-2 tablespoons water and whiz until they form a paste. 

Spoon paste into a jar or small bowl, and cover. May be kept in refrigerator for week.

Spices, herbs and flavoring

Soy sauce or a sprinkling of spring onions, they add flavour, colour and texture.

Chinese five/ spice powder
Based on a mixture sweet, sour, bitter, hot and salty. This power is traditionally made up of star anis, cloves, fennel, seeds, cinnamon and Szechuan peppercorns.

Chillies
The chillies used are the small, fiery, red and green 'Thai bird' varieties.

Fish sauce
Fermented fish sauce is a principal ingredient particularly in soups, marinades and dipping sauces.

Galangal
Ginger family, galangal is aromatic and pungent. It is used in spicy pastes and marinades and in soups, curries.

Garlic
It is used in its raw from to flavour pickles, marinades, sauces and dips.

Root ginger
Fresh root ginger is used liberally in stirfries, stews, rice, pickles, steamed dishes.

Kaffir lime leaves
Which lend a bitter, flowery note to soups and stews.

Lemongrass
It is a woody, pale yellowish-green in colour. Lemongrass added to soups, stirfries, curries and marinades.

Palm sugar
It is golden to toffee-brown in colour. Extracted from the sap of various palm trees.

Pandanus leaf
The long, narrow leaves are tied together and bruised to released their unique flavour before being added to dishes.

Soy sauce
It is used extensively in stirfries, marinades and dipping sauces. Chinese hoisin sauce, prepared whit fermented soya beans, vinagar, sugar and garlic, or Indonesian sweet soy sauce ( used Palm sugar)

Star anise
The fruits are reddish-brown whit a seed in each of the eight prongs of the star.

Tiger lily buds
Also known as 'golden needles' as they are light golden in colour, they are regarded as both a vegetable and herb. Traditionally before cooking, the buds are knotted in the centre ans soaked in water for about 30 minutes.

Turmeric
Fresh turmeric is a knobbly root whit fingers, similar in appearance to ginger, although dark brown in colour whit a bright orange.

Geographically, the continent of Asia spreads across a vast chunk at the world, stretching from Turkey in the west to the far shores of Japan.

In Japan, which otherwise consists primarily of fish, vegetables, fruit and rice.

Rice　

In Asia, there are three main groups of rice:
Long-grain, short-grain and sticky 'glutinous' rice. Once cooked, the tender grains should turn white and fluff up easily whit a fork while retaining a bite.

Noodles

The main dish does not contain rice to provide the starch content of the meal.

Vegetables

Typical vegetables in the Asia kitchen include snake beans, daikon, bok choy, jicama, bamboo shoots, beansprouts, winter melon, small aubergines and mushrooms.


Bamboo shorts
The creamy-white, fresh shoots gave a wonderful texture and flavour and are delicious in stirfries and soups.


Beansprouts
Beansprouts can be eaten raw or added to many stirfries and soups for their refreshing, crunchy bite.


Bok choy
Green, leafy cabbage has juicy white stems and crunchy dark- green leaves. Also know as 'pak choi'.


Daikon
White in colour, this root vegetable looks very similar to a large carrot. Also know as oriental white radish.


Jicama
Resembling a large turnip, whit a crunchy texture, similar to water chestnuts and lotus roots. Slices for soups, salads and stirfries.


Snake beans
Also Known as 'chopstick beans' or 'yard-long beans'.


Winter melon
Prepared and cooking in much the same way as a pumpkin, winter melon is added to soups, stews and stirfries because the flesh absorbs the flavours of the dish.


Fruit
The variety of exotic, tropical fruits is astounding, including fresh coconut, banana, lychee, pineapple, mangosteen, mango, papaya, star fruit, jackfruit, guava, passionfruit, pomelo, dragon fruit and the pungent durian.