Fish head noodle is a popular hawker's dish. It's also something you can easily cook at home as it's super easy and quick. The fish soup is a delicious and infamous milky white broth and its not 'fishy-smelling' as the fish has been fried and then simmered with ginger, pickled mustard greens and tomatoes. Certainly a very flavourful and appetising dish.
350gfish head, cut into big pieces, preferably garoupa fish
1tablespoonsalt
1cupcornflour flour, or tapioca flour
250grice noodles, or beehoon, round and spaghetti-thick
1piecepickled mustard greens, cut into long strips
50gyoung ginger, sliced thinly
2tomatoes, cut into wedges
3pickled plum, mashed
1teaspoonoil
1teaspoonsesame oil
1litrewater, or chicken stock for more flavour
¼cupevaporated milk
Seasoning:
½tablespoonfish sauce
1tablespoonchicken stock granules
¼teaspoonpepper
½teaspoonsalt
Garnishing:
1stalkspring onions, cut into sections
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Instructions
Wash fish head, cut into big pieces and drained well.
Sprinkle and rub some salt and pepper on the fish to marinate them for 1 hour.
Next lightly rub cornstarch over the fish. (Add a little rice flour to the fish if you want the fish to stay crispier for a longer time).
Then fry the fish head in the oil. Fry for about 5 minutes and then turn them over. Fry them until brown and crispy, another 10 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on strainer.
Prepare ingredients to make the soup. First cut pickled mustard greens into strips, cut tomatoes into wedges, slice ginger into pieces and cut spring onions for garnishing.
To make the soup, first heat up a little oil in wok or pan. Then add in slices of ginger.
Add a dash of sesame oil and stir fry until fragrant.
Then add the cut tomatoes and pickled mustard greens followed by sour and salty mashed sour plum.
Next add in chicken stock or water. Cover and bring it to a boil. Let it boil over high heat for 10 minutes.
Then open the lid, stir and turn down the heat to low and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove all the cooked vegetables, ginger and plum seeds from the wok with a strainer.
Blanch the green lettuce in the boiling soup and set aside.
Next, add the fried fish head pieces to the soup and boil for a few minutes. Remove from the wok with a strainer and set aside.
Lastly add in the evaporated milk and fish sauce to taste.
To serve, put the cooked noodles in a serving bowl. Add the blanched lettuce, fried fish and finally the delicious milky white soup.
Garnish with cut tomatoes, pickled mustard green and green onions.
Serve the fish head noodle soup hot with chopped bird's eye chilies in soy sauce.