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Fish Broth (Súp Cá)
Fish broth, or fish fumet, is a faster, easier weeknight broth that doesn’t require hours in the kitchen. This isn’t the broth you want to boil violently and make in a rush. It’s simmered for no longer than an hour and then allowed to steep. I prefer to use salmon, grouper, or bass, though any fish could work. It’s a fantastic base that you can use to elevate soups, vegetables, and stir-fries. I also love using this simple and accessible broth for a quick, nourishing meal, adding shrimp or sliced fish, cabbage, scallions, cilantro, lime, and some spicy Vietnamese sa tế sauce with white rice.
Yield: 6 quarts (5.5 L)
- 1 pound (450 g) fish carcasses and heads
- Shrimp shells (and heads, if available) from 1 pound (450 g) wild-caught shrimp (optional)
- 6 quarts (5.5 L) spring water, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
- 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
- 1 (5-ounce [140 g]) piece fresh ginger, halved and tenderized
- 1 lemongrass stalk, tenderized
- 1 head garlic, outer papery skin removed, cut in half crosswise
- ½ cup (8 g) cilantro sprigs
- 1 whole Thai chili (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) coarse sea salt
- 1 tablespoon rainbow peppercorns
Put the fish carcasses and heads and shrimp shells and heads, if using, in a large stockpot and cover with the spring water. Add the vinegar. Bring to a soft boil over medium heat and boil for 20 minutes. Skim off any scum or impurities that rise to the top of the broth.
Once the broth is clear, add the shallots, scallions, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, cilantro, Thai chili (if using), salt, and peppercorns. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface and checking to ensure that the ingredients remain covered with water. Add more water if needed.
Remove from the heat and allow the broth to cool, uncovered, for 1 hour. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and discard any remaining solids. For an even clearer broth, strain the liquid a second time through a coffee filter placed in a strainer.
If you don’t plan on using the broth right away, allow it to cool to lukewarm. Pour it into a container with a spout to easily distribute it into quart or half-gallon (1 L or 2 L) jars. You can store the jars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. (If freezing, be sure to leave a little extra headspace in the jars before sealing.)
This recipe is excerpted from Sophia Nguyen Eng’s new book The Nourishing Asian Kitchen: Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Health and Healing (Chelsea Green Publishing, December 2023) and is printed with permission from the publisher.
To learn more about Sophia Nguyen Eng, visit sprinklewithsoil.com.
Published in the Journal of Health and Healing™
Winter 2023-24 | Volume 47, Number 4
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