Ingredients:

  • 1 lb catfish fillets
  • 4 stalks lemongrass, divided
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 medium red onions
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp shrimp paste
  • 0.25 cup peanut oil
  • 0.25 cup toasted chickpea flour
  • 2 tbsp toasted rice powder
  • 1 banana stem, sliced (or 150g canned bamboo shoots)
  • 1 lb thin rice vermicelli
  • 4 large hard-boiled eggs

Instructions:

  1. Place the catfish, 2 stalks of bruised lemongrass, turmeric, and fish sauce in 6 cups of water. Note: This creates the gold stock that forms the heart of the dish.
  2. Remove the fish after 15 minutes until the flesh flakes easily with a fork. Strain the liquid and set aside, discarding the spent lemongrass.
  3. Remove any skin or bones from the catfish and flake into large, gourmet chunks. Note: Keeping the pieces larger prevents them from disintegrating during the second simmer.
  4. Pound the red onions, garlic, ginger, and shrimp paste in a mortar until a coarse, vibrant purple paste forms.
  5. Heat peanut oil in your pot and sizzle the paste with paprika. Note: This step, the aromatic bloom, is where the color and heat are locked into the fat.
  6. In a separate dry pan, toast the chickpea flour and rice powder until they smell intensely of toasted nuts.
  7. Whisk the toasted flours into 1 cup of the cooled fish stock until no lumps remain.
  8. Add the remaining stock, the flaked fish, the slurry, and the sliced banana stem to the pot.
  9. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes until the broth is thick enough to coat a spoon.
  10. Ladle the hot broth over cooked rice vermicelli and garnish with halved hard boiled eggs.