Fish Balls Soup (Bún Chả Cá Nha Trang)

I got the inspiration for this recipe by reading an article about Nha Trang. This was named by tourists as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I left Vietnam in 1984 and have not been back to visit. My oldest sister, Phương, has a home at Củ Chi, and she has been frequently a tourist in Viet Nam. She told me about Nha Trang and pressed that I should come back and enjoy the city as a tourist of Vietnam. Most of the people living at Nha trang are fisherman. It does not surprise me because Nha Trang has a 3000 kilometer coastline with a white sand beach, and fishing will be the main job at Nha Trang. Like most meals that are created by all of the fresh seafood that are caught each day, the one that I learned is the fish balls soup. My sister talked about this soup and how wonderful it is to enjoy a bowl of soup with knowing that the fish are fresh from the ocean. Even though I have not tasted this soup yet, having read most of the tourists comments about how wonderful this soup is whether served in a restaurant or simply on the street, I believe it is true because of the freshness of the fish and the ambiance. I can imagine myself walking on the white sand beach, feeling the breeze of the ocean on my face and body, and later being fed with a bowl of Bún Chả Cá Nha Trang. Some recipes for this soup are clear broth and some have a red color that comes from anata seeds. Whichever broth is used, it should not change the taste nor the way to prepare this soup. Most of the time, because of the busy lifestyles that we have created for ourselves, we forget that happiness is a small thing. It is right in front of our eyes. We just need to wrap it up and enjoy, and for me making Bún Chả Cá Nha Trang today is a good thing.

Ingredients:
1 lb. fish paste, homemade or store-bought
8 oz tuna fish and tilapia, cut into chunks
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cups pineapple, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 white onion, sliced
8 cups chicken broth

Serve with:
Cooked rice noodles (follow the instructions on the package)
Vietnamese vegetable plate, adding banana blossoms and ong choi
Lemon, fresh hot chili, and fish sauce for dipping
Green onions and cilantro, chopped for garnish

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine fish paste, salt, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, shallots, and chopped green onions and mix well. Roll the fish paste into small balls. Divide the fish balls into two portions and flatten half of the balls into small cakes about 1/4 inch thick.
In a small sauté pan, add some oil and fry the fish balls until golden brown. Remove form the pan.

 

 

In a same sauté pan, add a little more oil, if needed. Sprinkle tuna and tilapia fish with some salt and black pepper. Pan fry them 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside. You can make this step just 5 minutes before the soup is done

In a medium pot over medium heat, add some oil. Add white onion and chopped tomatoes ( take a few wedges of tomatoes and chop them).

Cook until tomatoes are soft, and add some chili flakes to make the red color for the broth. Add the pineapple. Stir and cook for a few minutes so that the pineapple is relieved of its sweetness.

 Add broth to the pot and bring to boil.

Drop the fish balls and the tomatoes into the broth. Bring back to boil and cook for 3 minutes.

 

 

 

Add fried fish balls to the soup. Season the soup with salt and fish sauce. Simmer the soup for another 5 minutes.

To serve the soup:
Place cooked noodles on the bottom of soup bowl. Divide the fried fish equally– some fried fish balls and cooked fish balls – for each guest. Ladle the broth, some tomatoes, and pineapple over the soup bowl. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and cilantro. On the side, serve the Vietnamese vegetables plate and a small bowl of chili dipping sauce.