Fish soup is a popular dish in traditional Vietnamese meals. It is not only delicious and nutritious but also helps to reduce greasiness. From the North to the South, each region has its unique way of cooking fish soup: some prefer the refreshing sour taste from tamarind, green mango, or pineapple; while others favor the mild sweetness of mustard greens or water spinach.
Despite the diverse cooking methods, the common characteristic of a delicious fish soup is that it should not have any fishy smell. The broth should be clear, and the fish meat should be tender, sweet, and not crumbly. So, how can we achieve that? Let’s explore the secrets right below.
1. Choosing and preprocessing fresh fish – the first step to determining whether the soup will taste fishy or not
To make a tasty fish soup without any fishy smell, you must start with fresh and good-quality fish. The fish should be alive, with firm meat, clear eyes, and red gills. After a long time of death, especially in the hot summer weather, the protein inside the fish will start to decompose, producing an unpleasant fishy odor. If using industrially farmed fish, the fishy taste is usually stronger than that of natural fish. Therefore, if possible, choose wild river fish, which are less fishy.
During preprocessing, remember to clean the fish scales thoroughly, remove the gills and intestines, and scrape off the black membrane inside the belly of the fish – this is where most of the foul odor is concentrated. Trimming the fins and tail will also help make the soup clearer and cleaner.
To effectively eliminate the fishy smell, you can wash the fish with coarse salt, white wine, or crushed ginger. This method not only cleans the fish but also helps to neutralize the fishy odor. After rinsing, let the fish air dry, and you can optionally marinate it with a little seasoning to enhance its flavor.
2. Using boiling water when cooking fish – a “small but powerful” tip to keep the broth clear and the fish free from any fishy smell
A common mistake that makes the fish soup taste fishy is adding the fish to cold water. When this happens, the fish meat cooks gradually from the outside in, causing amino acids to escape into the water, resulting in a strong fishy odor.
The correct way is to boil the water first and then add the fish. When the fish meets the boiling water, its skin immediately shrinks, locking in the nutrients inside and reducing the fishy smell. At the same time, boiling water also helps the fish cook quickly, keeping the meat tender and preventing it from becoming crumbly. During the cooking process, if you need to add more water, use boiled water instead of cold water to maintain a stable temperature and avoid “heat shock,” which can cause the fish to become fishy again.
3. Cooking the fish soup over medium heat and without covering the pot
After adding the fish to the boiling water, wait for the water to boil again, then reduce the heat to low. It is not advisable to cook over high heat continuously, as the extremely high temperature will cause the protein in the fish meat to break down, resulting in a fishy smell and crumbly texture.
Leaving the pot uncovered during cooking is a crucial tip to let the fishy odor evaporate. Covering the pot will not only make the broth cloudy but also trap the fishy smell inside the pot. This is especially true when cooking fish soup with vegetables, as covering the pot can cause the vegetables to change color and lose their appeal.
4. Seasoning with herbs and spices correctly – the soul of the fish soup
Spices and herbs not only enhance the flavor of the dish but also help to neutralize the fishy smell and increase its aroma. Depending on the cooking method, you can choose from the following options:
For fish soup with mustard greens: add ginger, scallions, and coriander to increase the fragrance and mask the fishy smell.
For sour fish soup: use tamarind, green mango, star fruit, or pineapple, or tamarind leaves, depending on the region. A little spicy chili can also make the dish more appealing.
For Southern-style fish soup: don’t forget to add Limnophila aromatica and sawtooth coriander, which give it a distinctive and pleasant aroma.
Note: Only add the herbs just before turning off the heat, give them a quick stir, and then ladle the soup into bowls. Adding the herbs too early or letting the soup cool down before serving can cause the herbs to turn red, lose their flavor, make the soup less appealing, and possibly increase the fishy smell.
5. Should we fry the fish before cooking? Does frying help reduce the fishy smell?
Many people have a habit of lightly frying the fish before making the soup, and this practice does have a basis. When fried, the fish skin shrinks due to the high temperature, helping to prevent the release of amino acids – the primary cause of the fishy smell. However, frying the fish also increases greasiness, making the soup slightly heavier.
If you prefer a refreshing and light taste, cook the fresh fish directly in the soup. On the other hand, if you want a richer and more savory flavor, lightly frying the fish before cooking is a reasonable choice. Be flexible with your cooking methods to cater to your family’s taste preferences.
Preparing a tasty fish soup is not too complicated, but to ensure it is fragrant, sweet, and free from any fishy smell, you need to pay attention to every step, from choosing the right fish and preprocessing it correctly to cooking and seasoning it appropriately. Each region in Vietnam has its unique way of cooking this dish, so feel free to experiment and improvise to make your family meals more diverse. Just remember these golden rules: fresh fish – thorough cleaning – boiling water – no lid – medium heat – proper seasoning, and you will always have a delicious and appealing pot of fish soup that is also good for your health.
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