Bún Kèn - Vietnamese Fish Curry
Bún Kèn is a speciality of the Vietnamese island of Phú Quốc and tastes just like paradise.
Ingredients
- 3 Cod fillets or use any firm white fish
- 500 ml Chicken stock
- 6 Garlic cloves
- 2 Shallots
- 5 Lemongrass sticks
- 5 cm Fresh Turmeric or use 1 heaped tbsp dried turmeric
- 1 tbsp Curry powder
- 2 tbsp Caster sugar
- 400 ml Coconut milk
- 50 g Coconut Cream
- 4 Lime leaves
- 2 nests Rice noodles I used flat noodles, but you can also use vermicelli
- Fish sauce
- Mint, Coriander and Vietnamese Coriander
- 1/4 Cucumber, julienned
- Beansprouts
- Sunflower oil
Instructions
- Add the chicken stock to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once bubbling, add one of the cod fillets and bring the chicken stock back to the boil and then turn off the heat. Remove the fish and set aside - it won't be fully cooked yet. Keep the chicken stock for later.3 Cod fillets, 500 ml Chicken stock
- Place the garlic, fresh turmeric, shallots and lemongrass in a blender or food processor and blitz to a coarse paste.6 Garlic cloves, 2 Shallots, 5 Lemongrass sticks, 5 cm Fresh Turmeric
- Add a tablespoon of sunflower oil to a large frying pan. Add the paste and fry over a medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the poached fish fillet and stir for 30 seconds. The fish will break up and combine with the paste.
- Add a tablespoon of salt, the sugar, curry powder, lime leaves and coconut cream. Stir to combine and then add about 2 ladles of chicken stock. This should make a thin soup.1 tbsp Curry powder, 2 tbsp Caster sugar, 50 g Coconut Cream, 4 Lime leaves
- Add half the coconut milk and a tablespoon of fish sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add the remaining 2 cod fillets and simmer for 5-7 minutes until cooked through, whilst gradually adding the rest of the coconut milk as the sauce thickens. You should be left with two cod fillets cooked through in a creamy broth.400 ml Coconut milk
- Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions.2 nests Rice noodles
- To your serving bowls, add the julienned cucumber, a handful of beansprouts and a handful of herbs,Fish sauce, Mint, Coriander and Vietnamese Coriander, 1/4 Cucumber, julienned, Beansprouts
- Once the noodles and fish are cooked, add a handful of noodles to the serving bowls, topped with one of the cod fillets and then ladle on the curry sauce. Serve with fish sauce for seasoning at the table.Fish sauce
