Mohinga with Fish-Bone Broth, Toasted Rice and Crispy Shallots

Method

1. Remove the gills and any blood from the fish heads and bones and rinse until the water runs clear. Put the bones, water, half the bashed lemongrass and some of the ginger, thinly sliced, in a 22 cm pot and bring to the boil on high heat, skimming off the foam. Turn down to medium-low heat, half-cover and simmer for 25 min; keep it barely trembling, because a hard boil makes the broth cloudy and fishy. Add the fish fillet for 8 min, then lift it out and flake it, and strain the broth through a fine sieve back into the pot.

   Add in this stepFish heads and bones (from lean white fish) 500 gWater 1,700 mlLemongrass stalks 1½Fresh ginger 9 gWhite fish fillet (catfish or cod) 300 g

   high heat→medium-low heat

2. Toast the raw rice in a dry pan on medium-low heat, shaking constantly, for 7 min until deep golden and smelling of toasted grain, adding the chickpea flour for the last 2 minutes. Let it cool, grind the rice finely in a spice grinder, mix it with the chickpea flour and whisk in a ladle of cooled broth until smooth.

   Add in this stepRaw jasmine rice 2 tbspChickpea flour (gram flour) 2 tbsp

   medium-low heat

3. Slice the shallots evenly 2 mm thick and pat them dry. Put them in a small 16 cm saucepan with the cold oil (no more than a third of the pan's depth), set over medium heat and fry, stirring, for 8 min. As soon as they turn pale gold (about 160 °C), lift them onto kitchen paper; they keep darkening after they come out. Any water makes the oil spit, and never leave hot oil unattended. Keep the shallot oil.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil for frying 150 mlShallots 4

   medium heat

4. Blend the onion, garlic, the rest of the ginger and the tender part of the remaining lemongrass into a paste. Heat 3 tbsp of the shallot oil in a pan on medium heat and fry the paste for 10 min until golden and the oil separates, then add the turmeric, paprika, chilli powder and shrimp paste and fry 1 minute more. Add the flaked fish and stir for 2 minutes to coat.

   Add in this stepOnion 1Garlic cloves 5Fresh ginger 21 gLemongrass stalks 1½Ground turmeric 1 tspPaprika 1 tspChilli powder ½ tspShrimp paste 1 tsp

   medium heat

5. Add the fish mixture to the broth and stir in the rice and chickpea slurry. Simmer on medium-low heat for 15 min, stirring often, until it reaches a thin-cream consistency, then season with fish sauce and pepper.

   Add in this stepFish sauce 1½ tbspBlack pepper ½ tsp

   medium-low heat

6. Lower the eggs into boiling water and boil on medium heat for 7 min, then plunge them straight into iced water, peel and halve. The yolks stay soft and jammy.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   medium heat

7. Bring 2 L of water to the boil on high heat, cook the noodles for 3 min, rinse under cold water and drain.

   Add in this stepThin rice vermicelli 160 g

   high heat

8. Put the noodles in bowls and ladle over the hot soup. Top with the jammy eggs, crispy shallots and coriander, drizzle with a few drops of shallot oil and serve with lime and chilli flakes.

   Add in this stepCoriander (cilantro) 10 gLime 1Dried chilli flakes (to taste) to taste