Fish and pineapple soup
The first time we saw this on the menu of a restaurant in Bankal Pinang, Indonesia, we thought, « Could be great, could be gross ». We're happy our friend insisted we try it! This soup is also delicious with other kinds of fish, shrimp, mussels, or squid.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp tamarind or ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 1 piece (1-inch) ginger, chopped
- 2 tsp turmeric, ground
- ¼ tsp long pepper or white pepper
- 2 to 4 fresh Thai chilies, chopped
- ¼ tsp shrimp paste or 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 12 oz mackerel filet and/or shrimp and/or squid
- 1 small pineapple
- 1 stalk lemongrass or lemon zest
- 1 slice galangal, dry or fresh (opt.)
- 2 firm tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp palm sugar or honey (opt.)
- Salt to taste
- Thai basil or basil
- Sambal oelek
Method
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1
Soak tamarind in ¼ cup boiling water.
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2
Put garlic, shallots, ginger, turmeric, long pepper, chilies and shrimp paste in a mortar or food processor and purée.
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3
Cut fish into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl with 1/3 of the spice paste. Mix to season each piece. Set aside.
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4
Wash, peel, and core pineapple. Cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a pot.
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5
Wash and bruise lemongrass. Place in the pot of pineapple with the rest of the spice paste. Add 5 cups water, galangal, chopped tomatoes, and tamarind pulp with its juice. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
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6
Add the marinated fish and cook for 3 more minutes. Taste; then add sugar or salt if needed. Garnish with basil. Serve with sambal oelek.
