Penang Assam Laksa

Ingredients

• 800g fresh mackerel or sardines, gutted
• 2.5 litres water
• 6 pieces dried tamarind slices (asam gelugor)
• 3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 10 dried red chillies
• 4 fresh red chillies
• 10 shallots, peeled
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled (or 2 tsp ground turmeric)
• 3 stalks lemongrass, pale part only
• 3cm piece galangal, peeled
• 2 tsp shrimp paste (belacan)
• 1 torch ginger flower (bunga kantan), halved lengthways
• 8 stalks Vietnamese mint (daun kesum) or laksa leaves
• 3 tbsp palm sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 600g thick round rice noodles (laksa noodles)
• 1/4 pineapple, cut into thin batons
• 1 cucumber, cut into thin batons
• 1 red onion, sliced paper-thin
• 2 red chillies, sliced
• large handful of mint leaves
• 1 head of lettuce, shredded
• 4 tbsp hae ko (thick black prawn paste), loosened with a little hot water
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Before you cook

• Soak the dried chillies in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain and squeeze them dry.
• Blend the soaked chillies, fresh chillies, shallots, garlic, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal and shrimp paste with 5 tablespoons of water to a fine paste.
• Cut the pineapple, cucumber and onion into thin strips and keep them chilled on a platter with the mint and lettuce.
• Loosen the hae ko with 2 tablespoons of hot water until it pours thickly.

Steps

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot with the dried tamarind slices.
2. Lower in the whole mackerel and poach them for 12 minutes until the flesh flakes from the bone.
3. Lift the fish out onto a tray and let it cool for 10 minutes.
4. Flake all the flesh off the fish with your fingers, discarding every bone, skin and the heads.
5. Return the bones and heads to the pot and simmer them for 20 minutes to strengthen the stock.
6. Strain the stock through a sieve back into a clean pot and discard the bones.
7. Stir the blended spice paste into the strained stock along with the tamarind paste, the halved torch ginger flower, the Vietnamese mint stalks, the palm sugar and the salt.
8. Simmer the broth uncovered for 30 minutes so it reduces slightly and the flavours settle.
9. Add about three quarters of the flaked fish to the broth and simmer for another 15 minutes until it breaks down and thickens the soup.
10. Taste the broth and push it further with tamarind, sugar or salt until it is bracingly sour with a sweet edge behind it.
11. Cook the rice noodles in a separate pan of boiling water according to the packet, then drain and rinse them under cold water.
12. Divide the noodles between six deep bowls.
13. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles, sharing out the fish.
14. Top each bowl with pineapple, cucumber, red onion, sliced chilli, mint, lettuce and the remaining flaked fish.
15. Spoon a dark drizzle of hae ko over each bowl and serve with lime wedges to squeeze in at the table.