Fish head noodles
Fish head mi fen (rice noodles) is the easiest hawker food you can cook at home, and is a good choice when you don't want a heavy meat meal. It is not just easy but also quick to cook, and the taste is as good as your favourite fish head noodles shop's provided you get really fresh and good fish head. I go to the fishmonger near the Kepayan stalls along the Lintas Highway coming from the airport to Penampang. The Chinese guy who runs the stall will get you the right fish for whatever you want to cook. His prices are slightly higher than Lido's, but his fish is so much fresher than those in Lido Market. For fish head dishes, he always recommends a fish called "Joo bee" in Hakka. It looks like red snapper but has a bigger head with blown-up Angelina J-like mouth and the gelatinous parts are excellent, which is what most fish head lovers look for. If you want a more deluxe bowl of noodles, add fish maw and home-made fish balls. Serve with a good blacan lime-chili sauce. I usually fry a plate of greens to balance the meal.
Fish Head Noodles
800g to 1 kg fresh fish head, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 T assam jawa
3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, sliced
6 thin slices of fresh ginger
1 to 2 T evaporated milk (to your liking)
1 Maggi chicken stock cube
coriander leaves & spring onions for garnish
thinly sliced pickled mustard/sen cai (optional)
5 cups water
2 T oil
salt to taste
1 packet mi fen*
*use mi fen from China that comes in pieces. It is smoother.
1. Soak mi fen in room temp. water for 1 hour until softened. Separate the strands with your hands. Blanch the mi fen with lots of boiling water and drain immediately.
2. Put 2 T oil in a large pot at high heat, add the ginger and fry for 20 seconds, then add the fish head in. If you prefer to deep-fry the fish head, do so. I just fry the fish head until it turns white, then add the water, tomatoes, assam (make sure the assam is broken up so it mixes well into the soup), pickled mustard if using, crumble the stock cube in, cover and let it come to a boil. Taste and add salt to your liking. Let the soup boil 2 to 3 minutes, then add the milk. Too much milk will render the soup too milky and you won't taste the fish soup.
3. Put a portion of mi fen/noodles into a bowl and ladle the boiling soup over. Top with the spring onions and coriander leaves.
Fish head mi fen (rice noodles) is the easiest hawker food you can cook at home, and is a good choice when you don't want a heavy meat meal. It is not just easy but also quick to cook, and the taste is as good as your favourite fish head noodles shop's provided you get really fresh and good fish head. I go to the fishmonger near the Kepayan stalls along the Lintas Highway coming from the airport to Penampang. The Chinese guy who runs the stall will get you the right fish for whatever you want to cook. His prices are slightly higher than Lido's, but his fish is so much fresher than those in Lido Market. For fish head dishes, he always recommends a fish called "Joo bee" in Hakka. It looks like red snapper but has a bigger head with blown-up Angelina J-like mouth and the gelatinous parts are excellent, which is what most fish head lovers look for. If you want a more deluxe bowl of noodles, add fish maw and home-made fish balls. Serve with a good blacan lime-chili sauce. I usually fry a plate of greens to balance the meal.
Fish Head Noodles
800g to 1 kg fresh fish head, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 T assam jawa
3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, sliced
6 thin slices of fresh ginger
1 to 2 T evaporated milk (to your liking)
1 Maggi chicken stock cube
coriander leaves & spring onions for garnish
thinly sliced pickled mustard/sen cai (optional)
5 cups water
2 T oil
salt to taste
1 packet mi fen*
*use mi fen from China that comes in pieces. It is smoother.
1. Soak mi fen in room temp. water for 1 hour until softened. Separate the strands with your hands. Blanch the mi fen with lots of boiling water and drain immediately.
2. Put 2 T oil in a large pot at high heat, add the ginger and fry for 20 seconds, then add the fish head in. If you prefer to deep-fry the fish head, do so. I just fry the fish head until it turns white, then add the water, tomatoes, assam (make sure the assam is broken up so it mixes well into the soup), pickled mustard if using, crumble the stock cube in, cover and let it come to a boil. Taste and add salt to your liking. Let the soup boil 2 to 3 minutes, then add the milk. Too much milk will render the soup too milky and you won't taste the fish soup.
3. Put a portion of mi fen/noodles into a bowl and ladle the boiling soup over. Top with the spring onions and coriander leaves.
12 comments:
Thanks for the recipe Terri. Fish head noodles is not available where i am. Now with your recipe and 'tasty' picture of it, I will be able to cook up some myself. But i doubt mine will taste or look as good as yours...
junkgirl: i bet my last ringgit tt u will cook a great-tasting bowl of fish head noodles if u follow this recipe :) n ur pic will be as nice if u use the warm mode on ur camera n Photoshop's curves, haha, which I've just learnt last week. it brightens the photos such as this which was taken past 6pm.
That bowl of fish head noodles just look beautiful! Would be perfect the freezing weather in Melbourne right now!
yummm...one of my fave dishes! what can i substitute with assam jawa? tamarind juice?
It looks like red snapper but has a bigger head with blown-up Angelina J-like mouth.
HHHHHAAAHAHA! Rmember my celebrity post?
Hilary Clinton + P. Diana ? but in tt case W = Bill C. + P. Charles, a total wimp? So in that case I wanted to say W = Brad pitt, but on 2nd thought, i think u will scream at me! "DO I have botox kind of lips?"
I still haven't come across a good bowl of fish head noodles that i like...hmm...maybe should try my luck in KK? ;)
this bowl of noodles look so comforting. i can almost taste it esp the tomatos bit..i have a similar recipes but both of us still cant master eating fish heads hehehe..a little stupid i know. maybe will cook with just fish fillets soon. thanks for recipe.
Hi Terri
fish head noodle is one of my favourites; will defintely try the recipe next week cos KC bought some of that red fish in Kudat.
thanks for the honey comb cake ; sorry for the delay in thanking u. It was good. Been quite busy lately so no time for baking.
i miss u too much !
i have no internet at home.
too boring !
hehehehe Terri this is the dish I would expect you to cook, when I drop by! lol!
hungry hamster: yes, my girl told me tt it's "shit cold" now. it's damn HOT here, like an oven n i find it hard to cook.
moodie: try assam keping but i'd prob. soak it in hot water first, then use the water.
denise: in no way am i as beautiful or as ugly as tt woman!
preciousp: oh dear, u must have very high standards! i'll never cook this for u...
gregwee: so western ah, cannot eat fish head. btw, i met ur mom n we got along well:) i would love to have her over for din but we r putting all entertaining on hold bc Ming's preparing for his A levels. i hope she'll come again, with u next time.
liz: u r welcome. ur hub seems to know where to get all the best fish. i rmber tt he was the one who pointed out to me the green wrasse in lido market, n it remains one of my fav fish :) hey, 1st comment frm u, thanks n do give me more feedback!
lily: yes, it's so boring w/o the internet n we miss u too :( catch up next week when leila comes back.
bbo: no way, i wouldn't cook this for u. n i wouldn't cook any dessert too. come to think of it, we'll eat out!
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