A light tomato and pineapple fish broth over rice vermicelli, topped with crispy fried tilapia and a pile of fresh herbs.

Ingredients

For the broth

• 1 whole tilapia
• Water
• 1-inch piece ginger
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• Pineapple, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt

For the crispy fish

• Cornstarch
• Peanut oil, for frying

For serving

• Vermicelli noodles
• Green onion, thinly sliced
• Cilantro, chopped
• Dill, chopped
• Lettuce, chopped
• Banana blossom, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Fillet the fish and cut the fillets into strips. Keep the head and spine for the broth.
2. Heat water in a large stockpot, add the fish head, spine and ginger, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Lift out the fish bones and let them cool.
4. Heat a little oil in a skillet and stir-fry the shallot for 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, pineapple and chicken bouillon and stir-fry until the tomatoes soften slightly.
6. Add the mixture to the stockpot, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Cook the vermicelli in a separate pot of boiling water.
8. Coat the fish strips in cornstarch.
9. Heat the peanut oil to 370°F and fry the fish until crispy.
10. Pick the remaining meat off the fish spine and add it back to the broth.
11. Season the broth with fish sauce, apple cider vinegar and salt to taste.
12. Put noodles, green onion and dill in each bowl, ladle in the broth, then top with the crispy fish and the rest of the herbs.

Notes & substitutions

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