Complete- Drop #25: Cook Bun Mam

     Once I got past the fact that this recipe does not exist in English, and varies so much in Vietnamese, I think I was finally able to figure out how to cook this thing! With that said, I am pretty sure this is the only English recipe for Bún mắm. I'm not for sure if this is the way it's typically done, or how close it is to the actual taste it's supposed to be since I have never actually eaten it elsewhere, but it passed the taste test.


     For the Soup:

Pork Bones
Mam Tom (a very stinky, purple shrimp paste)
Catfish
Squid
Shrimp
Aubergine (not pictured)
Pork Belly
Lemongrass (6 stalks did the job)
Garlic (however much. I used 4 large cloves)

Rock Sugar

MSG (Optional)

  Parboil the pork bones. Rinse, heat up a fresh batch of water, and put bones back into the pot. Heat to boiling and skim top as needed. Cut the bulb off the lemongrass, smash, and add to broth. Skim periodically. Add the Mam Tom (maybe about a quarter of the container... I put a bit more than half and it came out really strong... You can add more later) to the broth. After a few hours of cooking chop/food process the remaining lemongrass stems until very small. Do same with garlic. In a frying pan, put some oil in the pan. Cut up one of the pork belly, add to the hot pan, and fry up with the lemongrass and garlic. Once cooked, add to the pot. 
     When you think you're getting close to being done (you can let the soup boil as long as you want) get your seafood ready while you're frying up a whole strip of the pork belly. Slice the fried pork belly the same was as before, and set aside. Cut the aubergines so that the slices are circular, about 1 and 1/2 inch thick, and cut those in fours. Throw in the soup. cook until tender, then remove.


     Strain the broth, and remove the bones, lemongrass etc. Reheat the broth, and cook the seafood. While doing this, start your noodles (bun rice noodles)


Toppings:

   

Bean Sprouts
Culantro (similar to Cilantro but stronger...)
Ngo Om (Rice paddy herb)
Rau Den (Chinese Spinach)
He (Type of Chive)
Ong Choy (Water Spinach, stems only)
Bac Ha (Taro Shoots)
Thai Basil
Banana Flower
Scallion
Lime


     I found I had to pickle the banana flower after cutting it into thin rings in order for it to keep color, so don't slice this until you're just about to serve. The only other odd prep for the toppings is to remove the stems from the water spinach and to cut them in long, thin strips. Keep them in cold water so they curl.


     Put noodles in bowl, ladle broth on top, throw on culantro and scallions. Serve with the plate of herbs and a spoonful of the mam tom on the side, and you're all set!

     The smell of the soup, I have to be honest, was not pleasant. Once I was able to push past that, the broth itself was pretty good! Again, I'll have to check it's authenticity to another one (once I find it), but I am considering this a success!