Bún Mắm da Nang

Bún Mắm (Đà Nẵng Fermented Fish Noodle Soup)

A bold, aromatic noodle soup from central Vietnam built on fermented anchovy paste, pork bones, and pineapple, served with rice vermicelli, sliced pork, and a generous plate of fresh herbs.

Prep

40 min

Cook

60 min

Total

100 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.5 kg (3¼ lb) pork bones (neck or back), blanched first
• •400 g (14 oz) pork belly, skin-on, rind on
• •400 g (14 oz) pork ribs or pork shoulder, bone-in
• •120 ml (½ cup) mắm nêm (fermented anchovy paste), see note; never boil raw, it is added at the end
• •2.5 L (10½ cups) cold water, for the broth
• •200 g (7 oz) fresh pineapple, peeled and cubed, use half in the broth, half as garnish; ripe pineapple gives the right sweet-sour balance
• •2 whole (2 stalks) lemongrass, smashed and tied
• •4 whole (4 cloves) garlic, smashed
• •3 whole (3 medium) shallots, peeled and smashed
• •2 whole (2 large) fresh red chilies, one in broth, one for the table; remove seeds to tame heat
• •2 tbsp sugar, adjust to taste; pineapple juice can replace part of it
• •500 g (17½ oz) fresh rice vermicelli (bún tươi), thin, about 1 mm; dried bún works but rinse until pliable
• •200 g (7 oz) chả lụa (Vietnamese pork loaf), or steamed white fish such as basa; optional but traditional
• •1 whole (1 small) banana blossom, shredded and soaked in salted water until serving to prevent browning
• •150 g (5 oz) water spinach (rau muống), trimmed and cut into 5 cm / 2 in lengths
• •60 g (2 oz) perilla leaves (tía tô), left whole
• •40 g (1½ oz) Vietnamese mint (húng lủi), left whole
• •2 whole limes, cut into wedges
• •2 tbsp satay chili sauce (ớt sa tế), for the table

Steps

1. 1 Par-blanch the pork bones, belly, and ribs in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water to remove scum.
2. 2 Return the pork bones to a clean 5 L / 10½ cup pot, add the belly and ribs, cover with 2.5 L / 10½ cups cold water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer.
3. 3 Skim foam for the first 10 minutes, then add the smashed lemongrass, garlic, shallots, one whole chili, half the pineapple chunks, and 1 tbsp sugar. Simmer uncovered for 50–60 minutes, skimming occasionally.
4. 4 Remove the pork belly and ribs once tender; the belly is done when a chopstick slides in easily and internal temperature reads at least 75 °C / 165 °F. Submerge in cool water for 5 minutes so it firms up for slicing, then drain. The broth should be cloudy and milky.
5. 5 Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discarding the aromatics and pineapple. Return the broth to the pot and keep it just below a simmer — do not boil once the mắm nêm is added.
6. 6 In a small bowl, stir 120 ml / ½ cup mắm nêm with 4–5 ladles of the hot broth and the remaining 1 tbsp sugar until smooth. Pour this mixture back into the pot, stir, taste, and adjust with more sugar or a splash of lime if needed. Keep the broth at around 85 °C / 185 °F; never let it boil hard or the fermented paste will turn harsh and bitter.
7. 7 Slice the rested pork belly about 3 mm / ⅛ in thick. Slice the chả lụa (or steamed fish) into coins about 5 mm / ¼ in thick. Reheat the meat briefly in a small ladle of the finished broth.
8. 8 Rinse the fresh bún tươi in cool water and divide among 4 bowls. If using dried bún, cook per the package, then rinse until pliable and cool.
9. 9 Quickly blanch the water spinach for 15–20 seconds, drain, and pile on a serving plate with the shredded banana blossom, perilla, and Vietnamese mint.
10. 10 To serve: mound warm noodles in each bowl, arrange sliced pork belly, ribs, and chả lụa on top, then ladle 350–400 ml / 1½ cups of the hot broth over. Serve the herb plate, remaining pineapple chunks, lime wedges, sliced fresh chili, and satay chili on the side so each diner seasons their own bowl.