Asian Celery Broth With Barramundi - Real Recipes from Mums

Known as Canh Chua Ngọt in Vietnamese, this recipe is an easy-to-prepare restaurant quality dish, which serves 4-6 as part of a shared meal.

This recipe is courtesy of Luke Nguyen, chef, TV host, and co-owner of acclaimed Sydney restaurant Red Lantern (www.redlantern.com.au), which he runs with sister Pauline Nguyen and chef Mark Jensen.

Ingredients (serves 5)

6 Asian celery stalks
6 spring onions (scallions), white part only, chopped
2 bird’s eye chillies, chopped
700 g (1 lb 9 oz) barramundi fillets, skin on, pin-boned
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 litres (70 fl oz/ 8 cups) fish stock
125 ml (4 fl oz / ½ cup) fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced into wedges
1 large handful bean sprouts
2 limes, cut into wedges

Method

Pick the leaves from the celery stalks, reserving the leaves for later use, then roughly chop the stalks. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the celery stalks, spring onion and chilli into a paste. Set aside.
Slice the barramundi widthways into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then add the oil and pan-fry the barramundi fillets, skin side down, for 3 minutes, or until the skin is crisp. Remove and set aside in a warm place.
Put the celery paste, fish stock, fish sauce and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and then gently add the fish fillets, placing them skin side up. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and celery leaves.
Divide the fish evenly among serving bowls, placing the fish in the bowl skin side up, then pour the soup over the top. Garnish with the bean sprouts and a wedge of lime.

50 Comments

- - cassy26 said
  - 25 Aug 2024
    9:27 am
Yummo. This looks so good. Thanks for sharing.

- - RonnieDe said
  - 20 Oct 2022
    5:13 pm
Love Barramundi, actually cooking a whole one for tea tonight. When searching for ideas, came across this recipe., I will be giving it a try with some fillets, just have to add to my shopping list. Thank you.

- - Ellen said
  - 29 Aug 2018
    4:08 am
I’ll pass this one on to someone else.

- - mom90758 said
  - 03 Dec 2017
    9:19 pm
Surely something different. I don’t eat much fish, but I do like salmon and barramundi. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

- - mom112023 said
  - 02 Dec 2017
    11:45 am
It looks divine. Lovely recipe which I’ll be trying.

- - Melissa89 said
  - 29 Jul 2016
    4:01 pm
This looks absolutely delicous

- - mom112217 said
  - 23 May 2016
    9:04 pm
A beautiful fish to cook with and loving the asian flavours!

- - rachelvk said
  - 21 May 2016
    9:05 am
This sounds absolutely delicious. Very fresh and healthy!

- - mom165081 said
  - 06 Feb 2016
    2:22 am
What a fantastic way to cook barramundi! Can’t believe how good this is.

- - Toni Rowland said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    8:50 am
Sound amazing. Definitely trying this one.

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 30 Sep 2015
    10:13 pm
my dream to eat a meal at this restaurant

- - mom113055 said
  - 21 Sep 2015
    1:52 pm
with broth

- - mom113055 said
  - 18 Sep 2015
    4:32 pm
celery both

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 11 Sep 2015
    6:48 pm
thanks for sharing Pauline – I don’t eat enough fish, and the broth sounds divine

- - mom152736 said
  - 06 Sep 2015
    10:22 pm
delicious !!! gorgeous !

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 25 Aug 2015
    5:13 pm
Love Luke’s style of cooking and this recipe sounds really awesome!

- - mom70050 said
  - 29 Jun 2015
    11:14 am
A good friend makes a delicious batch of this.
- mom70050 replied
  
  29 Jun 2015 , 11:15 am
  Sorry for to add thanks for sharing!
- - mom113055 said
  - 25 Jun 2015
    3:22 pm
it s good

- - Schmoofie1983 said
  - 24 Jun 2015
    7:54 am
Yum, this looks and sounds fantastic! Haven’t come across Asian Celery before. Will have to keep an eye out at the Asian grocer.

- - EllenG89 said
  - 21 Jun 2015
    7:26 am
this looks scrumptious with amazing flavours!