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1
Poach and Flake the Mackerel
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Bring 800 ml of the water to a gentle simmer in a large pot. Slide in the mackerel fillets and poach for 8 minutes until the flesh flakes easily and reads at least 63°C (145°F). Lift the fish out, let it cool for 2 minutes, then flake it into large pieces, discarding any skin and bones. Keep the poaching water — it is the start of your broth.
Poach, never boil hard: a rolling boil shreds the fish into the broth and you lose the flakes that make the bowl.
Done when: Fish flakes easily with a fork and reads at least 63°C (145°F); flakes are large, not mush.
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2
Blend and Fry the Spice Paste
10 Mins
Medium heat, ~160°C (320°F)
Blend the soaked chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal and toasted belacan with 2 tablespoons of water into a smooth, deep-red paste. Heat a dry pot over medium heat, add the paste with no oil, and fry for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens, smells deeply fragrant and the raw edge is gone.
Frying the paste until it darkens is what builds the laksa's depth — a pale, raw paste makes a thin, sharp broth.
Done when: The paste is dark red, fragrant and slightly dry at the edges of the pot.
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3
Build the Tamarind Broth
20 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Pour the reserved poaching water and the remaining 400 ml of water into the pot with the paste. Add the lemongrass, the strained tamarind water, sugar and fish sauce, and bring to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes — do not boil hard. Return the flaked fish to the pot for the last 5 minutes. Taste: it should be boldly sour first, then salty, then sweet, with chilli heat behind it. Adjust tamarind, sugar or fish sauce to taste, then lift out the lemongrass.
Sour leads in assam laksa — if it tastes flat, it needs more tamarind, not more salt. And remember: no coconut milk ever goes in this broth.
Done when: The broth is cloudy, rusty-red and fragrant; the taste is sour first, then salty and sweet, with heat.
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4
Cook the Noodles
8 Mins
Rolling boil, 100°C (212°F)
Bring a separate large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook the thick rice noodles for 6–8 minutes until tender with a slight chew. Drain well and divide between four warmed bowls. The noodles keep cooking in the hot broth, so pull them while they still have bite.
Cook the noodles in a separate pot: cooking them in the broth would cloud it with starch and dull the sourness.
Done when: Noodles are tender with a slight chew in the centre.
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5
Assemble and Serve
7 Mins
Serve steaming, ~75°C (167°F)
Ladle the hot broth and flaked fish over the noodles in each bowl. Top generously with cucumber, red onion, pineapple, lettuce, mint, torch ginger and chilli rings, and drizzle a little hae ko over each bowl. Serve at once with iced lime tea — the laksa waits for no one.
Be generous with the garnishes — the cool, raw crunch is half the dish, and a timid handful leaves the bowl one-note sour.
Done when: The bowl is steaming, the broth covers the noodles, and a colourful pile of garnishes sits on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the steaming tamarind broth and flaked mackerel over the noodles, pile the fresh garnishes high, and drizzle hae ko over the top. Serve at once with iced lime tea on the side.
Malaysia
1h 10m
