Simple Fish Soup with Vietnamese Coriander

Cook the Soup

1. If using whole fish, score each side of the fish with 1-2 diagonal lashes.
2. Take 1 ginger slice and half of the shallots. Roughly pound or smack them into smaller pieces and then rub all over the fish together with the wine, salt and pepper. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
3. Place a pot over medium heat. Once it is hot, add a bit of cooking oil. Add the remaining ginger and briefly sauté until you can smell the fragrance. Continue to add the shallots and white parts of the scallion. Sauté briefly until fragrant.
4. Pour fish stock into the pot, add chili pepper and bring it to a boil. Slice the fish into the pot and cook for about 3 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. There's no need to cover the pot and adjust the heat if needed to maintain a rapid simmer.
5. Add Vietnamese coriander to the pot and let it come back to a boil. Adjust seasonings to taste, and then transfer to serving bowls.

Serve the Soup

1. Option 1: Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl. When eating, take the fish out of the soup and place it on to clean plate so diners can use serving chopsticks (or knife and fork) to pick the flesh.
2. Option 2: Transfer the cooked fish to a plate and remove all the bones. Divide the flesh into the serving bowls and then divide the broth into each bowl.