Salor kbal trey nung tapeng chu.
(Fish head with sour bamboo shoot soup.)

Fish head with sour bamboo shoot soup is delicious authentic Khmer Krom country food.
Rule of thumb for buying fish head is to look and smell. Look at the fish eyes, it should be clear, and the fresher fish head has very mild odor.
You can used any kind of large fish head for this recipe. I prefer Red Snapper or Salmon fish head.
• Ingredients :
  • 2 to 3 lbs Red Snapper fish head, or any kind that you prefer. Cleaned and cut into chunks.
  • 1 lb. Slices Sour Bamboo shoot. Soaked in warm water, rinsed well and drained.
  • 6 Cups water.
  • 2 Tablespoons cooking oil.
  • 2 Tablespoons minced lemon grass.
  • 2 Tablespoon sugar.
  • 1 Tablespoon fish sauce.
  • 1 Tablespoon creamy style pickle (pahok) .
  • 2 Cloves garlic. Chopped.
  • 3 Chopped hot chili pepper. (Option).
  • A handful of chopped rice paddy herb, and sweet basil .
  
  
• Procedures :
  Heat up a large soup pot with high temperature. Add cooking oil when the soup pot is hot.
  Sauté chopped garlic till brown (and not burn).
  Removed browned garlic and put it in a small bowl. Set a side.
  Immediately add lemon grass and fish head. Stirs.
  Pour water into the soup pot and add sour bamboo shoot. Stirs.
  The fish head doesn’t take long to cook be careful not to over cook.
  And extra careful when you stirs the soup, the fish head may fall apart.
  When fish head cooked seasoning with sugar, fish sauce and pahok.
  Top with mix herbs, chopped chili pepper and browned garlic before serve.
  Serve hot with rice.