Penang Asam Laksa

Poach the whole mackerel in 2 litres of lightly salted water for about 10 minutes, until the flesh comes away from the bone. Lift the fish out and keep every drop of that water — it is the base of the broth.

Flake the fish off the bones with your fingers, checking carefully as you go. Set the flesh aside; return the head and bones to the pot to keep simmering.

💡 Fingers find pin bones that eyes miss. This is worth doing slowly — a bone in a laksa bowl ruins the whole thing.

Blend the soaked chillies, shallots, lemongrass, galangal and belacan into a rough paste, then stir it into the simmering stock with the tamarind water, tamarind slices, torch ginger and palm sugar.

Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add most of the flaked fish and the daun kesum, and cook 10 minutes more. Taste: it should be sour first, then salty, then faintly sweet, with the heat trailing behind.

💡 Sourness is the point of this laksa, so correct it upward with more tamarind rather than reaching for salt. If it tastes flat, it almost always needs acid, not seasoning.

Fish out the bones and stalks. Blanch the noodles briefly and divide them between bowls, then ladle the hot broth over them.

Pile the shredded pineapple, cucumber, red onion, mint and the rest of the fish on top. Add a teaspoon of hae ko to each bowl and let each person stir it in themselves.

💡 Hae ko is intensely fishy on its own and mild once stirred through. Letting people mix their own is not just tradition — it lets first-timers start with half a spoon.