Lau mam (Mekong fermented fish hotpot)

Step 1: Put 7 oz fermented fish (mắm cá linh or mắm cá sặc) and 1 litre of the 4 ¼ cups water in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, mashing it with a spoon. Open a window: it smells strong.

Step 2: Pour it through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids, then discard the bones and pulp. Common mistake: skipping the sieve leaves small fish bones in the hotpot.

Step 3: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat and fry 5 cloves garlic, 4 shallots, the chopped 2 stalks lemongrass and 3 red chillies for 2 minutes until fragrant.

Step 4: Add the strained mắm a ladle at a time, then the rest of 2 cups water, 2 cups coconut water, the bruised 2 stalks lemongrass and 2 tbsp sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, then taste and adjust: it should be salty-sweet and bold.

Step 5: Add 2 long Asian aubergines to the broth and simmer for 5 minutes until just soft.

Step 6: Arrange 10 ½ oz pork belly, 14 oz catfish, basa or other white fish fillet, 10 ½ oz raw prawns and 10 ½ oz squid on plates, and 10 ½ oz water spinach (morning glory), 7 oz bean sprouts, 10 ½ oz Chinese leaf, 5 ½ oz okra, 7 oz water lily stems or banana blossom and 1 ⅜ oz Thai basil, rice paddy herb and mint on platters. Keep the raw meat and seafood plates away from the vegetables.

Step 7: Move the pot to a tabletop burner and keep it at a steady simmer. Each person cooks their own: pork slices for 2–3 minutes until no pink remains, fish for 3–4 minutes until opaque and flaking easily, and prawns for 2–3 minutes until pink and opaque.

Step 8: Cook squid for 1–2 minutes only, until it turns white and curls; longer makes it rubbery. Swish greens in for a few seconds each.

Step 9: Serve with 14 oz rice vermicelli and 2 lime, ladling broth, seafood and vegetables over the noodles in each bowl. Top up the pot with hot water if the broth gets too salty as it reduces.