Pla Tu Tom Khem Nua Kaeng Kang Puai

(Salty mackerel soup; hard meat but soft bones)

Ingredients
Large fresh mackerel, sugar cane stems, pork fat, tamarind, fish sauce, and palm sugar.
Preparation
Cut off the mackerel's head. Well clean the mackerel. Cut the sugar cane stems in long pieces and thoroughly lay them down at the bottom of the pot so that the mackerel will not be stuck with the pot. Stirring is not allowed during boiling the mackerel. Lay down the cleaned mackerel into the pot until full. Mix the tamarind, fish sauce, and palm sugar until these 3 flavors are satisfied. Filter out all the stains. Pour the filtered sauce onto the mackerel in the pot until it floods the mackerels. Finely chop the pork fat then sprinkle it on the top so that it will help softening the mackerel bones. The tamarind will prevent the mackerel from getting pulpy. Put the pot on heat. Apply high heat first to get well-cooked mackerel, then reduce the heat. Simmer it for 3 days. When the mackerel bones are crushable, then it is satisfied. Additional water can be added, during simmering, as necessary.
Mixtures for the mackerel meat
The salted mackerel can be conventionally consumed but, if preferred, it can also be mixed with extra ingredients. These ingredients are finely chopped ginger, finely chopped shallots, coriander, finely chopped spring shallot, and sliced red-spur chilies. Mix these ingredients with the salted mackerel, add lemon rind, then eat it with well-cooked fried egg.

( Mom Luang Nuang Nillaruttana; 1994; 64,81)