Vietnamese fish with dill + turmeric
Vietnamese fish with dill + turmeric
Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
A home version of a very famous Vietnamese dish called Chả cá lã vọng. Made in the streets of Hanoi, sometimes grilled on charcoal or pan fried with lard. It is traditionally served like below but also with prawn crackers and fermented shrimp paste and pickled shallots.
NOTES: For easy frying, use a firm white fish. I’ve also made this with prawns and it was great!
INGREDIENTS
Fish
800g-1kg white fish – cut into chunks
4 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths
1/4 cup dill, cut into 5cm lengths
1 lime or lemon
Marinade for fish
2 spring onions, sliced
1 garlic
1.5 tsp turmeric
2 T dill
2 T fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 T oil
1 thumb ginger, chopped – traditionally galangal if you have it
½ tsp curry powder
Nuoc Cham dressing
3 T sugar
3 T fish sauce
3 T lime juice
3 T rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped – Mine wasn’t that hot.
To serve
200g vermicelli noodles, - cooked to packet instructions, rinsed and cooled
1-2 cups fresh herbs – coriander and mint
½ cup chopped roast peanuts or use fried shallots
½ cucumber, shredded or use green beans or mung bean sprouts
METHOD
Blend the marinade together, pour over the chunks of fish and stir to coat.
Cook the noodles to packet instructions. Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together until the sugar dissolves.
Pick the herbs, shred the cucumber, roast and chop the peanuts and arrange on a serving platter.
Cut the dill and spring onions, ready to add to the pan when the fish is cooked
Heat a large pan on a medium heat. Add a glug of oil and add the fish in one layer. Cook on each for 1-2 minutes each side depending on thickness. Once you flip with fish, scatter the spring onions and dill on top. Season the fish with a little flaky salt and transfer to a plate. Squeeze over a little lime or lemon juice.
To serve
Arrange the noodles in a bowl. Top with veg and herbs, then the fish and spoon over about 3 T of the dressing. Sprinkle with peanuts and I like to always serve lime wedges and fish sauce on the side so people can adjust to their taste if they want. I added extra chilli too.
Vietnamese Fish with Turmeric + Dill
Fresh, light and delicious!
