The snakehead fish is a type of fish with firm, sweet, and fragrant meat, with few bones, making it easy to prepare into many delicious and attractive dishes, especially the braised dishes with snakehead fish that pair perfectly with rice. Let’s get cooking with TasteVN and quickly make a fragrant braised snakehead fish dish for the family to enjoy!
1. Fragrant Braised Snakehead Fish
Preparation
20 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Fragrant Braised Snakehead Fish For 4 people
Snakehead fish 500 gr Pineapple 1 fruit (dứa) Shallots 3 bulbs Chili 4 fruits Spring onion 1 branch Vinegar 100 ml Fish sauce 4 teaspoons Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (Salt/ sugar/ seasoning powder)
How to choose fresh and delicious pineapple
- The fruit shape should be slightly rounded and short, which usually means more flesh.
- The skin should be evenly colored, with a yellow hue and a fragrant aroma indicating ripeness.
- A good pineapple feels heavy and firm when held and does not feel soft when pressed.
How to cook Pineapple Braised Catfish
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Prepare the ingredients
After buying the catfish, rub it with salt and then rinse it with clean water to reduce the slime.
Next, soak the fish in water mixed with a little vinegar for about 5 minutes to eliminate the fishy smell. Then, cut the fish into small slices suitable for eating.
Peel the shallots, crush them, and chop finely. Remove the seeds from 1 chili and chop it finely; keep 3 whole chilies.
Cut off the roots of the green onions, wash them clean, and cut them into pieces.
Peel the pineapple, wash it clean, remove the eyes, and cut it into small pieces suitable for eating.
Quick and easy way to peel pineapple
- First, cut the pineapple vertically into 4 equal parts.
- Continue to cut along the length of the pineapple piece, stopping at the end of the fruit and cutting strongly to separate the flesh from the skin.
- Do not cut too close to the skin to avoid leaving any eyes on the pineapple. Finally, cut into smaller pieces as needed.
See details: 5 simple ways to peel pineapple that don’t take much time
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Marinate the fish
Marinate the fish with shallots, minced chili, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, then mix well.
Let the fish absorb the spices for about 30 minutes.
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Cook the fish
Place a pan on the stove, wait for it to heat up, then add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Keep the heat low until the sugar melts and turns a golden brown color.
Once the caramel is ready, add all the marinated fish into the pan, keep the heat low for the fish to firm up for about 2 – 3 minutes, then flip the fish and add 1/2 cup of water, cover the lid, and cook until the broth boils. Open the lid to add 3 chilies and the pineapple that has been cut.
When the fish has cooked for about 10 – 15 minutes and the broth has reduced, add 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, continue cooking for another 5 – 10 minutes until the broth thickens, then add chopped green onions on top, season to taste, and turn off the heat.
Tip:
- To ensure the fish absorbs the spices evenly and is delicious, you should cook over low heat.
- To prevent the fish from breaking, wait for one side to cook before flipping, and avoid flipping multiple times.
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Final Product
Hot and fragrant braised pineapple fish with the bright yellow color of pineapple combined with the green of scallions.
The fish meat is evenly soaked with spices, blended with the sweet and sour taste of pineapple, making it very appealing, filling the family’s kitchen with its aroma!
2. Braised fish with light seasoning
Preparation
10 minutes
Cooking
20 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised fish with light seasoning Serves 4
Fish 500 gr Garlic 3 cloves Red onion 1 bulb Chili 5 fruits Scallions 2 stalks Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Coloring sauce 2 tablespoons Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (Salt/MSG/seasoning powder/sugar)
Ingredient Image
How to Cook Snakehead Fish in Light Sauce
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Prepare the Ingredients
After purchasing the snakehead fish, remove the entrails and gills, trim the fins and tail. Then rub the fish with salt to clean off the slime, rinse it with clean water, and let it drain.
Cut off the roots of the green onions, wash them, and chop them finely. Peel the shallots and garlic, then mince them.
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Marinate the Fish
Marinate the fish with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 2 tablespoons of coloring sauce.
Mix well and let the fish absorb the seasoning for 15 – 20 minutes.
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Fish Stew
Place the pan on the stove, turn on the heat to warm the pan, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, then sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant.
Next, add the fish to the stew with low heat, add 50ml of water, and gently turn the fish to absorb the seasoning evenly.
When the stew begins to boil, add 5 fresh chili peppers and chopped green onions. Continue to stew for about 5 more minutes, season to taste, and then turn off the heat.
Tip:- For this light stew, you should cook the fish until just done, with a little water remaining.
- The fish stew sauce can be poured over rice, noodles, or used as a dip with boiled vegetables, it will be very delicious…
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Final Product
The fish stew has soft, fatty, and sweet meat but does not fall apart after cooking and absorbs the seasoning evenly.
In addition to eating with hot rice, you can use fresh vegetables or boiled vegetables to dip into the fish stew sauce, it will surely make you eat a lot.
How to choose fresh and delicious snakehead fish
- Fresh snakehead fish should be intact with a smooth, shiny skin, without any white spots or bruises.
- Additionally, the fish should have clear eyes, dark red gills, and when you press the flesh, it should still be firm, indicating it is freshly caught and will taste sweet when cooked.
- Avoid buying fish with mushy flesh, an unusual odor, or fish whose weight is not proportional to its size.
How to clean snakehead fish properly without a fishy smell
- When you buy snakehead fish, rub it with crushed ginger and then rinse it with clean water; this helps remove slime, dirt, and effectively eliminates the fishy smell.
- You can also wash the fish with diluted saltwater or white wine, which will help clean and eliminate the fishy smell.
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With braised snakehead fish with fragrant sauce and light sauce, TasteVN hopes to enrich your family’s cooking menu. Wishing you success!
*Source for the recipe and images from YouTube channels: Góc Bếp Gia Đình Việt and EASY DELICIOUS DISHES
