2 ways to make delicious and flavorful braised dolphin fish with salt and pepper for an appealing dinner table

Prepare the dolphin fish

Fresh river dolphin fish bought from the market should be briefly blanched in boiling water, then rub the fish with coarse salt to remove the slime on its skin.

After that, you rinse the fish with water to clean it, then use scissors to cut off the part of the mouth with the spines. If you are more meticulous, you can also remove the gills, fins, and head of the fish.

Braised dolphin fish

You place a pan on the stove, add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the sliced shallots, green onion roots, and green pepper to sauté until fragrant.

When the spices become fragrant, add about 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce to the pan, stir well. Next, quickly add the dolphin fish and shake the pan so that the fish is evenly coated with the caramel color. Season the fish with 3 tablespoons of fish sauce and continue shaking the pan to firm up the fish, eliminating the fishy smell.

After that, add about 1 liter of water to the pan to braise the fish, seasoning the braising water with 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 2 tamarind fruits, then proceed to braise over medium heat.

When the braising water boils, add 2 tablespoons of chili sauce to thicken the sauce, and taste the seasoning again to adjust to your liking. Braise until the fish is tender, then turn off the heat, sprinkle a little ground pepper, chopped green onions, and sliced chili for decoration.

Final Product

Since this is a lightly seasoned braised dish, the pot of braised dolphin fish will still have quite a bit of liquid. This braising liquid is flavorful, with a balanced salty-sweet taste, making it perfect for dipping with various accompanying vegetables without being overly salty.

The braised dolphin fish will have tender meat, with a unique rich flavor when eaten. The fish is well-prepared, so there is no fishy smell.

Prepare the Dolphin Fish

You prepare a basin of water mixed with lemon juice and salt. Begin by preparing the dolphin fish by cutting off the fins, tail, and removing the mouth part, then place the fish into the basin of lemon salt water.

You rub the fish with lemon and salt to remove the slime, then rinse it clean and place it in a bowl.

For 500g of dolphin fish, you will marinate it with 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, using chopsticks to mix well and let the fish marinate for 20 minutes.

Peel the garlic and onion, then chop them finely.

Fish Stew

You place a deep pan on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and about 1 tablespoon of water to the pan, then turn on the heat to caramelize the sugar. When the sugar mixture has completely dissolved, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan and stir well with chopsticks until the caramel turns a nice amber color.

At this point, add garlic and shallots to sauté until fragrant, then add the dolphin fish (including the marinated liquid). Stir well to sear the fish and thicken the marinade, creating a beautiful brown color. When the fish is seared and coated with the golden color, add 1 cup of water to cover the fish slightly.

Stew the fish over medium heat for about 20 – 30 minutes, until the broth reduces to half, then add some chopped green onions, ground pepper, and chili, and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes before turning off the heat.

Final Product

The dolphin fish stew with pepper is delicious and flavorful, with a slightly thick broth that pairs perfectly with white rice. The dolphin fish has a naturally rich and fragrant taste, combined with the savory and spicy broth, enhancing the flavor of the fish.