3 ways to make delicious and flavorful fish dishes: fish simmered with salt, fish simmered with tamarind, and fish simmered with thick sauce

Prepare the Catfish

After purchasing the catfish, to clean and remove the fishy smell, scrape off the scales, cut off the fins and gills, and remove the insides, including the bloodline located along the backbone.

Soak the fish in diluted salt water for about 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water and let it drain.

Prepare other ingredients

Buy young tamarind, scrape off the outer powder layer, then wash it thoroughly with water.

Peel the garlic and shallots, then mince them. Wash the bird’s eye chili, crush it. Wash the scallions, cut the white part into small pieces, and chop the green part into sections.

For accompanying vegetables like water spinach, water mimosa, water celery, and winged beans, after buying, remove the tough parts, then soak them in salt water for about 15 minutes, then take them out to drain.

Cooking the sauce

Place a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and heat it up, then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and cook over medium heat. Stir well until the sugar completely dissolves and starts to turn golden brown, then add chopped onion, garlic, green onion, and crushed chili to sauté until fragrant.

Once the ingredients are aromatic, add 100ml of water (about 2 cups), 1 tablespoon of sugar, 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder to the pot. Turn the heat to high and bring the water in the pot to a boil.

Stew the fish

When the water boils, add the fish and young tamarind into the pan, cover it, and cook over medium heat for about 20 – 25 minutes for the fish to cook and absorb the flavors.

Next, sprinkle the chopped green onions and ground pepper over the fish, while taking the tamarind out into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of fish stew sauce, and mash it thoroughly to extract the tamarind juice.

Add the tamarind juice to the pot, stir well, and adjust the seasoning to taste to complete the dish.

Final Product

The braised fish dish emits a fragrant smoke, served with rice and a bit of fresh vegetables, with a full of flavors that are extremely delicious and enticing. As you eat, you should dip the vegetables to fully experience the taste of the dish as well as the freshness and crunchiness of the vegetables!

Prepare the fish

When buying fish, you need to remove the gills and fins, scrape off the scales, and gut the fish.

To clean the fish and eliminate the fishy smell, place the fish in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of vinegar, then use your hands to rub and massage evenly for about 3 – 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water and let drain.

Marinate the fish

Marinate the fish with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/3 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/3 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of coloring sauce, then mix well and let the fish absorb the seasoning for about 30 minutes.

Fish Stew

Place a pot on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and heat it up, then add all the minced shallots, garlic, and 1 chili pepper to sauté until fragrant.

Add the marinated fish to the pot, cover it, and cook over medium heat until the fish is cooked and firm on both sides.

When the fish is cooked and firm, add a little water and the bowl used to marinate the fish earlier, rinse it evenly and pour it into the pot so that the water just covers the fish.

Continue to cover the pot and cook over medium heat until the water in the pot boils, then add the tamarind. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for about 10 – 15 minutes until the tamarind is soft.

When the tamarind is soft, remove it to a bowl, scoop an additional 4 tablespoons of stew water from the pot into it, then use a spoon to mash the tamarind and filter out the juice. Pour the tamarind juice into the pot, cover it, reduce the heat and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes until the stew water in the pot thickens and the fish absorbs the seasoning.

Finally, sprinkle a little pepper and garnish with a few more chili peppers on top to finish.

Final Product

The fish braised in tamarind will have an enticing aroma when completed, with sweet, tender fish meat that absorbs the rich braising spices, combined with the slightly sour and sweet taste characteristic of young tamarind. This is guaranteed to be a perfect choice for you to cook for your whole family to enjoy!

Prepare the fish

After purchasing the fish, to clean and eliminate the fishy smell, you need to remove the scales, gut the belly, clean out the internal organs and the bloodline running along the fish’s back, and cut off the gills, fins, and tail.

Prepare a bowl of water mixed with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 cup of vinegar, place the fish in the bowl and soak for about 15 minutes, then remove and rinse thoroughly with water, and let it drain.

Prepare other ingredients

Cut the finger chili in half and remove the seeds. Peel the garlic and shallots.

Use a scissors to finely chop the finger chili, garlic, and shallots, then mince them.

Peel the sugarcane and cut it into thin slices. Remove the shell from the fresh coconut and collect the water.

Marinate the fish

Add the minced onion, garlic, and chili to a bowl, then add 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the juice of 1/2 lemon, then mix well until the seasonings are completely dissolved.

Pour the mixed seasoning evenly over the fish, then use your hands to massage and mix thoroughly, and let it marinate for about 30 minutes to 1 hour for the fish to absorb the flavors evenly.

Fish Stew

Put a pan on the stove, add about 50ml of cooking oil (about 1/2 cup) and heat it, then add the fish to fry on medium heat until both sides are golden, then remove and drain the oil.

Prepare a pot, lay a layer of sugar cane at the bottom, then place the fish on top, next add another layer of sugar cane evenly over the fish and pour the marinade over the fish into the pot.

Next, pour fresh coconut water into the pot. Then take a little clean water from the bowl where the fish was marinated, rinse it around and pour it back into the pot so that the water just covers the fish. Next, use a clean fork to press down on top.

Place the pot on the stove, cover it, turn the heat to high, and bring the water in the pot to a boil.

When the water boils, reduce the heat and continue cooking for about 3 more hours until the fish is tender.

Next, open the pot lid, take out the fork and remove all the sugar cane residue from the pot.

Then add 4 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of chili sauce, and 2 chili peppers into the pot. Simmer on low heat for about 1 more hour until the broth thickens, sprinkle a little ground pepper on top, then turn off the heat.

Final Product

So you have a delicious and attractive dish of braised catfish ready! The catfish meat is fragrant and sweet, while the bones are braised until soft and fatty, combined with the gentle sweet aroma of fresh coconut water and sugarcane, and the spicy salty taste of various spices has created an incredibly appealing dish.

This dish is best enjoyed with white rice and a bit of fresh herbs on the side, isn’t that perfect? Let’s get into the kitchen and show off your cooking skills right away!