Catfish is a nutritious food, providing a lot of protein with sweet and fatty fish meat. Today, TasteVN suggests 2 super simple ways to make vinegar-dipped catfish hotpot and fermented rice-dipped catfish to change the taste for the family. Let’s get cooking and show off your skills by making this hotpot dish right away!
1. Vinegar-Dipped Catfish Hotpot
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Vinegar-Dipped Catfish Hotpot For 4 people
Catfish 1 fish (about 1.5 – 2kg) Lemongrass 6 stalks Garlic 1 bulb Pineapple 1/2 fruit (pineapple) Onion 1 bulb Chili 3 fruits Lettuce 2 plants Fresh coconut water 500 ml Herbs A little (to taste) Fresh noodles A little Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Rice vinegar 100 ml Fish sauce 3 tablespoons Soy sauce 2 teaspoons Common spices A little (Salt/ sugar/ seasoning granules/ monosodium glutamate)
Ingredient Images
How to Prepare Catfish Hotpot with Vinegar Dip
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Prepare the catfish
To clean the catfish properly and reduce the fishy smell, after buying the fish, cut off the fins, gills, and tail, scrape off the slime, remove the entrails, then pour boiling water over the fish and scrape off the slime layer.
Rinse the fish several times with clean water, then let it drain, cut off the bones and head, and cut the fish into small pieces about the size of half a finger.
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Prepare other ingredients
Crush half of the lemongrass, cut into sections, mince the other half, peel and mince the garlic, and chop the chili.
Peel the pineapple, remove the eyes, and chop finely. Peel the onion and cut into small pieces.
Pick the lettuce and herbs, remove the stems and old leaves, wash thoroughly, and let drain.
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Marinate the fish
Put the cut catfish into a bowl, marinate the fish with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, 1 chopped chili, half of the minced garlic, and half of the minced lemongrass.
Then stir well for the fish to absorb the seasoning, marinate the fish for about 20 – 30 minutes.
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Make the dipping sauce
In a bowl, add 3 tablespoons of fermented fish sauce, 2 chopped chilies, 1/3 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 tablespoon of sugar, half of the minced pineapple, the remaining minced lemongrass.
Stir well to dissolve the sugar, taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, and the dipping sauce is ready.
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Make the dipping broth
Place a pan on the stove over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, wait for the oil to heat up before sautéing the remaining minced garlic until fragrant.
When the garlic starts to become fragrant, add the chopped lemongrass and onion, stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
Next, add the remaining minced pineapple, 500ml of fresh coconut water, and 100ml of rice vinegar.
Season the broth with 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Wait for the broth to boil, dip the fish as you eat and enjoy.
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Final Product
The dipping catfish hotpot is aromatic, with sweet and tender fish that is not fishy, the dipping sauce has a sour and refreshing taste, wrapping the fish with rice noodles and fresh herbs on rainy days is unbeatable, right?
2. Catfish Hotpot with Fermented Rice
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
35 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Catfish Hotpot with Fermented Rice For 3 people
Catfish 1 fish (about 2kg) Fermented rice 1.5 cups (rice bowl) Pineapple 1 fruit (fresh pineapple) Chili 7 fruits Garlic 4 cloves Lemon 1 fruit Lemongrass 4 stalks Cucumber 2 fruits Green banana 4 fruits Young mango 1 fruit Accompanying vegetables 600 gr (aromatic herbs/ young leaves/ guava leaves/ mango leaves/…) Fried shallots 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 3 tablespoons Cooking oil 3 tablespoons Common spices a little (Sugar/ monosodium glutamate/ salt)
What is mẻ? Where to buy it?
- Mẻ, also known as cơm mẻ, is a basic seasoning in Vietnamese cuisine made from leftover rice, mushy rice, and undergoes a fermentation process.
- This traditional seasoning has a sour and fragrant flavor that is very distinctive, often used in many dishes such as hot pot and braised dishes.
- You can buy mẻ at stores selling distilled alcohol, grocery stores specializing in food, markets, or large supermarkets.
- Additionally, you can refer to the way to make mẻ at home shared by TasteVN to have a more quality and delicious mẻ.
How to make Catfish Hot Pot with mẻ
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Prepare the catfish
To save time, you can ask the seller to prepare the catfish, then you rub it with 2 teaspoons of salt and use a knife to scrape off the slime on the fish skin.
Next, cut a lemon in half and rub it on the catfish for an additional 5 minutes, then wash it clean and let it drain.
Fillet the fish and then use a knife to slice it into thin pieces to your liking, then place it in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of fried shallots to make the fish more fragrant.
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Prepare other ingredients
Buy lemongrass, slice it thinly, and then finely chop it. Remove the stems from the chili and chop it finely. Peel the garlic, then finely chop it.
For the accompanying vegetables like young leaves, mango leaves, herb leaves, wash them thoroughly and let them drain.
Peel the green mango and slice it into thin pieces. Peel the green banana and cut it into long, thin pieces. Wash the cucumber and cut it lengthwise into small sections.
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Cooking the sour rice broth
Place a pot on the stove, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, wait for the oil to heat up, then add all of the 4 stalks of lemongrass, 3 chili peppers, and 4 minced garlic cloves to sauté until golden and fragrant over low heat.
Next, pour about 2 liters of filtered water into the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, then use a strainer to extract the liquid from 1.5 cups of sour rice into the pot.
Season the broth with 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, and 1/3 tablespoon of salt, then cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes until the broth is boiling vigorously. You can adjust the seasoning to suit your family’s taste!
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Making fermented fish sauce
Use a spoon to scoop the flesh from 1 pineapple and place it in a bowl. Then add 3 tablespoons of fermented fish sauce into the bowl and season with 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, then stir well to dissolve the seasonings.
Finally, add about 4 minced chili peppers into the fermented fish sauce and mix well to complete the dish.
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Final Product
The catfish hotpot with sweet and sour broth from fermented rice combined with tender cooked catfish pieces, chewy and sweet meat, and a creamy texture creates a perfect balance of flavors.
You can dip the catfish and wrap it in rice paper to enjoy with cucumber, fresh vegetables, herbs, green mango, green banana, and especially remember to dip it in the sweet, sour, and spicy dipping sauce to enhance the dish’s flavor!
How to choose fresh and delicious catfish
- You should choose whole catfish that looks fresh, with a bulging belly on both sides. The fins and tail should be intact. The eyes should be clear, with bright red gills that show no signs of hemorrhage and no foul smell.
- When buying pre-processed catfish, choose pieces with small muscle fibers, white color, and fat that is white interspersed like grapefruit segments. The fish meat should be firm, springy when pressed, not leaking fluids, and should not have slime on the surface.
- For frozen catfish, check the body of the fish, selecting one without injuries, and no blood clots when cutting the meat. Remember to carefully check the origin and expiry date!
How to clean catfish without a fishy smell
- To clean the fish, remove the internal organs, use kitchen ash to scrub the fish body to eliminate slime. Alternatively, you can boil some water, then pour it over the fish and use a knife to scrape it clean; this method helps remove slime and the fishy smell.
- To eliminate the fishy smell, you can soak the cleaned fish in salt water or rice washing water for about 15 minutes, then rinse with clean water.
- Additionally, to remove the fishy smell, mix some cold water and vinegar, wash the cleaned fish in this solution, and the fish will quickly lose its fishy odor.
With the recipe for 2 ways to make catfish hotpot with vinegar dipping and fermented rice dipping, which are delicious, unique, and incredibly simple, TasteVN hopes you will successfully prepare this nutritious dish for your family!
