Stewed dishes always bring an indescribable thrill. This seems to be a question that has never found an answer. If you’re still skeptical, let’s join TasteVN in the kitchen to showcase our skills with two dishes: braised catfish with galangal and light braised fish!
1. Braised catfish with galangal
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Preparation
40 minutes
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Cooking
1 hour
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised catfish with galangal Serves 3
Catfish 500 gr Pork belly 300 gr Tomatoes 2 pieces Galangal 100 gr Ginger 1 piece (small) Lemongrass 3 stalks Chili 2 pieces Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Coconut color 1 teaspoon Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Common seasoning a little (Seasoning/ Salt/ Sugar)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh pork belly
- To buy good pork belly, you should choose a piece that has both lean meat and fat, with the skin and fat layer being of moderate thickness (about 2/3 of a finger’s length), and the lean meat should be tightly attached to the fat layer.
- Fresh pork belly will have a dry outer membrane, with a light red or bright pink color.
- When cut, the piece of meat has a bright pink color, with white-pink and soft skin. The fat interspersed with the lean meat is light in color and firm.
- Absolutely do not buy pork belly that is mushy, leaking, slimy, has a pale color, or leaves a fingerprint when pressed.
How to choose fresh tomatoes
- You should choose tomatoes with bright red outer skin, evenly colored, without scratches or damage.
- Tomatoes that ripen naturally often have a light, characteristic fragrance; when held, they feel firm and heavy, you can use this tip to select the freshest tomatoes.
- Identify fresh tomatoes through the stem; ripe and fresh tomatoes usually have a green stem that is tightly attached to the top of the tomato.
- Do not buy tomatoes that have a mix of red and green colors or show black spots on the skin, as these fruits are often very bland and lack flavor.
How to cook Pangasius fish with galangal
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Preparing the pangasius fish
First, after buying the pangasius fish, cut off the head and gills. Then, gut it to remove all the internal organs and any accumulated dirty blood, then scrub the fish body with salt for 3 – 5 minutes, rinse with clean water 1 – 2 times, and let it drain.
For the pork belly, rub it with salt, then rinse it with clean water, and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Method to eliminate the smell of pork belly
- To remove the smell from pork, before cooking, briefly blanch the pork in boiling water for about 3 minutes with a crushed shallot; the shallot will help eliminate the smell very effectively.
- Additionally, white wine has the effect of removing the smell of meat very effectively. You just need to add a little white wine to the boiling water before removing the meat.
- After that, rinse the meat with cold water and proceed to cook it; the meat will no longer have an odor, and dishes made from pork will be more flavorful.
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Marinate the fish
Prepare a bowl with 500 grams of pangasius fish, 300 grams of cut pork belly, 3 stalks of sliced lemongrass, 100 grams of galangal and ginger (peeled and mashed), 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon of sugar, mix everything together to absorb the spices for 30 minutes.
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Cooking fish
Place a pot on the stove with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and 2 tomatoes cut into wedges over medium heat, stir-fry for 3 minutes, then add all the marinated snakehead fish, 2 tablespoons of water, 2 chili peppers, and 1 teaspoon of coconut color, reduce to low heat and simmer for 45 – 60 minutes.
When the fish is tender, season to taste and turn off the heat to serve on a plate.
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Final product
This snakehead fish cooked with galangal will awaken all your long-dormant senses! The fish is tender to every fiber, rich in flavor, and the addition of a little galangal and lemongrass enhances the taste of the dish even more.
There’s nothing better than enjoying a pot of snakehead fish with galangal and a bowl of white rice on rainy days. It will definitely be wonderful.
2. Braised Snakehead Fish with Light Seasoning
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
40 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Snakehead Fish with Light Seasoning Serves 3
Snakehead fish 700 gr Shallots 1 bulb Chopped shallots 3 teaspoons Minced garlic 3 teaspoons Sawtooth coriander 2 sprigs Green onions A little (cut into pieces) Turmeric 1 bulb (small) Cornstarch 1 teaspoon Fish sauce 3 tablespoons Cooking oil 4 tablespoons Salt/ Ground pepper A little
Image of Ingredients
How to Cook Braised Snakehead Fish with Light Seasoning
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Prepare the Snakehead Fish
For the snakehead fish, use scissors to cut off the head and gills, while also gutting it to clean out any remaining blood inside.
Then, soak the fish in a mixture of rice washing water and 1 teaspoon of salt for about 5 – 7 minutes, then rinse with clean water 1 – 2 times and let it drain.
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Marinate the fish
After preparing the catfish, place it in a bowl to marinate with 3 teaspoons of minced shallots, 3 teaspoons of minced garlic, 2 sprigs of washed and chopped cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1 teaspoon of tapioca starch, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, and 3 tablespoons of fish sauce.
Mix everything well together and let the fish absorb the spices for 15 minutes.
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Fish Stew
Put a pan on the stove with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, 1 shallot, and sliced turmeric to sauté until fragrant over medium heat. Then, add the remaining 700g of marinated catfish and stir evenly over low heat for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Next, add 300ml of water and stew for 30 to 40 minutes, until the fish is tender, then season to taste, turn off the heat, and serve on a plate.
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Finished Product
In just a moment, the catfish stew is ready! From the color to the aroma, it is truly flawless!
Fresh, delicious catfish, incredibly sweet, combined with fresh turmeric, fish sauce, and other spices creates an absolutely wonderful combination.
Add a little green onion to enhance the aroma of the fish stew even more. Don’t wait any longer—serve it right away with a bowl of white rice!
What is catfish?
- Catfish is known as a type of smooth-skinned fish, with a flat head and three sharp spines. For this reason, people have named it catfish.
- Catfish can live in many different environments. From freshwater, brackish water to saltwater, catfish can adapt very quickly.
- Thanks to its rich nutrient content such as fats, proteins,… catfish is not only used in braised dishes, fried dishes,… but is also loved by women who include it in the list of porridge dishes for children.
How to choose fresh and delicious catfish
- Live fish always brings the best flavor. Therefore, choose catfish that swim well, with clear eyes that clearly show the pupils, and shiny, uniform scales. Avoid fish with bloated bodies, weak swimming, and pale colors.
- When pressed, the flesh should feel firm, not soft or mushy, and have good elasticity like rubber.
- Fresh catfish will have a cherry color; conversely, if it is dark brown or cloudy, it means the fish has spoiled. Additionally, avoid fish with a strong fishy smell as they have been kept for too long.
Effective ways to eliminate the fishy smell of catfish
- Method 1: Soak the fish in rice water for 15 – 20 minutes to remove the fishy smell.
- Method 2: Another common method is to use salt to wash or rub on the fish’s body.
- Method 3: Additionally, soaking the fish in alcohol or white vinegar for 5 minutes is also very effective in eliminating the smell.
- Method 4: Moreover, you can also use smashed ginger and soak it in water with the fish for 5 minutes.
- Method 5: A simpler way is to use lemon juice mixed with warm water, then soak the fish for 5 – 7 minutes.
Finally, the above article has provided 2 extremely simple and quick ways to make braised catfish with galangal and braised without galangal, but the deliciousness remains unchanged. Why hesitate and not show off your cooking skills right away!
*Refer to the images and recipes from 2 YouTube channels: FATZBABY VIET NAM and Happy Kitchen
