The red tilapia is a common freshwater fish. Due to its widespread habitat and thick, sweet flesh, red tilapia has gradually become a familiar dish for the Vietnamese people through various braised dishes, soups, or steamed dishes,… Let’s cook with TasteVN and immediately make 2 delicious red tilapia braised dishes to treat everyone!
1. Braised red tilapia with fermented soybeans
-
Preparation
15 minutes
-
Cooking
30 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Red Tilapia with Fermented Soybeans Serves 3 people
Red tilapia 1 fish (about 1kg) Fermented soybeans 3 teaspoons Ginger 1 piece (small) Green onions 1 stalk Minced garlic 1 teaspoon Minced chili 1 teaspoon Chili 1 piece (sliced) Fried shallots 2 teaspoons Soy sauce 2 tablespoons Vinegar a little Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Common spices a little (MSG/ sugar/ pepper/ salt)
Ingredient Image
How to prepare Stewed Red Tilapia with Fermented Soybean
-
Prepare the red tilapia
To eliminate the fishy smell of red tilapia, after buying it, remove all the entrails, being careful not to cut open the fish’s belly. Then add vinegar and a little salt to rub on the fish body, then use knife to scrape off the scales and slime, and rinse it again with clean water.
Next, make parallel cuts on both sides of the fish to help it absorb the seasoning better when marinating. Then cut the fish in half and arrange it in a bowl.
-
Prepare other ingredients
Peel the ginger, wash it with clean water, then slice it into pieces about 1/3 of a finger thick.
After washing the scallions, cut off the green parts. Then lay the scallion greens along the back of the knife and slice them really thin.
-
Marinate the fish
Add 1 spoon of ground pepper and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce into the bowl containing the fish. Gently stir to ensure the fish does not break and marinate for about 20 minutes to allow the fish to absorb the seasoning.
-
Cook the fish
Use a deep pan on the stove, set to medium heat, and add about 1 spoon of cooking oil into the pan. Wait until the oil is hot, then add sliced ginger, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon of minced chili, stirring well.
When the ingredients become fragrant, add the red tilapia. Flip both sides to ensure the fish is seared. Then add 3 teaspoons of crushed soybeans.
Next, add 2 bowls of boiling water into the pan. Then season with 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate and 1/2 tablespoon of sugar to make the dish flavorful.
Next, cover and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes until the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat. Arrange the fish on a plate with some of the braising sauce, a few slices of ginger, a little shredded onion, fried onions, and some slices of chili on top to make the dish more appealing.
Tip:
- Crushed soybeans will absorb better into the fish when braising than whole soybeans!
- Place slices of ginger under the fish when braising to prevent the fish skin from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
-
Final Product
Picking a piece of fish, you will feel the rich, firm fish meat combined with the delicious, sweet, and savory fermented soybean paste. The fish also carries a hint of pepper and chili when eaten with rice, and adding a spoonful of braising sauce will make you want to eat more without getting bored!
2. Braised Fish with Fermented Soybean Paste and Mushrooms
-
Preparation
20 minutes
-
Cooking
40 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Red Tilapia with Fermented Soybean and Mushrooms Serves 6
Red tilapia 2 fish (about 1.3kg/ fish) Fermented soybeans 400 gr Straw mushrooms 300 gr Dried wood ear mushrooms 5 pieces Glass noodles 50 gr Garlic 50 gr Onion 2 bulbs Red onion 100 gr Green onion 100 gr Vietnamese coriander 100 gr Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Soy sauce 3 tablespoons Common seasoning a little (salt/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate)
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to choose fresh straw mushrooms
- You should choose straw mushrooms that are still in bud form, slightly round or cylindrical, not too large or too small, with gray or black color. Especially, the mushroom buds should be a bit firm when squeezed lightly.
- Avoid buying crushed, damp, leaking, or moldy straw mushrooms.
How to choose good wood ear mushrooms
- First, you should choose dried wood ear mushrooms instead of fresh ones because fresh wood ear mushrooms contain a compound morpholine that can cause itching or severe allergies.
- You should choose wood ear mushrooms that have thick, large ears and a stem with few smaller mushrooms. The top of the mushroom should be a dark amber color, slightly shiny, while the underside should be a milky coffee color.
- Avoid buying wood ear mushrooms that are too black, as these mushrooms tend to become mushy when soaked in water, thus the crispiness of the ingredient will not be guaranteed.
How to cook Red Tilapia with Fermented Soybean and Mushrooms
-
Prepare the red tilapia
After purchasing the red tilapia, use a knife to clean the scales, gut it to remove all the insides, and then cut the fish in half. You can eliminate the fishy smell by soaking the fish in salted water for a few minutes, then take it out. Rinse with clean water and let it drain.
-
Prepare other ingredients
Soak dried wood ear mushrooms in water to allow the ingredient to expand, cut off the stems and shred them. Continue to rinse several times with clean water.
For straw mushrooms, after purchasing, cut off the stems, soak in salt water for 3 – 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly to ensure the mushrooms are cleaner.
Peel the shallots, onions, and garlic, and rinse them clean. Next, chop the garlic finely. Then, slice the shallots and onions into thin slices.
After purchasing the vermicelli, blanch it in boiling water to expand the strands, then drain. Use scissors to cut them shorter so that they do not tangle when braising fish and are easier to enjoy when eating.
Cut the roots and remove the wilted branches of green onions and coriander, then rinse with clean water and cut into bite-sized pieces.
How to properly soak dried wood ear mushrooms (dried black fungus)
- When soaking dried wood ear mushrooms in water, be careful not to soak them for more than 3 hours. Soaking longer than this time will allow toxins in the mushrooms to spread more, especially morpholine, which is very harmful to the human body.
- Absolutely do not soak dried wood ear mushrooms in hot water. This creates favorable conditions for strong morpholine production, increasing the risk of food poisoning for those who consume it.
See details: How to properly soak dried wood ear mushrooms (dried black fungus)
-
Stew the fish
Place a pan on the stove and add 2 spoons of cooking oil. Wait until the oil is hot, then add the minced garlic and sauté evenly.
When the minced garlic turns golden, reduce the heat or temporarily turn off the stove, and then add the fermented soybeans to prevent oil from splattering and causing burns.
Next, increase the heat to stir-fry the soybeans for 1 – 2 minutes. Pour 250ml of filtered water into the pan, add 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce. Gently stir to dissolve the mixture into the soy sauce.
When the sauce in the pan boils, arrange the fish in the pan. Wait a few more minutes, then carefully use chopsticks and a spoon to turn the fish. Observe that the sauce boils again, sprinkle the straw mushrooms and sliced wood ear mushrooms evenly over the fish surface.
Stew the fish for about 15 – 20 minutes over medium heat to ensure the fish and mushrooms are cooked evenly. Then, evenly sprinkle sliced shallots, vermicelli, sliced onions, and chopped green onions along with cut herbs on the fish and mix gently for a few minutes until everything is cooked evenly. Finally, sprinkle 2 – 3 chili peppers into the pan and turn off the heat.
Note: If the fish stew sauce reduces too quickly during the cooking process, you can add more fermented soybeans, water, and sugar, then season to taste according to your or your family’s preference to continue stewing!
-
Final product
The fish meat is tender and delicious, combined with the braising sauce that carries the nutty flavor of fermented soybeans, the sweet taste of straw mushrooms, and the fresh aroma of scallions and cilantro. Blended in are soft, chewy rice vermicelli and crunchy wood ear mushrooms. All absorb the spices extremely attractively.
You can also add a bit of fresh vegetables to enhance the flavor of the entire meal. What are you waiting for? Get into the kitchen and make the braised red tilapia with fermented soybeans and mushrooms to treat yourself and your family right now!
How to choose fresh and delicious red tilapia
- Fresh and delicious red tilapia usually has a torpedo-shaped body, bright pink color that is not pale, with dark pink shiny scales tightly adhering to the body. Especially, the fish meat is firm and does not feel mushy when picked up for a test.
- You should look for live fish to observe their shape and swimming style. Fish that swim flexibly and bounce strongly when touched are often healthy and worth purchasing.
- It is advisable to avoid buying fish that have too small an elliptical body, pale colors with cloudy eyes, sunken eye sockets, loose flesh, and a fishy smell reminiscent of ammonia.
Effective ways to remove fishy smell
- You can use rice washing water to remove the fishy smell by cutting the cleaned fish into bite-sized pieces, then soaking them in rice washing water for 15 – 20 minutes, then rinsing and cooking.
- A rather unusual method is to soak the cleaned fish in unsweetened fresh milk, just enough to cover the fish, for 3 – 4 minutes to eliminate the fishy smell. This way, the fish meat not only loses its fishy smell but also becomes softer and more flavorful.
- In addition, the fish will be effectively de-fished if soaked in warm water with a few crushed slices of ginger. This method also helps enhance the flavor of the fish meat.
See more:
We hope that with the 2 recipes for red tilapia cooked with fermented soybeans that TasteVN introduces to you, it will help diversify and enhance the daily menu for you and your family. Let’s get into the kitchen and make this dish that is not only simple but also extremely “appetizing” right away!
