How to make crispy fried snakehead fish with delicious and unique tamarind dipping sauce

How to make crispy Linh fish with tamarind sauce

• 1

  Prepare the ingredients

  For Linh fish, rinse briefly with water to remove any dirt on the outside. Use a knife to clean the scales (you can keep the scales depending on your taste).

  Next, proceed to gut the fish to remove all the insides. At this point, you should be gentle to avoid breaking the fish’s gallbladder, which can make the fish bitter.

  You also need to remove the black membrane inside the fish, as this is the reason the fish has a strong odor. After that, rinse again once more.

  Peel the garlic, crush it, and then finely chop it. Rinse the chili with water and then finely chop it.

  Some ways to eliminate the fishy smell of Linh fish

  • Eliminate the fishy smell with rice washing water and salt: After gutting the fish, just soak the fish in diluted rice washing water mixed with salt for about 10 – 15 minutes. Then rinse with clean water, and you can prepare the dish right away.
  • Eliminate the fishy smell with fresh lemon and vinegar: With this method, you just need to add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to the fish washing water (after gutting) and gently rub it. If you don’t have lemon juice, you can replace it with a few tablespoons of vinegar. This method not only eliminates the smell but also enhances the flavor of the Linh fish.
  • Eliminate the fishy smell with white wine: Similar to lemon juice and vinegar. You mix a few tablespoons of white wine into the fish washing water after gutting. Gently rub it on the fish, then rinse with clean water to prepare delicious dishes.

  

  
• 2

  Coat the fish with flour

  Crack 2 eggs into a large bowl or basin and beat them well. Next, add the crispy frying flour into the egg bowl, using a whisk to mix the eggs and flour together.

  If the mixture is too thick, you can add 1/2 small cup of water, then continue to stir until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.

  Place the dry crispy flour on a large plate. Divide the fish into 3 – 4 portions, then dip each portion into the flour mixture, and roll the fish in the crispy flour.

  

  
• 3

  Fry the fish

  Place a pan on the stove and add 1 cup of cooking oil, then heat it up, being careful not to overheat the oil to prevent the fish from burning. You can use a deep pan to save on cooking oil.

  Once the oil is hot, add the floured fish pieces one at a time into the pan to fry. It is advisable to fry over medium heat to ensure the fish cooks evenly and does not get burnt.

  Continue frying until all the fish is cooked.

  

  
• 4

  Making tamarind fish sauce

  The tamarind paste you squeezed should be placed in a bowl, then add about 70ml of warm water or hot water for about 10 – 15 minutes, then stir gently to dissolve the tamarind.

  Pour the tamarind water through a sieve to filter out the tamarind extract.

  Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of fish sauce, and the minced garlic and chili into the bowl of tamarind extract. Then stir well to dissolve the mixture.

  You can adjust the ratios of the ingredients to suit your taste.

  

  
• 5

  Final product

  The finished dish will have an appealing color and the enticing aroma of tamarind fish sauce. The fish is fried to a golden crisp, with tender, fatty meat and a characteristic sweetness combined with the sour and spicy tamarind sauce. This recipe will tantalize your taste buds!